B'har

בְּהַר
On Mount [Sinai]

Leviticus 25:1-26:2

When Is B'har Read?

/ 17 Iyar 5784
/ 15 Iyar 5787

Summary

  • God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites that in every seventh year, the land shall observe a Sabbath of complete rest: Fields should not be sown and vines should not be pruned. (25:1-7)
  • After forty-nine years, a jubilee year is to be celebrated when all the land that had been sold during that time should be returned to its original owners and slaves are to be freed. (25:8-55)
  • God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites not to make idols, to keep the sabbath, and to venerate the sanctuary of the Eternal. (26:1-2)

Ten Minutes of Torah: B'har Commentary

Letting our Land Rest: Shmitah and the Release of Expectations

By: Rabbi Emily Langowitz

In this week's Torah portion, B'har, we learn God's command that the Israelites must, every seven years, engage in a practice called shmitah. And every seven sets of seven, an ultimate shmitah, called the yovel, or Jubilee, year.

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Learn More About Parashat B'har with BimBam

Parashat B'har: Sustainable Farming in the Torah

Did you know that the Torah has lots to say about sustainable farming practices? Organic farmer Emily Freed explains the laws of the land in down-to-earth language. So get your hands, or at least your ears, dirty! Enjoy this video and others with BimBam.

Listen to Podcasts About Parashat B'har

Listen to Rabbi Rick Jacobs discuss Parashat B'har in these episodes of his podcast, On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah.

Social Justice to the Extreme

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Rabbi Rick Jacobs