A Message from Rabbi Bellows

May 3, 2026/16 Iyar 5786

Dear Friends, 

This week, we will conclude reading the book of Vayikra- Leviticus with a double portion, B’har and B’chukotai. Two themes in the portions are rest and responsibility. 

B’har introduces the laws of the Shemita, the sabbatical year, when working the land is prohibited, and debts are forgiven, and the Jubilee year, when all property reverts to its original owners. These ancient agricultural mitzvot, commandments, are a radical vision of a society that emphasizes equality and care. Every seven years, we care for the earth and land by letting it rest. Every fifty years, the playing field is reset, the slate wiped clean.

The Torah is telling us: no one should be trapped forever by circumstance, and rest is critical to our ability to renew and replenish. We honor the scarce resources we have been given. We are to be mindful of how our behaviors impact the planet and each other.

In a time when so many in our community and country feel the weight of economic uncertainty, housing insecurity, and a fraying sense of shared responsibility for one another, these ancient laws feel urgently relevant. Where in our own lives can we offer rest, relief, or renewal to someone who needs it? How might we support and participate in the caretaking of our planet? 

Together, our individual efforts can help our community honor these timeless values. 

Blessings for a good week- a week that includes rest, renewal, and mitzvot! 

Rabbi Bellows