Shabbat Parashat Emor

Kol Yisra'el Areivim zeh la'zeh - All of Israel Depends on One Another

In this week's parasha, there are a number of teachings related to the harvest season, particularly relevant given that this is the time of the spring harvest in the Land of Israel. One verse, however, serves as the foundation for a set of laws that instruct us regarding our obligations to the poor, even as we are engaged in the very act of harvesting our fields:

"And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God." (Lev. 23:22)

As the long planting and growing season comes to an end and a farmer is joyously celebrating the successful growth of his crops, he is commanded not to reap all that is there just for himself. The Torah is teaching here that each farm is a section of land belonging to the community of God. Each farmer is a member of the Jewish community, which demands care for others. Neither the land, its produce, nor the individual responsible for their care stands alone. There are responsibilities to greater forces that must be recalled and fulfilled. Had it not been for God's daily miracles, crops would not have grown. Therefore, out of gratitude and respect, each individual has the duty to care for those who are in need by giving from the fruit of his hard labor. Thus, as one is harvesting his field and collecting the produce, that which falls to the ground or is dropped (known as "the gleanings") are not to be picked up. Furthermore, the corners of the fields must also be left uncut. They must remain for the poor or the stranger. From these instructions, we learn that we have an obligation always to take care of each other and to be mindful that we are members of a community.

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Shabbat Shalom,