Parshat Behar,
speaks about Shmita in Eretz Yisrael. Shmita, which
occurs every seven years, is a year in which we do not harvest
the land. Shmita makes us acknowledge that the earth,
our land, our possessions, and our money all belong to Hashem.
Hashem
makes seven a running theme throughout the Torah. There
are sets of seven all over the place, if you look carefully!
Now, one thing you need to know is that when it comes to groups
of seven, the seventh is most precious to Hashem. In
our Parsha, the Shmita year is the seventh year
of the planting cycle. For six years we are permitted to work
the land and in the seventh year we let the land rest. Sound
familiar? That's right! Sort of like Shabbat. Shabbat
is a very important example of the number seven; Hashem
rested from his work on the seventh day. Therefore, for six
days a week we work and on the seventh day, Shabbat,
we give it a break!
Here are some
more samples of number seven in action:
We all know that
Hashem created the "Shamayim" (Heaven) and
the "Eretz" (Earth). But did you know that Shamayim
and Eretz both have seven names?
There are seven
generations from Avrohom to Moshe: Avrohom, Yitzchok, Yaakov,
Levi, K'hat, Amram and Moshe. Of all seven, Moshe was most worthy
to receive the Torah.
Yishai had seven
sons, but only the seventh was worthy of becoming King of the
Jewish people. Dovid Hamelech (King David) is referred
to in Divrei HaYamim as "Dovid...the seventh."
If you count Nisan
as the first month of the year, Tishrei is the seventh
month. Hashem created the world in Tishrei. It
is also during this month that we are judged.
Seven comes up
many more times in the Torah.
- Seven lambs were
used in the oath between Avrohom (Abraham) and Avimelech
at Be'er Sheva.
- Pharaoh's dreams
were full of sevens. There were seven fat cows and seven skinny
cows, seven fat stalks and seven skinny stalks.
- Yitro, Moshe's
father-in-law, had seven names - Yitro, Yeter, Chovav, Chaver,
Re'uel, Putiel, and Kaini.
- Seven times
seven years is Yovel.
- Pesach
/ Passover in Eretz Yisroel lasts seven days; and there
are seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot.
- Sukkot
in Eretz Yisroel is seven days.
- Yehoshua circled
the walls of Yericho seven times.
I'll bet if you
think about it, you can come up with at least another two examples
of "sevens" in the Torah. I'll give you a hint: Bilaam,
and Yetziat Mitzrayim.
And that's the
story behind seven!
|
