Parshat Behar-Bechukotai: The Weekly Parsha Story Illustrated by AI

[Music] Hello children. Previously we discussed many commandments. Today our episode begins with a conversation between God and Moshe our teacher. God speaks to Moshe on Mount Si and teaches him special commandments related to the land and to freedom. The first commandment is the commandment of Schmidita. What is Schmita? God commands that when the Jewish people arrive in the land of Israel, they will need to count six years and work the land, planting, harvesting, and pruning. But in the seventh year, the year of Schmidita, the land must rest. Wow. The land needs to rest. For an entire year, it is forbidden to plow, plant, or tend to the fields and vineyards. If something grows on its own in the field, anyone can take it and eat it. Everyone is allowed to eat from the fruits that grow in the fields. Why did God command Schmita? To give the land rest just as Shabbat gives rest to people. It reminds us that the land belongs to God and we're only its caretakers for a while. But what will people eat during the Shmita year if it's forbidden to plant? God promises that in the sixth year, the land will produce an especially large crop, enough for three years, the sixth year itself, the Schmita year, and even the eighth year until the new crop grows. Wow, what a wonderful blessing. After the Shmita year, God teaches about an even more special commandment, the Jubilee year. What is the Jubilee year? You have to count seven shmita cycles meaning 7* 7 years a total of 49 years. The 50th year is the jubilee year. On yum kapor of the 50th year a chauffar is sounded throughout the land and it is proclaimed and proclaimed freedom throughout the land for all who live on it. It shall be a jubilee for you. Freedom. In the jubilee year some amazing things happen. All the slaves are set free. In those times, poor people sometimes had to sell themselves as slaves to pay off debts. But in the Jubilee year, everyone is freed. All the slaves returned to their families and their homes, and all the lands returned to their original owners. If a family was forced to sell its field because of poverty, in the Jubilee year, the field returns to them without any payment. The Jubilee year is also a schmita year. No work is done on the land, just like in a regular schmita year. Imagine how much joy there was in the Jubilee year. The Torah portion continues with important commandments that teach us to care for our brothers who are in distress. If his hand falters beside you, you shall support him. If we see that someone is starting to become poor, we must not wait until he completely falls. But it is important to help him before he falls. It is forbidden to take interest. Interest is an extra amount of money that the borrower has to repay in addition to the amount he borrowed. If a Jew is forced to sell himself as a slave because of poverty, the Torah teaches that he must be treated with respect. It is forbidden to make him do backbreaking labor. The second part of the double para is called behotai and it begins with the words, "If you follow my statutes and observe my commandments and perform them." Here, God teaches us about the reward we will receive if we keep the Torah and about the punishment that may come if heaven forbid we ignore them. If the Jewish people follow the path of the Torah, God promises a long list of wonderful blessings. The rain will fall at exactly the right time. The crops in the fields will be abundant and blessed. The trees will bear plenty of fruit. There will be peace in the land of Israel, and people will be able to sleep peacefully without fear. If, heaven forbid, there are enemies who want to fight against the Jewish people, God will help us to defeat them. Families among the Jewish nation will grow and flourish. There will be many children and there will be such an abundance of crops. God will be present among us and the bond between us and God will be strong and special. What a wonderful dream. A peaceful blossoming land filled with abundance, peace, security, and a strong connection with God. But the Torah also warns what will happen if, God forbid, the Jewish people abandon the path of the Torah and do not keep the commandments. God describes a series of severe punishments called warnings. Despite the severe warnings, the portion ends with a very comforting promise. Even if there's hard times, even if the nation is in exile, God will never forget his covenant with Abraham, Yeitzak, and Yakov. And he will never completely abandon us. This is an eternal promise that has accompanied the Jewish people throughout all generations, even in the most difficult times. The covenant between God and the Jewish people is forever. Parshhat Bahukatai teaches us that Hashem wants us to build a better world. A world of justice and caring for others. A world in which we remember that everything belongs to God and we are only its guardians for a while. When we live according to these principles, we merit God's blessing and a good and happy life. And as the parasa says at its conclusion, these are the statutes, the ordinances, and the laws that God gave between himself and the Jewish people at Mount Si by the hand of Moshe. These laws were given to us by God through Moshe and guide us on how to live a good and just life to this very day. Now, the Jewish nation is in the desert. How do they manage and what challenges do they face? We will tell you about that in the next episode.