Voices of WRJ: Parashat B'har

by Natalie Berhumoglu When first thinking about how I would approach the writing for this week’s Torah portion, I believed I could simply read the Parashat B’har, ruminate on it a bit, and crank something out, no problem. After giving it the once-over, however, I saw I didn’t completely understand it with its mention of jubilee years, letting the land lay fallow, fair purchase prices, and such. So, I thought I had better do some research and see what other people had to say on this portion so I wouldn’t look like some uninformed fool. Big mistake! Now my head was teeming with ideas—which one(s) should I use? I settled on three: allowing oneself to “lay fallow,” being generous and having the spirit of welcoming, and appreciating God’s gifts and blessings. The parashah begins with instructions to follow a Sabbath of the Lord. One should let his land remain fallow every seventh year and again at seven weeks of years or 49 years. In the seventh year, and again in the jubilee year (50th), one may neither reap nor sow but “only eat the growth direct from the field.” To interpret this in a modern way, we might say that we must be mindful to set aside a Sabbath time of our own to rest from our labors, reflect on what we’ve accomplished, what we can improve, and what there is still left to be done. We don’t have to be busy all the time and we don’t have to feel guilty thinking that any down time is really just laziness. As with the land, we will flag in our fertility and fruitfulness if we don’t take time to replenish and rejuvenate. We will be no good to anyone, let alone ourselves. Besides fulfilling a commandment, we learn to have self-restraint and perseverance—making ourselves be still and lasting through a challenge to its end. Generosity and the spirit of welcome are ideas that are particularly poignant to me at this time in the life of my congregation. Financial and other difficulties forced us to sell our beautiful temple and take up temporary residence in the annex of the local Conservative synagogue. This gesture was offered with an open heart and at no charge. We enjoyed a lovely Congregational Seder with this neighbor congregation and felt at ease from beginning to end. Driving by our former temple site and seeing that it had been razed filled me with a shuddering sadness but the words of the parashah comfort me in two ways. First, I remember that the land God provided us ages ago and now is not really ours to possess. It is a priceless gift for us to tend and nurture. Second, our kinsmen are sheltering us while we are in straits. We don’t need gritty earth beneath our feet or brick and mortar surrounding us as a “home” to which we return. We need only to turn to each other when we yearn for home. The final idea I want to touch on is the vital need to appreciate and be grateful for all of God’s gifts and blessings. Leviticus 26:1 says, “You shall not make idols for yourselves.” Ironically, on Easter Sunday my daughter, Sophie, and I spent a glorious day in Manhattan. The most meaningful, enjoyable activities we shared involved no money and no items we could possess or worship. Our day started with a stroll through the informal Easter parade of bonnets on Fifth Avenue. People of every hue and stripe were together smiling. Thanking God in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I turned to Sophie and gushed, “This is the New York I love,” while silently and fervently wishing my fellow humans could act like this all the time. Next, near Rockefeller Center, we came upon an outdoor exhibit of Easter eggs of every creation imaginable. What struck me more than the eggs themselves however, was an Orthodox Jewish family admiring the eggs right alongside us. Again, I felt gratitude to God for bringing people together. Although we did then have a delectable lunch, it was the no-money part of the meal that I cherish: the beyond-any-measurable-value, irreplaceable time with my daughter. After lunch, God’s creations of nature and man merged again in our visit to High Line Park. All day long we were enthralled by Adonai’s handiwork. Lest you may have forgotten by now that you were reading a “Voices of WRJ” piece, we concluded our perfect day most appropriately at Central Synagogue to attend their adult B’nei Mitzvah ceremony. Our own inimitable, gentle soul, Barbara Jayson, was among the 28 celebrants. How uncannily fateful to end such a God given day with my WRJ sisters! What more fulfilling way to show our devotion! Review the three ideas that I wrote about and you will see how they’re encapsulated in the last line of the parashah, “You shall keep My Sabbaths and venerate My sanctuary, Mine, the Lord’s.” Natalie Berhumoglu is a WRJ Board member, WRJ Northeast District Area Director, Past President of her sisterhood and First Vice President of Sinai Reform Temple in Bay Shore, NY.