Readings for Saturday, May 9, 2026
Final two poritions of Viykra
(Leviticus)
Behar and Bechukotai
Behar (On
mount)
25:1-26:2) Vayikra (Leviticus)
Behar is the ninth sedrah in Vayikra. The sedrah takes its name from the opening sentence, “The Lord spoke to Moshe on Mount (“Behar”) Sinai.” According to Etz Hayim, the sedrah divides into two parts. All of chapter 25 deals with Principles of Land Tenure. This is followed by a two verse postscript from chapter 26 containing three unconnected commands. This is one of those times when such oversimplification hides the importance of the topic. Chapter 25 contains a series of laws related to the Sabbatical Year, The Jubilee, Redemption and Servitude that were to become operative once the Children of Israel entered the Promised Land. The material is a continuation of the Holiness Code that began with Chapter 19. Having dealt with ways to keep the Israelites holy and then the Kohanim holy, the Torah now turns to making the land itself holy. At one level the laws pertaining to the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee may be seen as the ultimate example of the concept of elevation that we have been discussing. For what can be more mundane than the land we walk on and what can be more inspiring than the rules presented here in how to treat it? For those of you using different texts, please note that I have relied on the Stone Chumash for categorizing some of this material.
The Sabbatical Year,
The Jubilee, Redemption of Property, Preventing Poverty and Servitude
(25:1-55).
Sabbatical Year (25:1-7). For six years the Israelites are to work the land. During the seventh year or Sabbatical Year the land is to lie fallow. Notice the similarity with the commandment about Shabbat. There we are commanded to work for six days before resting. Judaism recognizes the value of work as well as the need to rest. We also read about the Sabbatical Year in Devarim (15:1-10) where the Sabbatical Year is described as the year in which debts were to be canceled. The Hebrew term for the remission of debts is “Shmittah” and this is the name by which the Sabbatical Year is also known.
The Jubilee Year (25:8ff). The Jubilee followed a series of seven Sabbatical Years. In other words it was the fiftieth year. Note the similarity in the counting method used here and the one used to count the Omer and arrive at Shavuot. In Hebrew the Jubilee Year is called “Yovel” which according to Plaut may “have originally meant ‘ram’…” This would have been in reference to the shofar or ram’s horn that was supposed to be sounded to announce the Jubilee. The shofar was to be sounded with a “broken blast,” the same note pattern used on Rosh Hashanah. It was also to be sounded on the tenth day of the seventh month, Yom Kippur. One could easily make the connection that in performing the rituals of the Jubilee one was beginning anew (Rosh Hashanah) and atoning for past wrongs (Yom Kippur). As Plaut points out, the Jubilee Year contains three main facets. The land is to rest in the same manner as in the Sabbatical Year. All land that has been sold is to be returned to its original owners as defined by the apportioning that took place at the time of Joshua. All Israelite slaves are to be freed. The great Rabbinic commentator Rashi finds a philosophic message in the sequencing of the verses following the introduction of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. If you do not observe the Shmittah and the Yovel and fail to repent you suffer as follows. First you lose your money. Then you have to sell your land. Then you have to sell your house. Then you have to borrow at interest. Since you cannot repay the loan you become a bondsman to a Jew, then a slave to a non-Jew and finally the property of an idol worshipper which leads you to a life of idolatry.
Redemption of Property
(25:23-34)
Redemption of Land and Houses in Walled Cities (25:23-31). The important message here is that “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity” because the land really belongs to God and we are merely temporary residents.
Cities of the Levites (25:32-34). As with everything else, there are special laws for the Levites at the time of the Jubilee.
Preventing Poverty (25:35-38). The concepts of remitting debts and returning land that are part of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years may be seen as a way of preventing the creation of a permanent class of impoverished Israelites controlled by a small number of wealthy families. The verses here are much more direct. They command us to help our brethren rise out of poverty without waiting for these seminal years. Maimonides contended that the highest form of charity was helping somebody to avoid poverty in the first place. Give a man a fish and you give him a meal. Teach a man to fish and you give him a livelihood.
Servitude (25:39-55). This section begins with the words “If your brother becomes impoverished…and is sold….” It covers the gambit of the levels of servitude and how bondsmen and slaves are to be treated and redeemed. But in the end “…he shall go out in the Jubilee Year, he and his children with him.” (25:54). And why do we obey these laws? Because we are God’s servants and He took us out of the land of Egypt (25:55). Verse 48 provides the foundation for redeeming Jews who are held captive. For example, in the Middle Ages, it was incumbent on Jews to raise money to rescue co-religionists who were seized by pirates or other such brigands. In modern times, we see this in the rescue of various Jewish communities such as Operation Joseph, which saved the Ethiopian community. Verse 50 provides the underpinning for the Rabbinic rules about not stealing from non-Jews or dealing deceitfully with them. It is bad enough for a Jew to steal from another Jew. But when a Jew cheats a non-Jew, the non-Jew will then generalize that all Jews are thieves and this brings discredit on God and the whole House of Israel.
Postscript (26:1-2)
These two verses contain three commands - do not make or worship idols, observe Shabbat, and show reverence for the Sanctuary. These are admonitions concerning private behavior that will keep us Jewish; that will keep us separate; that will keep us holy. We can observe these only if we are free people in the truest sense of the term i.e., not only that we are not slaves but that we have the economic wherewithal not to have to compromise our Judaism. By observing the commandments in Chapter 25, we will then be able to follow these three basic rules.
Themes
Commandments
326.
The
prohibition against working the earth during the seventh year (25:4).
327.
The
prohibition against pruning one’s vineyard during the seventh year (25:4).
328.
The
prohibition against harvesting one’s land during the seventh year (25:5).
329.
The
prohibition against gathering grapes from one’s vines during the seventh year
(25:5).
330.
The
commandment to count seven sabbatical cycles, after which a Jubilee year is
observed (25:8-10).
331.
The
obligation to sound a shofar at the beginning of the Jubilee year (25:9).
332.
The
commandment to sanctify the Jubilee year (25:10-11).
333.
The
prohibition against farming the land during the Jubilee Year (25:10-11).
334.
The
prohibition against harvesting wild growing produce during the Jubilee year
(25:10-11).
335.
The
prohibition against systematically gathering fruit from one’s trees during the
Jubilee year (25:10-11).
336.
The
obligation to affect justice between buyer and seller (25:14).
337.
The
prohibition against wronging another in a business deal (25:14).
338.
The
prohibition against wronging another with cruel words (25:17).
339.
The
prohibition against selling land in Israel in perpetuity (25:23-24).
340.
The
command to return such land to its original owner during the Jubilee year
(25:23-24).
341.
The
specification of special laws regarding the sale of a house within a walled
city (25:29).
342.
The
prohibition against selling land adjoining the cities designated for the
Levites so as to assure them their property rights (25:34).
343.
The
prohibition against charging interest to a fellow Israelite (25:37).
344.
The
prohibition against imposing degrading work on an Israelite slave (25:42).
345.
The
prohibition against selling a Hebrew slave at auction (25:42).
346.
The
prohibition against imposing crushing burdens on a Hebrew slave (25:43).
347.
The
right to hold non-Israelite slaves in perpetuity (25:46).
348.
The
prohibition against tolerating a non-Israelite’s mistreatment of an Israelite
slave (25:53).
349.
The
prohibition against bowing down before a stone image (26:1).
Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Behar
Why does the sedrah begin by telling us that the commandments concerning the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years were given on Mount Sinai? After all, other laws in Vayikra are not introduced in a manner tied to the Revelation at Sinai. The laws given here run contrary to human nature and basic economics - get as much as you can while you can; he who makes the gold makes the rules; never give a sucker an even break. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce these laws with the authoritative reassurance that they were given by God at Sinai. Otherwise, it would have been too tempting to avoid them by dismissing them as some crazy do-gooder’s scheme to rob from the rich and give to the undeserving poor.
The Sabbatical and Jubilee Years
Were these ever observed or are they just some visionary concept of a utopian society? Based on various sources including the Book of the Maccabees, Hillel’s creation of the Prosbul and the writings of Josephus, there is reason to believe that the Sabbatical Year was observed in some fashion. In fact, failure to observe the Sabbatical Year is given by some as one of the reasons for the Exile. There does not appear to be independent evidence of the observance of the Jubilee Year. However, in modern times, we have seen the adoption of one its principles - the idea of the common holding of land. The Jewish National Fund or “Keren Kayemet” was created by the early Zionists to buy land in what was Palestine and is now the state of Israel. While individuals are allowed to use this land, it is not theirs to sell or misuse.
Shmittah
Shmittah is the Hebrew word for what we call the Sabbatical Year. Shmittah actually means release. In observing the Sabbatical Year, we release the land from working for us. Shmittah reminds us that the land actually belongs to God. Shmittah reminds us that we really do not have total control of our physical universe. The laws of Shmittah only apply in Eretz Yisrael because when the Torah uses the term “My Land” it means the land of Israel.
Once again, we are reminded that the Jewish standard for business ethics is a lot higher than those practiced in Western societies. “When you make a sale to your fellow or make a purchase from the hand of your fellow, do not aggrieve one another” (25:14) means that it is wrong to take advantage of people when doing business with them. For example, if a person knows about a defect in a piece of merchandise he or she is selling, the seller must make full disclosure to buyer. By the same token, a buyer may not return a piece of damaged merchandize that was damaged after the sale.
Tzedakah
This sedrah offers us at least two ways to fulfill the commandment to perform tzedakah. First, we should do what we can to help people from falling into the pit of poverty. Second, we should help them escape the pit of poverty by helping them learn a trade or a skill, which will enable them to earn a living. Judaism recognizes that some people are incapable of working due to age, physical infirmity or other such conditions. Otherwise Judaism believes people should work so that they can provide for their needs, the needs of their family and the needs of the community. There is nothing “righteous” about the able-bodied becoming professional beggars. Not only does it diminish them as human beings, it takes away from the resources of those who are truly in need.
Manna
How do we know that the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years were commanded to the Israelites in the wilderness? We know this because they were the ones who had experienced the double portion of manna on the sixth day that would provide food for Shabbat. If God could provide a double portion in the Wilderness, He could surely bring about the miracle of a double portion in the sixth year to feed us during the Sabbatical year.
“And you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof”
We know what’s on the Liberty Bell. Now we know where it comes from (25:10). One thing is for sure; the spin they put on this in Civics Class and what Vayikra says are not necessarily the same.
Iyar
We are now into the month of Iyar. Iyar is sandwiched between Nissan (Pesach) and Sivan (Shavuot). While Iyar does not have a major festival, it includes three minor observances worth noting: Israel Independence Day - Iyar 5, Pesach Sheni - Iyar 14 and Lag B’Omer - Iyar 18.
The Sabbatical Year and Pesach
There seems to be a contradiction between Pesach and the pronouncements about the Sabbatical year. At Pesach we are told to remove Chametz (grain) that is in our possession. Yet under the Sabbatical Year we are told that there will be enough of the harvest in the sixth year for us to be able to eat in the seventh year and even into the eighth year until the harvest begins. Furthermore, if there is no harvest in the Sabbatical Year, did that mean that the Omer ceremony was suspended every seventh year as well? I am sure there is an explanation for this but right now I must take refuge in the words of Rashi, “Of this I do not know.”
Torah Reading
Bechukotai
(In my statutes)
26:3-27:34 Vayikra (Leviticus)
Bechukotai is the tenth and final sedrah in Vayikra (Leviticus). The sedrah takes its names from the opening words, “If in my statutes (“Bechukotai”) you will walk and my commandments you will keep…” The sedrah divides into three basic parts - The Blessings, The Curses, and Gifts to the Temple. The pairings of Blessings and Curses is a recurring motif in Biblical writings. For example, Devarim (Deuteronomy), the concluding book of the Torah, contains Blessings and Curses (Devarim 28), which the Israelites are to remember as they cross the Jordan.
Blessings (26:3-13)
The list of blessings appears to be much shorter than the list of curses. This is because God’s blessings are so manifold that it is impossible to list them all. Rather these are general categories hinting at all of His wonders. If we will but follow all of God’s laws, all of our economic and spiritual needs will be met. Considering the world in which we live the most poignant line is “I will provide peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to frighten you….”
The Curses (26:14-46)
In Hebrew, this section is called “Tochachah” or Admonition. It is a series of seven punishments that will befall the Israelites if we fail to follow God’s laws. They are grouped as follows: First Series (26:16-17), Second Series (26:18-20), Third Series (26:21-22), Fourth Series (26:23-26), Fifth Series (26:27-31), Sixth Series (26:32-33), and Seventh Series (26:36-40). The punishments are grouped in such a way as to encourage our return to God’s ways. Only if we fail to do so will the next set of curses take place. At first God will ignore our confessions because they will be insincere (26:40) but in the end He will remember the Covenant with the Patriarchs and return us to our rightful place. It is appropriate that during non-leap years, this sedrah is read along with Behar since failure to observe the Sabbatical Year (the observance of which is commanded in Behar) is given as at least one of the reasons for our punishment.
Gifts to the Temple
(27:1-34)
This chapter almost seems to be an afterthought. Why weren’t these gifts listed earlier with the other compilations of offerings in Vayikra? According to some commentators, these are voluntary offerings. And while doing more than is required is commendable, it is does not replace doing that which is required. At any rate, using the categorization in the Stone Chumash, the Voluntary Offerings are as follows.
Valuations (27:1-8). This is an attempt to put a monetary value on the gift based on the characteristics of the one making the vow.
Sanctification and Redemption of Animals (27:9-13). This is a compilation of rules of voluntary offerings when animals are used.
Redemption of Houses and Fields (27:14-25). This is a compilation of rules of voluntary offerings based on the value of real estate. Here we find another connection to Behar since the valuations are based in part on the nearness to the Jubilee Year.
Tithing (27:30-33). The rules of gifts end with instructions about tithes related to crops and to animals.
Conclusion (27:34)
The sedrah, and therefore the Book of Vayikra, end with “These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moshe to the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.” This statement ties Vayikra to the Sinaitic Revelation. It stands in direct contradiction to those critics who contend that Vayikra was written centuries later by the Kohanim as a way of justifying their role and the centrality of the Temple at Jerusalem. For more on this subject, you might want to consult the notes following Vayikra in the Hertz Chumash. Time has not robbed his words of their intellectual vigor and incisiveness.
Themes
Commandments
350.
The obligation to donate to the sanctuary the value of a human being if
one has so vowed (27:1).
351.
The prohibition against exchanging an animal that has been consecrated
as an offering (27:10).
352.
The command that if such an exchange is made, both animals must be
offered (27:10).
353.
The obligation of one who vows the value an animal to the sanctuary to
pay its value as determined by a priest (27:11-12, 14).
354.
The obligation of one who vows the value of a house to pay its value as
determined by a priest (27:11-12, 14).
355.
The commandment that if one vows the value of a field to sanctuary he
must pay this amount in accordance with the expected harvests until the Jubilee
year (27:16ff).
356.
The prohibition against exchanging one type of sacrifice for another
(27:26).
357-358-359. The
requirement that if one makes an unspecified vow of one’s property, or of one’s
land, declaring it be “herem”, the sanctified object goes to the priest and may
not be redeemed (27:21).
360.
The obligation to tithe one’s newborn sheep and cattle (27:32-33).
361.
The prohibition against substituting an inferior animal for a superior
one (27:32-33).
Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
A Chain
Reaction of Sin
One commentary on the sedrah finds a seven-fold decent
from God based on Vayikra 26:14, which is certainly applicable to our
times. The notes in Etz Hayim
translate it as follows:
1. People will stop studying Torah;
2. Without the foundation of study, they will come to see
the commandments as matters of personal choice rather than moral obligation;
3. They will resent people who do study and practice and
who make them feel guilty for not doing so;
4. They will try to stop others from fulfilling the
commandments, so they will feel less guilty themselves;
5. They will deny that the commandments come from God;
6. They will deny the existence of a covenant between God
and Israel;
7. They will deny the existence of God.
Reward and Punishment
We must be careful not to read the text with a simplistic view. Much has been written on why bad things happen to good people and why good things happen to people whom we judge to be bad. Why should one “walk in my statues and keep my commandments?” If you have been reading Pirke Avot you will recognize this quote from Chapter 4. “Ben Azzai says: Hasten to perform the easiest mitzvah, and run from all sin. For one mitzvah will lead to another mitzvah and one sin to another sin. Because the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah and the wages of sin is sin.”
The Admonitions or Tochachah
The Admonitions are so important that this sedrah is also known as Parsha Tochachah. The Tochachah (26:14-26:46) are customarily chanted in a very soft voice “in order to avoid causing sadness” on Shabbat, which is supposed to be a day of joy. As Rashi points out, the Tochachah mirror human behavior. Most great misdeeds begin with one small transgression.
Chazak, Chazak, V’nitchahzayk - Be strong,
be strong and let us be strengthened
It is customary to recite these words after completing each book of the Torah. There are several explanations for this custom. The term Chazak V’nitchahzayk appears several times in the Bible. In the Book of Joshua the admonition is tied directly to the study of the Torah (Joshua 1:7.) In the Book of Samuel, Joab, David’s leading general, uses it as rallying cry when sending the men into battle. According to Rabbi Kolatch, some Jews see the completion of a book of the Torah as a victory in the fight to bring God’s word into the world.
Haftarah
16:19-17:34 Jeremiah
The Man: Along with Isaiah and Ezekiel, Jeremiah is one of the three Major Prophets. He began preaching about seventy years after the death of Isaiah. He was a major figure at the time of the destruction of the First Temple (586 B.C.E.). Jeremiah was not part of the group that went into exile in Babylonia. Instead he remained behind but was forced to flee when a Jewish zealot assassinated Gedaliah, the Jewish governor installed by the Babylonians. Jeremiah was taken to Egypt where he died feeling alone and miserable. We know quite a bit about Jeremiah’s life. He came from a town called Anatoth. He never married. He was assisted by a scribe named Baruch, who was probably responsible for preserving Jeremiah’s writings for posterity. Jeremiah was considered a traitor by many of his contemporaries since he counseled against fighting the Babylonians. In fact, King Zedekiah actually put Jeremiah in jail because of his outspoken opposition to fighting the Babylonians. During non-leap years, when Behar and Bechukotai are read on the same Shabbat, this selection from Jeremiah is the one that is read.
The Message: In this reading, Jeremiah lives up to his reputation as the Prophet of the Destruction. Jeremiah condemns the people for their iniquities. But he promises redemption for the faithful remnant. He cites the idolatrous practices of the Judeans and their lack of faith in God. The faithless will be punished. “I will put you to work for your enemies in a land that you know not….” (17:4). “But he who trusts in the Lord will find his security in the Lord. The faithful will be like the tree planted by the water, with deep roots and healthy foliage unaffected by the burning heat of the sun” (17:8).
Theme-Link: The sedrah contains a series of blessings and curses. The haftarah contains a similar message. God offers us blessings. But we choose to turn away from Him and suffer instead. Interestingly, the sedrah begins with the Blessings and then moves to the Admonitions. The haftarah follows the opposite pattern, starting with the theme of sin and then moving to the motif of salvation.
Customs and Ceremonies: The haftarah ends with Jeremiah’s prayer, “Heal me Lord and I will be healed, save me and I will be saved for You are my praise” (17:4). The Rabbis later incorporated these lines in the daily service. In plural form, these words make up the opening lines of the eighth benediction of the Amidah - the benediction that calls for Health and Healing. “Heal us Lord and we will be healed, save us and we will be saved for You are our praise.” Why the change from singular to plural? When we pray, we do not ask blessings for ourselves but for others. Even when we are praying silently and alone we are praying on behalf of the whole House of Israel.
Pirke Avot - (Sayings of the Fathers) is a collection of sayings, teachings, and ethical maxims. A popular and eminently quotable work, it is one of the sixty-three tractates of the Mishnah. The Mishnah, consisting of centuries of oral teachings passed down from one generation to the next, was finally codified by Rabbi Yehudah Ha-Nasi in 200 C.E. Pirke Avot is unique among the tractates of the Mishnah in that it doesn't contain any halachah (law), only aggadah (stories or legends). Its popularity is reflected in the fact that it is included in most prayer books (including, in part, in Gates of Prayer).
Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut one of the great teachers of the Reform Movement suggests that Pirke Avot "teaches us the essentials of what life might be at its best." It deals with some of life's most basic and important questions: What is our purpose and destiny? What is sin, and how do we conquer it? What is wisdom? What is my relationship to God? Pirke Avot is divided into chapters, and each chapter is further divided into individual statements, each called a Mishnah. It is customary to study a chapter of Pirke Avot starting with the first Shabbat after the end of Pesach (Passover). Since Pirke Avot consists of six chapters, the work may be completed by the start of Shavuot. However, other groups of Jews follow a cycle where they study and re-study each of the chapters until the last Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah. Regardless of the format you choose, each week the Torah page will include one verse from the chapter of the week with a few comments from a variety of sources.)
Pirke Avot - Chapter 5
Chapter Five is different from the first four chapters of Pirke Avot. First, for the most part, the authors of the verses are anonymous. Secondly, most of the verses are based on numerology. The teachings are based on the numbers ten, seven, four and three. One explanation is that Pirke Avot is part of the Oral Law and numerical groupings are a useful aid in transmitting information in a non-written modality.
(5:15). “There are four characteristic types of those who donate tzedakah: One who wants that he should but that others should not give, he is begrudging of others; (One who wants) that others should give but that he should not give, he is begrudging of himself; (One who wants) that he should give and that others should give he is a pious person; (One who wants) that he should not give and that others should not give, he is a wicked person.” The Hebrew word translated above as “pious person” is “chasid.” It can also be translated as benevolent or gracious. In the case of his manner of giving, the chasid’s manner of giving evidences what the sages call “the right ethical spirit.” The Hebrew word translated above as “wicked person” is “rasha” and may also be translated as “ungodly.” You will recognize “rasha” as the Hebrew term used for the Wicked Son in the Haggadah. Wickedness can take many forms. In the case of this reading from Pirke Avot, the lack of “sympathy for the needy in their distress” is what is wicked or ungodly. As both the Torah and various readings from the Prophets have taught us, God expects us to protect those in need, and He will judge us based on how we treat the less fortunate.
(5:17). “Any controversy which for the sake of Heaven will result in something permanent, but when it is not for the sake of Heaven, it will have no permanence. Which controversy was one that was for the sake of Heaven? The controversy between Hillel and Shammai. Which controversy was not for the sake of Heaven? The controversy of Korach and his company.” The author of many of the sayings in chapters is unknown. From last week’s sedrah, you know the meaning of the reference to Korach and his company. Hillel and Shammai were the leaders of two rabbinic schools during the first century. While Hillel was more innovative and Shammai was more constructive, the two respected each other because “their aim was nothing else than the correct exposition of the Torah.” Therefore, the Talmud claimed that a Bath-Kol or heavenly voice spoke approvingly of them since, “They both speak the words of the living God.”
“Ben Bag Bag says: ‘Delve in it (the Torah) and delve in it (again) for everything is in it; look deeply into it, grow old and worn with it and from it do not budge for you can have no portion better than it.’” The Hebrew word “hafach” is translated here as “delve.” The word literally means, “to turn over,” “to invert” or “to change.” Some say this means we should study the Torah from all angles. A word of caution; the same three letters of this Hebrew word can also be translated as “to change, to overturn or to pervert.” As we “turn over” the Torah, we must study it in a way that does not “overturn” the Torah. “Ben Hei Hei says: ‘In proportion to the exertion is the reward’” (5:26). Jews living in small communities often complain about how difficult it is “to be Jewish.” According to the commentators on the wisdom of Ben Hei Hei, “The reward for observing God’s commandment is increased in proportion to the effort and discomfort one experiences in its performance.” For those who think of God as the big scorekeeper in the sky, this means small town Jews get extra points for doing that which is easy in a big city.
The
Message in a Name: There are those who
contend that Ben Bag Bag and Ben Hei Hei were the same person. Furthermore, they contend that these are two
names refer to the Proselyte who came to Hillel and demanded to be taught the
Torah on one foot. Ben Bag Bag’s full
name is Yochanan Ben Bag Bag or Yochanan, the son of Bag Bag. Bag Bag is an abbreviation for the Hebrew
term “the son of a male and a female proselyte.” The Hebrew letter Bet (B) is the first letter
of the word Ben which means “son” and the Hebrew letter Gimel (G) is the first
letter of the Hebrew word Ger which literally means “stranger.” Ben Hei Hei may mean Son of (the Hebrew
letter) Hay. Hei refers to the first two
proselytes, Abraham and Sarah. If you
remember reading Bereshit, God added the letter Hay to each of their
names. So Abram became Abraham and Sarai
became Sarah. Hence the Son of two hays,
would be a way of referring to somebody who was a son of two proselytes. Why all this duplicity? Because at the time that Ben Bag Bag lived,
the Romans might have killed somebody who had converted to Judaism. So, the name was “changed” to protect the
innocent, as Sargent Joe Friday would say.
But the real message in the name is that the Torah is open to all. It does not matter how a Jew became a Member
of the Tribe (MOT). The Torah belongs to
all Jews. Regardless of when we start or
where we start we all can all strive to be “changed” for the better by “delving”
in the Torah (yes, this is an intentional play on the meanings of the word
“hafach”).
Copyright, May, 2026; Mitchell A Levin
