Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Reeh/0/en

Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Reeh

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Centralization of Worship

Devarim 12 speaks of the prohibition against private altars and the need to worship Hashem "in the place that He will choose".

• Why does Hashem find worship on private altars problematic?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of centralized worship? How might a person's service of Hashem differ if they always need to travel to the Mikdash to bring sacrifices, rather than offering them in their backyard?
• During which periods in Israelite history were sacrifices prohibited outside of the Mikdash? Devarim 12 suggests two conditions for the prohibition, inheritance of Canaan and security from enemies. What is the relationship between the two? What light does this shed on the possible understandings of the commandment? See When Were Private Altars Prohibited.

The Purpose of Shemittah

What is the purpose of the Shemittah year? While Ramban focuses on how Shemittah facilitates spiritual growth and recognition of Hashem, Shadal emphasizes how it inculcates social equality and concern for the less fortunate. Rambam offers a third option, suggesting that Shemittah serves a practical function in maintaining the fertility of the land.

• Is it possible that certain commandments were instituted only for utilitarian purposes? What other mitzvot have been given such an explanation?¹
• Does the Torah promote capitalism or socialism? What do the laws of Shemittah suggest?²
• How are Shemittah and Shabbat similar? What benefits are gained from an enforced resting and refraining from work? See Purpose of Shemittah for more.

¹ For one example, see Ralbag on Tzara'at.

² Ze'ev Jabotinsky notes that the seven year Shemittah cycle and the Jubilee year combine elements of both capitalism and socialism, allowing for checks and balances between the two systems. For six years, a free market economy allows for growth and competition, while the seventh year is designed to mitigate the pitfalls of such a system and reduce the gaps between the different strata of society.