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The Big Sleep
Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk.
"...and the land will observe a rest for G-d."
(Lev. 26:2)
The above verse does not refer to individual parcels of land
belonging to individual farmers but refer to the earth as a whole and are an
allusion to the seventh millennium following the six thousand years when our
terrestrial universe functions normally. They are a reference to the 1000-year
transitional period when the earth will be desolate, unfit as a habitat for
living creatures (compare Rosh HaShanah 31). That millennium is one
described as "eternal rest" (Tamid 7:4), a reference to the world to come
after physical resurrection has occurred.
According to this concept, the sabbatical year discussed in our
verse would be a cessation of agricultural activity which is not voluntary but
imposed by the conditions prevailing in the universe at that time. This does not
replace the normal meaning of the verses 3 - 8 which speak about what happens
every seven years. It only explains the halachically unnecessary words that "the
land shall observe rests for G-d" (verse 2).
The observance of a bird's eye view of what will be in the
future, i.e. what we may term a "miniature" sabbatical year, is intended for us
to focus on the eventual meaning of the concept. All the severe penalties
connected with failure to observe the legislation of sabbatical year and
Jubilee, especially the fact that non-observance is the cause of our losing our
homeland and going into exile, is all to give us an inkling of a much grander
concept G-d has in mind for the existence of the physical universe and the
message that an imperfect terrestrial universe is eventually to metamorphose
into a perfect terrestrial universe. [Selected from the seven-volume English edition of "The Torah
Commentary of Rebbeinu Bachya".]
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