Behar-Bechukotai (2026)

Shabbat Behar-Bechukotai

Dvar Torah – Lending with justice and humilityIn this week’s portion, the Torah offers a blueprint for social justice and preserving human dignity. The text describes the tragic downward spiral of someone facing financial ruin: first selling their land, then taking out desperate loans to survive, and finally, out of sheer necessity, selling themselves as a servant.At every step of this painful descent, the Torah commands the community to intervene and stop the freefall. Family members are told to help buy back the land. The community is obligated to provide interest-free loans. And if someone falls so deeply into poverty that they must become a servant, their master is commanded to rehabilitate them.

Yet, the Torah also understands human nature. When commanding us to lend money without interest, it adds a reminder to "fear G-d." Classic commentators explain that it is easy to rationalize charging interest—after all, it makes basic financial sense. Indeed, there are even halachically viable pathways for charging interest to enable mutually beneficial deals. The Torah reminds us to fear G-d since only we know the exact circumstances of the loan – whether a loophole should be appropriately applied or whether we are taking advantage of someone who has fallen on hard times.

The Torah concludes this section with a powerful historical reminder: G-d took us out of slavery in Egypt to bring us to the Promised Land. We must never forget that we were all once vulnerable and enslaved. The purpose of our freedom—and of building a homeland—is to create a society rooted in kindness, justice, and mutual responsibility.

Shabbat Candle-Lighting/Havdalah timesYerushalayim 18:44/20:04Tel-Aviv 19:04/20:07Kiryat Shmona 18:55/20:06Prague 20:14/21:32New York 19:41/20:46LA 19:24/20:24More times

Shabbat Shalom!

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