The beginning of this week’s Parsha begins with some of the laws pertaining to the land of Israel, particularly the laws of Shemitta. These laws basically command the Jewish farmers in the land of Israel to let the land lay fallow on every seventh year. “When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a Sabbath unto God” (Leviticus 25:2). Commenting on this verse, the Sefat Emet (Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter 1847–1905) says, “because the Lord has given us the land so that it will be known to us that the land belongs to God.”
This relationship is highlighted by the Sefat Emet’s comment on the Shemitta laws. When a person owns a piece of land, they are masters of that land. A person might feel that since the land is his/her property he/she can do whatever they want with that land. For the Jewish person observing the laws of Shemitta, this is not the case. The Jewish person will feel mastery and ownership over the land in his/her possession, and hopefully sustain him or herself and family through working the land; however, the laws of Shemittah help reinforce the idea that they are not the sole owners of the land. There is a power which still dominates them; even on their own land they are subordinate to God. This is the relationship being described by the Sefat Emet. The land owner is recognizing that the land belongs to God by observing God’s laws on his/her land.
Most of us would probably find it quite strange to give something to someone in order for that person to realize that the object really belongs to the giver. Usually, when we give something to another person, that object no longer belongs to us; it is now the property of the person who is receiving it. But this is not the case with God. Everything in this world really belongs to God. It is through God’s great mercy that we are given life and that our existence is sustained. According to Judaism, we have a choice- whether to recognize and appreciate that our existence is dependent on God or not.
The lesson with regard to Shemitta is relevant to all aspects of our lives. We can go through life oblivious to the fact that we were created by God and owe our continued existence to God, or we can choose to recognize that our lives depend on God. I believe that this is one of the goals of Jewish law. There are laws pertaining to all aspects of our life: the way we eat, the way we dress, the way we treat other people, the way we wake up in the morning, the way we go to sleep, etc. We show our gratitude for having been created and proclaim that we are subservient to God by making a point to bring Jewish law into all aspects of our lives. It’s one thing to think in our hearts that we believe in God, and that God is always with us- but it's quite another to act upon it. Actions speak a lot louder than words. By following Jewish law we can constantly remind ourselves that we are servants of the Holy one.
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