This week we read a double parsha, Behar-Bechukotai. In Behar, Hashem delivers the laws of the Shmita and Yovel years, where the land rests, all servants are freed, the land is returned to its original owners, and anyone may take from the produce grown. For a farmer who worked so hard to cultivate a harvest, this mitzvah may seem like an extreme annoyance and ultimately unfair. Why should someone not get to enjoy the plants they so painstakingly grew?

As Rashi explains, it is not to punish the farmer but to allow them to fully appreciate what they have. Hashem repeatedly refers to this time as a “Shabbat for the land,” a time, just like each week, when we pause and take time for a much-needed break. By allowing not just ourselves, but everyone, to take from what has been grown, we learn to appreciate the effort at every step. Sometimes it takes a break from what is done regularly to see just how amazing the effort we put in truly is. By allowing everyone to take from the land, Rashi says that it shows respect for all those who had a hand in the growing process, including the workers and Hashem Himself.

As leaders, it can be easy to get caught up in the immediate impact of our work—seeing the program we planned go well or the prospect we recruited become a member. But only when we step back and take a break can we see that there are so many more people who helped us create that impact and become the leaders we are today. Being a leader sometimes means taking a step back and allowing others to lead. Just because we planted the seeds for the garden doesn’t mean we always need to collect all the rewards. It’s important to appreciate the work of your team and take time to reflect, because only then can we be truly successful in sowing the seeds for the land to flourish in the years to come.

In Bechukotai, we learn the blessings we will receive for following the mitzvot and the extensive list of curses that will happen if we don’t. With many more curses than blessings, it raises the question: why would Hashem give us all these curses if we know that Hashem is loving and merciful?

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l explains that Hashem informs us of all these curses not out of anger, but out of love. He warns us like a parent would, explaining what can happen if we do what is wrong so clearly that we are more inclined to choose what is right. We need to take time to consider the consequences of our actions before we make decisions, and knowing what can occur from those choices allows us to make the best ones.

Just like in Behar, we must take time and pause—before making decisions, before getting caught up in our work, and before planting next year’s crops, we need to stop in order to truly see the bigger picture and choose the best path. In BBYO, there are so many paths for us to choose, but they cannot be chosen in a rush. It’s important for us to reflect on who got us to where we are today and how we can ensure we do that for others. These Parashot teach us the importance of thinking before we act and appreciating the work of those we work alongside.

Shabbat Shalom,
Ari Weisman, BBYO International Sh’licha, NTO