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Behar 5784: Feet on the Ground, Eyes on the Mountain

Why is Mount Sinai mentioned in connection with the laws of Shmitta (Sabbatical year) and Yovel (Jubilee year)?

In this thought-provoking episode, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and Rachel Friedrichs delve into the profound significance of this week’s Torah portion of Behar opening with a reference to Mount Sinai. Together, we’ll explore the contrast between the communal revelation of Sinai and the private revelations within the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), analyzing the connection between these agricultural laws governing humanity’s relationship with the Land and the transcendent experience of Sinai. Our discussion will also touch on the role of educators in engaging both the highly motivated and the disengaged, as well as Israel’s potential as a center for the Jewish world.

Credits:
Rachel Friedrichs – Pardes Faculty and 
Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield – Pardes Faculty and Host of Pardes from Jerusalem

Rachel Friedrichs

Rachel Friedrichs is a Jewish educator and former Assistant Director of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators. She holds a BA in History from Brandeis University and an MA in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A graduate of the Pardes Day School Educators Program, she has taught Tanakh, rabbinic literature, Jewish thought, and Hebrew in educational settings across Israel and North America.