Our Parsha this week (which is double) sends us some very powerful warnings about this entire experience of building a Mishkan while living in the desert adjacent to Har Sinai

וְהָאָ֗רֶץ לֹ֤א תִמָּכֵר֙ לִצְמִתֻ֔ת כִּי־לִ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֧ים וְתוֹשָׁבִ֛ים אַתֶּ֖ם עִמָּדִֽי׃

But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me.

https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.25.23

This statement of Hashem’s total ownership and control over the land was already stated at Har Sinai earlier in the year

וְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּקֹלִ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙ מִכׇּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים כִּי־לִ֖י כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine,

https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.19.5

Rashi points out in both places that there is a difference in the meaning: the verse in Shemos demonstrates HaShem as immutable and perfect, not in search of glory or attention. Our Parsha uses it as a caution, to serve as the reason why the rules of the land must be observed.

There’s an incredible departure from the entire book’s content until this point: until this Parsha, Behar specifically, the focus was on creating a place of worship with expectations on how worship was meant to be conducted. After all, HaShem wasn’t lying to Pharaoh that the Jewish people were to come to the desert in order to have a proper festival for him. This part of the sefer, however, takes us away from the standards of temple service in order to teach us how to use the Land that HaShem promises us properly.

כִּֽי־לִ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבָדִ֔ים עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt—I, the ETERNAL, your God.

https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.25.55

לֹֽא־תַעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם אֱלִילִ֗ם וּפֶ֤סֶל וּמַצֵּבָה֙ לֹֽא־תָקִ֣ימוּ לָכֶ֔ם וְאֶ֣בֶן מַשְׂכִּ֗ית לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔ם לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֖ת עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

You shall not make idols for yourselves, or set up for yourselves carved images or pillars, or place figured stones in your land to worship upon, for I the ETERNAL am your God.

https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.26.1

אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י תִּירָ֑אוּ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}

You shall keep My sabbaths and venerate........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)