In this week’s portion we find the festival calendar and the description of the pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, as well as Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In the midst of the discussion about the festivals is placed the commandment to leave the corners of our fields untilled, for the poor to come and collect food for themselves. This commandment was recited only a few parashiot ago and it is repeated here. Many Torah commentators have asked why is it repeated so soon and why in this location?
One explanation is that the festivals are a time when we celebrate. We are filled with joy and happiness and we are called upon to recognise our blessings. But sometimes in the midst of abundance and celebration, we can forget that life is not the same for everyone. That there are those in our communities who are in need, who are struggling, who are not able to celebrate in the fullness of joy. And it is these times, more than others, we are called upon to remember that our good fortune is to be shared. That our wealth and blessings do not belong to us alone. We are to always look towards others, to see their struggles and reach out. When we are happy and celebrating we may forget to look beyond ourselves, we may be tempted to account all our good fortune to our own merit. To ensure we do not forget the source of our well being and the command to give to others, the Torah embeds these commands into the festival calendar.
But there is a second explanation which comes from Rashi. He says that the commandment is placed there to remind us of the significance and importance of reaching out and helping others. So central is the commandment to give to the poor, to leave a portion of our fields for them, that if we obey the commandment it is as if we have rebuilt the Temple and made an offering within it. For this reason, the mitzvah is placed after the three pilgrimage festivals, when in ancient days, our ancestors made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and offered their sacrifices at the Temple.
Today, very few of us are ploughing fields and tilling the soil but each of us can use the festival calendar as a reminder to reach out to those who are struggling and to find ways to share the blessings of our abundance. An interesting feature of the mitzvah of leaving the corners of the field untilled is the way that it helps others without shame or embarrassment. It empowers them to assist themselves. The system is anonymous, those in need take what they require and they are able then support themselves and their families. The Torah process goes to great lengths to ensure that those who give do so in a way which preserves and protects the honour and the integrity of those in need. It is grounded in trust and empowerment. These principles apply today more than ever. We need to ensure that we help those in need and do so in a way which protects them and ensure that all can celebrate and be joyful.
A few weeks ago, I visited Lexo @ Hub, a centre which helps the vulnerable in our community, located in Maroubra. They have a pantry from which people can come and collect food to feed themselves and their families. The shelves were bare. So great is the need that there were barely any supplies. We are collecting for Lexo @ Hub and invite you over these next few weeks as we head towards Shavuot, to bring non-perishable food items to the synagogue so we can pass them on. Items from which people can cook and create meals are best because it empowers the people in need to cook for their families and have agency in the powerful act of providing food for their loved ones.
I hope that together we can remember the message, consider our blessings and share with those in need.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio