Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land

B'Har - Bechukotai

Leviticus 25:1 - 27:34

Précis: B’Har begins with a description of the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee (Yovel) Year. In the 50th Year, we are to “proclaim liberty throughout the land” and property is restored to its original owners. The parasha continues with the prohibition against unlimited slavery, as well as the rules for the treatment of those who are slaves.

Bechukotai, the final parasha in Vayikra, begins with a statement promising blessings if the People follow Adonai’s ways. The blessings are discussed in detail. But, if the People disobey, terrible punishments will be visited upon them, and these, too, are listed in agonizing detail. The Book of Leviticus then concludes (as it opened) with regulations regarding the upkeep of the Sanctuary, from voluntary tithes, land gifts, firstborn redemption, and the tithes of flocks.

Leviticus 25:10 “And you will hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all the inhabitants thereof; it will be a jubilee to you, and you will return every man to his possession, and you will return every man to his family.”

As you may have noticed, 2012 is an election year. (If you haven’t been paying attention perhaps it’s time that you did). Many pundits have proclaimed that the United States is facing the most clear-cut choice of ideological positions in many years, perhaps as far back as Johnson/Goldwater. Other pundits argue that both parties will aim for the center, where the so-called “independents” are to be found. (We might pause and recall here that the word “pundit” comes from the Sanskrit word “pandit” meaning "learned" and usually described an advisor to a Hindu king. Their advice was about as good (and diverse) as that of modern pundits.)

Regardless of which pundit you might agree with, it’s clear that in the long run-up to this election, the concept of “liberty” has frequently been spoken about by people from all parts of the political spectrum. Even though the phrase is inscribed on the Liberty Bell (from where the hunk of Philadelphia metal gets its name), we have little consensus about what “liberty” really means.

 

According to American tradition, we are endowed by our Creator with the right to life and liberty, but for much of our history, interpretation has left the term “liberty” uneasily defined. These days, advocates of a particular “libertarian” outlook suggest that liberty means“freedom from” just about anything, but especially from government "intrusion" into their lives in any way, shape or form.

I look at this text of and find a different perspective. The verse links the proclamation of liberty to the establishment of a jubilee year, when possessions (land, especially) are returned to the original owners. There is thus a connection between liberty and the avoidance of creating what we today refer to as a “permanent underclass.”  

We should also learn from the concept of the jubilee year to temper our desires for “more” while so many have “less.” There are real slaves in parts of today’s world – and that is not a metaphor. There are sex slaves, child soldiers, prison laborers and those who work in prison-like sweatshops to make the fancy new electronics we all crave. We still have time (and the need) to “Proclaim liberty throughout the land.” That’s what liberty should really be about.

Eye for an Eye: Justice?

Emor

Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23

Précis: This parasha is divided into four sections. First, it reviews procedures for the Priests to use to remain ritually pure. Second, it outlines the festival and holiday calendar. Third, it explains the use of the olive oil and bread on display on the altar. Finally, there is a brief narrative about a blasphemer who is condemned to death.

Leviticus 24:19-20 “And if a man maims his neighbor, do as he has done to him: breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has maimed a man, so shall it be for him.”

Verse 20 is one of three places in the Bible where the phrase “eye for an eye” (“ayin tachat ayin”) appears (see also Exodus 21:23-25 and Deuteronomy 19:21). There is of course an obvious logical problem with the proposition. How can one obey the literal dictates of this commandment when the evil doer is already blind or toothless? Then there is the simple barbarity of the demand, as well as the fact that physical retribution is a kind of revenge we are repeatedly warned to avoid. The barbarity of striking out eyes or teeth or taking a life was just as palpable for the sages 2000 years ago as it is to our “modern” sensibilities.

There has been universal concurrence from the rabbis since Mishnaic times forward that this text cannot and never was taken literally. Through parsing of the texts, the Sages announced that this system was a call for a detailed system of monetary damages administered by the courts for wrongs done by one human being to another. The rabbis called their system of justice “midah k’neged midah” or “measure for measure.” They based this concept on their belief of how God administers justice on a more cosmic scale. Pharaoh, Amalek, and Haman are often cited as examples of individuals who were punished according to the magnitude of their crimes, and Joseph, Moses, and others are cited as receiving reward because of the mitzvot they performed.

Our experience in the “real world” suggests that all too often, the evil prosper while the righteous suffer. How can we come to terms with the Holocaust or with the results of natural disasters and continue to believe that God administers true justice? This is perhaps the ultimate dilemma which tests our faith. Some resolve it by saying that the balance is made in the world to come; others retreat behind the concept that God works in mysterious ways.

Nevertheless, the concept of a system of justice administered by human judges, with human plaintiffs and defendants, was guided by the principle of “measure for measure.” It was and remains an attempt to create a social mechanism which, despite its flaws, seeks justice for all. This system is one which we should be striving for in our private lives, congregations, and in our communities.