Behar-Behukosai: The Greatest Present

By Zachary Fish

In Parshas Behar, when the Torah teaches the halachos of Yovel, it acknowledges that the requirement to refrain from working the land in consecutive years can seem challenging.

וְכִ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת הֵ֚ן לֹ֣א נִזְרָ֔ע וְלֹ֥א נֶאֱסֹ֖ף אֶת־תְּבוּאָתֵֽנוּ׃

“And should you ask, ‘What are we to eat in the seventh year, if we may neither sow nor gather in our crops?”

וְצִוִּ֤יתִי אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ לָכֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֑ית וְעָשָׂת֙ אֶת־הַתְּבוּאָ֔ה לִשְׁלֹ֖שׁ הַשָּׁנִֽים׃

“I will ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it shall yield a crop sufficient for three years.”

This prompts a basic question raised by the Ramban: Why would there be concerns about food scarcity in the seventh year, when the produce from the sixth year should still be available? It should only be in the eighth year, when they start to run out of produce from the sixth year, that they should start worrying about what they have to eat.

Rav Moshe Feinstein, in the דרש משה, gives a thought provoking answer. He explains that the question of מה נאכל, “what will we eat'', to begin with is an improper question. Given that it is Hashem who commands us to fulfill this mitzvah and possesses the capacity to provide for us in any way He deems fit, such a question demonstrates a lack of Emunah. It is akin to being surrounded by plenty and still questioning what one will have. For this reason the pasuk deliberately sets up the context of the question during a time of abundance, specifically during the seventh year, when everyone clearly has everything they need, to highlight this lack of Emunah.

The basic assumption is clear: when you have everything you need, don’t worry. While this seems both simple and distant in the context of Yovel, I think it is actually both extremely complex and relevant in our own lives.

A story to illustrate:

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

The striking irony lies in the fact that the fisherman was already leading the very life that the businessman was proposing he could potentially achieve in the future.

The fundamental difference between the fisherman and the businessman is their attitude toward happiness and the pursuit of their desires. The businessman believes that happiness requires ensuring future opportunities, whereas the fisherman trusts that if things are good today, they will likely be good tomorrow. This trust enables him to fully enjoy the present and do what he wants in the moment.

We have a name for this type of trust: Bitachon.

Many of us might laugh at the businessman's short-sightedness. Can’t he see he is obviously missing the point?! How can he not see that overly pursuing future security will only destroy exactly what he wants to secure?!

But the truth is, we often embody his mindset and it's all around us. Whether it's an individual laboring through extensive and strenuous working hours, ostensibly for their family, yet ironically finding little time or mental energy to truly engage with them. Or perhaps it's someone who stops seriously learning to chase a degree or profession, under the self-justifying premise that this will someday grant them the luxury to resume their learning. It's all too simple to forfeit the richness of the present moment while chasing a future that merely mirrors what we already desire and are able to do today.

This does not mean to never think about the future. As Chazal say איזהו חכם? הרואה את הנולד. “Who is wise? The one who can see the consequences of his actions.” However, it means that one should be cautious about excessive worry about the future, which can inhibit our ability to appreciate and utilize what we have now.

Considering this, the importance of bitachon becomes evident. It is not only integral to our avodas Hashem, but also to our own happiness and functionality in life.

The Noam Elimelech, in the name of his older brother Reb Zusha, comments that you see from the pesukim above that even those that improperly ask the question of מה נאכל are still beneficiaries of Hashem’s beracha. However, he points out a critical difference between those who have bitachon and those who do not. Both groups receive the blessing, but those who doubt Hashem, must labor intensively for His beracha. In contrast, those who possess bitachon from the outset receive the blessing in a more effortless and less taxing way.

This could be understood as a “segula”, but it also could be understood as a natural reality. Those who are habitually anxious, even when their needs are met, tend to lead lives characterized by excessive work, stress, and distraction. Conversely, those who confidently place their trust in Hashem are more likely to receive and appreciate His blessings with tranquility.

Lastly, I'll end with a piece of advice that my grandfather told me his own father would tell him. He would say "Don't worry too much because the things you worry about often never actually happen. Instead, it's usually something unexpected that goes wrong, something you didn't even consider worrying about. So, why bother worrying?" It's cute, but I also find it to be true.

May these insights inspire us to fully embrace and cherish the present moment, the only time in which we truly live, recognizing it as the precious gift it is. As the Alter of Novardok said, "The meager present is superior to and more valuable than the most promising future."