English translation — וילך א

A.

In the command regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel, the beginning is "At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the year of Shemittah, on the festival of Sukkot"¹.

Rashi quotes from the verse the words "At the end of seven years" and explains: in the first year of Shemittah which is the eighth year²

And why does it call³

it the year of Shemittah⁴

that the seventh year still applies in it regarding the harvest of the seventh year that goes out at the conclusion of the seventh year⁵.

As one learns simply⁶,

the question that Rashi comes to answer is: the language of the verse is "At the end of seven years" the end of the seven years,

from the <b>seventh</b> year⁷,

and so it is also understood from the language "at the <b>appointed time</b> of the year of Shemittah" that this is the year of Shemittah,

and afterwards the verse concludes "on the festival of Sukkot" which is <b>not</b> in

(the end of)

the seventh year;

Rashi explains that "at the end of seven years" here means "the first year of the Sabbatical year which is the eighth year",

that is,

that "at the end" means indeed "end",

as Rashi translates at the beginning of Parshat Miketz "every expression of 'end' [means] end

it"⁸,

but it means <b>after the </b>end⁹,

<b>after </b>the seven years have ended,

"which is the eighth year".

Since however that from the continuation of the verse "at the appointed time of the year of release" it is implied that this means in the year of release,

Rashi continues "And why does it call it the year of release"?

And answers "that the seventh year still applies in it etc."

According to this, however, it is not understandable:

a)

Rashi should have copied also the words "בחג הסוכות"

(or at least alluded to them with "וגו'"),

because this indeed raises the difficulty in the verse?

b)

If Rashi is innovating that "מקץ שבע שנים" means here <b>after </b>the seven years end

(not as one would simply learn that this means at the end of the seventh year),

he only needed to say "שהיא שנה שמינית" — why does he need to preface "בשנה ראשונה של שמיטה"¹⁰,

which has no relevance to explaining the wording "מקץ",

and contributes nothing at all to understanding the verse¹¹,

at first glance?

198

Likkutei

Talks

And as one indeed finds in Mishnah and Gemara¹²,

that they call the time of Hakhel "in the eighth",

"in the eighth",

it is however not said about this that it is "the first year of Shemittah".

B.

Seemingly one could answer

(at least the second question above),

that Rashi comes here to innovate a different interpretation both in "Miketz" and in "Sheva Shanim"

(and incidentally — also negates another interpretation that one could learn in the verse)

One might think to say — "Miketz" means "end",

and this means the

(<b>entire</b>)

seventh year,

which is the "end" of the <b>period</b> of seven years¹³,

that at the end of the "seven year period"

(namely — the entire seventh year),

which is "the time of <b>the year of Shemittah</b>",

at the time of the festival of Sukkot of the seventh year should be "Hakhel etc."

Rashi rejects this and explains that "at the end of seven years" here is an exception,

here it does not mean "end",

but — "beginning"¹⁴

(in the manner that one finds in several commentators of the Torah¹⁵

— in the commentary of "at the end")

"the first year

of the Shemittah" — the beginning of the seven coming years¹⁶.

According to this, however, it is not understandable, on the contrary: Why Rashi adds "that it is the eighth year" — it is a continuation of the previous Shemittah.

And furthermore, mainly: If Rashi comes to innovate in the words "at the end of seven years,"

that it is different from his interpretation everywhere,

he would have needed to say it a)

in the language of a novelty that it is not like the rule that he himself says "every expression of 'ketz' means end,"

and bring a proof to this interpretation.

b)

It should have stood as a translation of the words "at the end of seven years — the first year of the Shemittah."

From Rashi's language "&lt;b&gt;I&lt;/b&gt;n the first year of the Shemittah"&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt;

it implies,

that he does not interpret the word "Miketz

(seven years)

but — to say and specify in which time this is — "in the first year of the Shemittah which is the eighth year"&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;.

Also one must understand in general: what is relevant here that this is "

(Moed)

the year of Shemittah,

that the Shemittah laws still apply to it regarding the harvest of the Shemittah year that goes out into the year after Shemittah" —

The prohibition of harvesting of the seventh year that extends into the night after the seventh year is already known

(according to one opinion)

from earlier in Rashi on "in plowing and in harvesting you shall rest"¹⁹

; and in any case, this has no connection to the commandment of Hakhel to say the laws of Shemittah,

that then several laws of Shemittah are still in effect.

3.

The explanation in this:

Rashi does not need to explain the meaning of "Miketz",

because he already explained,

as above,

that "&lt;b&gt;every &lt;/b&gt;expression of ketz means end",

and consequently it is understood,

that &lt;b&gt;in every &lt;/b&gt;place its explanation is like there by "Vayehi Miketz"&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;,

that also here the explanation is — after&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;

the seven years&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt;.

Rashi, however, comes to explain here a general question in the time of the mitzvah of Hakhel

that in every place Rashi explains a general matter in the parshah immediately at the beginning of the topic.

Although the question arises only according to the later verses — since these are the verses of the parshah,

and this is a general matter

(pertaining to all verses),

he explains it immediately at the beginning of the topic].

And with an introduction: also in the plain sense of Scripture — one sees that in the commandments of the Torah there are commandments that have a reason and there are statutes that have no reason; among the commandments that have a reason

(whether the Torah explains their reason,

or the reason is understood by itself),

there are commandments that also their details have a reason,

and commandments that their details have

(according to the plain sense)

no reason²³.

In the mitzvah of Hakhel it is explicit in the verse the reason and intention of the commandment — "so that they hear and so that they learn and fear the Lord your God etc."²⁴

— then it is easier to assemble all Jews,

and thus also the "&lt;b&gt;place &lt;/b&gt;which He will choose",

is more suitable to actualize "so that they hear and so that they learn and fear etc."].

According to this, an explanation is required why the Torah says that the time

(the suitable one)

is "&lt;b&gt;at the end of &lt;/b&gt;seven years": to arouse to do a thing,

and especially regarding fear of God,

which is the intention in the mitzvah of Hakhel,

it must be not &lt;b&gt;at the conclusion &lt;/b&gt;of a period,

but at the &lt;b&gt;beginning &lt;/b&gt;of a period.

Rashi explains that in any case — this means exactly "in the &lt;b&gt;first &lt;/b&gt;year of the Sabbatical year."

According to this, however, it is not understood why it says in the verse "at the end of seven years,"

which emphasizes that this comes as an end

(and continuation)

of the seven years — Rashi says "which is the &lt;b&gt;eighth&lt;/b&gt; year": here also the matter that it is the eighth year is relevant,

the year that comes after the seventh year which is a Sabbatical year.

4.

The explanation of this:

In the year of shemittah,

when "a Sabbath of solemn rest shall be for the land ..

your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune, the aftergrowth of your harvest you shall not reap and the grapes of your untrimmed vine you shall not gather"²⁶,

it is understandable also in the plain sense of Scripture,

that then,

being free from the work of the soil which was

(the main part of)

their occupation²⁷,

the Jews

(more — and primarily)

occupied themselves with the study of Torah,

which brought to fear of G‑d and observance of the commandments²⁸.

And based on this, the connection between the mitzvah of Hakhel is understood

(which is "in the first year of the Shemittah cycle")

and the Shemittah year

(as before this)

: When one must begin the "six years you shall sow your field and six years you shall prune your vineyard"²⁹

in the <b>first</b> year of Shemittah,

one needs a special awakening that should also affect the subsequent six years,

that

(also)

then there should be "and they shall fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this Torah"³⁰

And this is accomplished by reminding oneself of the year of Shemittah,

when one was occupied in the study of Torah etc. and saturated with fear of G-d.

The content of the mitzvah of Hakhel is,

to continue and strengthen the awakening from the Shemittah year also in the six following years,

when one is occupied with the work of the land.

And this Rashi indicates with his calling the year — "that it is the &lt;b&gt;eighth&lt;/b&gt; year": the first of the six years,

must be

(not only a beginning of the new Shemittah "first year of Shemittah",

but also)

a &lt;b&gt;continuation&lt;/b&gt; of the &lt;b&gt;previous&lt;/b&gt; year.

This is an &lt;b&gt;eighth&lt;/b&gt; year that comes after the seventh year.

5.

Based on this, one will also understand the matter of "reading it [the Torah portion] in the year of shemittah that the shemittah is still in effect, etc.,"

— which is,

as above,

prima facie not understood why the verse

(in the portion of HaKhel)

needs to inform that "still shemittah etc." — this is not merely a

(side)

indication of the year

(which however has no relevance to the content of the mitzvah of HaKhel)

To continue the arousal from the previous shemittah year,

the verse emphasizes,

that also the eighth year is

"the year of Shemittah",

because "the Shemittah year still applies to it": not only is in the <b>beginning</b> of "the first year of Shemittah" here the <b>memory</b> and the awakening from the previous Shemittah year,

but one also has Shemittah <b>in practice</b>

(in the "harvest of the Shemittah year that goes out into the aftermath of the Shemittah year"),

and consequently — still free time for the study of Torah etc.

6.

Wonderful matters concerning the halachah that one can derive from this Rashi:

In that the mitzvah of Hakhel is "at the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the Shemittah year,"

that this is the year after Shemittah,

one can ponder whether this is only a sign in which year one must fulfill the mitzvah of Hakhel — in the eighth,

in the year after Shemittah³¹,

or — it depends on

(the fulfillment of)

<b>the mitzvah of </b>Shemittah.

The practical difference from this³²

in practice emerges in the time of the Second Temple,

according to the opinions that then the mitzvah of Shemittah was only rabbinic: according to the first reasoning,

that it is only a sign when one must fulfill the mitzvah of Hakhel,

it is understood,

that also then one was obligated in the mitzvah of Hakhel from the Torah; and according to the second reasoning,

one was then exempt from the Torah.

According to the above, the explanation of Rashi's wording

(and especially the conclusion of his wording "And why does it call it the year of Shemittah, when the Sabbatical year is still practiced in it etc.'"),

that this is a continuation of that

The fulfillment of the mitzvah of Shemittah in the seventh year,

it turns out,

that the mitzvah of Hakhel is dependent on the fulfillment of the mitzvah of Shemittah from the Torah.

One can say,

that if only one fulfills the mitzvah of Shemittah in the year of Sheviit,

even only rabbinically,

since in practice one refrains from working the land,

it is considered regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel &lt;b&gt;from the Torah &lt;/b&gt;— a year of Shemittah he does not plow etc.,

and one is also then obligated in the mitzvah of Hakhel&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;.

And in the manner as we find that a rabbinic acquisition helps for Torah matters&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;].

7.

One must still, however, understand

(in the inwardness of the matters)

The content of the year of shemittah,

which is explicit in the Torah

(the Written [Torah]),

is

(not that which Jews will during the course of the year

(when one is free from work of the land)

occupy themselves more with study of the Torah etc.,

but)

— "A Sabbath of solemn rest shall be &lt;b&gt;for the land &lt;/b&gt;etc. your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune";

And this also affects in the later "six years" when "you shall sow your field" and "you shall prune your vineyard",

because through the observance of the mitzvah of Shemittah a Jew knows and demonstrates in practice that "nothing is designated in one's possession, rather everything is in the possession of the Master of all"³⁵,

that the Almighty is the Master of the house

over his field and also everything that exists in the world

(as explained at length in the commentators on the reasons for the commandments³⁶),

and therefore his "you shall sow" and "you shall prune" in the "six years" are in accordance with the will of God,

the will of the Master of the house of the world.

And since the Torah emphasizes that the mitzvah of Hakhel is "at the appointed time of the year of Shemittah" — as above,

that Hakhel is a continuation of

(the arousal of)

the year of Shemittah,

as it comes in "the eighth year" — one must say,

that also the arousal of Shemittah is drawn into the six years through the arousal of Hakhel —

One must understand: where does one find in Hakhel an arousal regarding this matter?

And one can say,

that this is connected with the portions in the Torah that the king reads on Hakhel,

as the Mishnah³⁷

enumerates them

(according to the version of Rashi³⁸)

: from the beginning of "These are the words" until "Shema" and "Shema"³⁹

"And it will be, if you surely listen"⁴⁰

"You shall surely tithe"⁴¹

"When you have finished tithing"⁴²

Blessings and curses⁴³

and the portion of the king, "I will set a king over me"⁴⁴.

8.

The explanation of this:

The mitzvah of Shemittah divides,

in general,

into three matters:

a)

the rest of <b>man</b>⁴⁵

— the prohibition upon man to occupy himself with agricultural work⁴⁶

to devote himself entirely to study etc.,

as above.

b)

The rest of the land — "and the land shall rest a sabbath to the Lord"

: Since the land then rests from all labors,

that year no agricultural work is done,

it is in the land itself a matter of "sabbath to the Lord".

c)

The fruits that grow during the sabbatical year are ownerless to all,

the owner of the field may not keep them as something that belongs to him.

The general and primary intention of the mitzvah of Shemittah is,

as above,

to demonstrate how "everything is in the domain of the Master of all" — it can be said that in each of the three matters mentioned above, a particular detail in the "ownership" of the Most High is expressed⁴⁹,

as follows.

9.

The concept of the rest of man emphasizes the "ownership" and mastery of the Most High over the <b>man</b> — "I was created

&lt;b&gt;To serve &lt;/b&gt;my Maker"&lt;sup&gt;50&lt;/sup&gt;

When a Jew occupies himself with worldly matters, he is liable in the midst of the action to forget about the purpose of his creation,

that he is a &lt;b&gt;servant of God&lt;/b&gt;,

and his will and service must be to become attached to the Most High.

Hashem gave after every six years one year,

when a Jew must separate from worldly matters and devote himself entirely to <b>spiritual</b> service

(in which his attachment to Hashem is openly evident)

; and this gives a Jew strength,

that when afterwards comes "six years you shall sow your field etc." he should feel,

that also <b>the</b> involvement is a matter of <b>service of Hashem</b>,

"to serve my Master" — he does it for the sake of Heaven⁵¹,

until "in all your ways know Him"⁵².

The sabbatical of <b>the land</b> emphasizes the ownership of the Most High — over <b>the land</b> including — its nature

(and the laws of nature in general),

as the verse says⁵³

"And if you say, 'What shall we eat in the seventh year? Behold, we will not sow nor gather in our produce,

and I will command My blessing to you in the sixth year, and it will produce the crop for three years'":

According to the laws of nature, the growth and development of the produce is dependent on the prior plowing and sowing; the Almighty shows in the sabbatical year,

that what the earth makes grow produce and fruits is it "not by its power and its property"⁵⁴,

and accordingly it is de-

pendent on plowing and sowing,

but "He is the one who gives you strength to make wealth"; and when the Almighty wills,

produce grows not according to the laws of nature,

until that the sowing of one year,

the sixth year,

becomes

(above nature)

sufficient for three years — "and it shall produce the crop for the three years".

And from this one takes the recognition and feeling also in the six years when one plows and sows,

that the grain that grows for him in the field is truly not from the plowing and sowing,

but from <b>the blessing of G-d</b>⁵⁵.

Yud.

The third matter in Shemittah — that <b>the fruits</b> of the seventh year are ownerless — brings out how the Supreme One is the master of <b>the property</b> of man.

Also after the Supreme One blesses a Jew with property,

<b>they remain</b> in the Supreme One's ownership and authority.

One can think: indeed it is true that only the One Above gives the blessing and power that the grain should grow

(and not his plowing and sowing,

or the "segulah" of the heart),

but after the One Above has given him the blessing,

and the grain has grown and is by

him,

then the One Above has given over the grain into his domain.

True indeed,

that since "I

(not&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;)

was created

(but&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;)

to serve my Master",

and therefore it is clear,

that also everything that a Jew possesses must be utilized "to serve my Master"

(by using it in matters of holiness,

or "

(all your deeds)

for the sake of Heaven" as above)

— nevertheless there is still a place for a feeling,

that the possessions belong to &lt;b&gt;him&lt;/b&gt;,

only &lt;b&gt;he &lt;/b&gt;decides and uses them in accordance with the will of God.

Teaches the third matter of Sheviit,

that a Jew has &lt;b&gt;no &lt;/b&gt;

(&lt;b&gt;own&lt;/b&gt;)

&lt;b&gt;ownership &lt;/b&gt;over his possessions — and this is expressed in that once in seven years the Torah says,

that &lt;b&gt;all &lt;/b&gt;fruits which have grown by &lt;b&gt;him &lt;/b&gt;in the field,

are &lt;b&gt;ownerless to all&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;49&lt;/sup&gt;

This reminds,

that also in the six years when he may keep the fruits for himself,

it is not because they belong to <b>him</b>

(to do with them what <b>he</b> wants),

rather they are the <b>Almighty's</b> assets which were given to him

(<b>as a deposit</b>.),

that he should be the Almighty's agent to carry out with them that which the Almighty wants.

Yes.

Based on this one will understand the connection of the mitzvah of Hakhel also to the details of the mitzvah of Shemittah⁵⁷

The content of the three matters mentioned above

the rest of the land and that which the fruits of the seventh year are ownerless to all — which express the "ownership" of the Holy One, blessed be He, over the person,

land

(and the laws of nature)

and the possessions of the person]

is the

(part 5)

content of the portions which are read in Hakhel: the portion of Shema⁵⁸,

And it will be, if you surely listen,

and "You shall surely tithe" "When you finish tithing":

In the portion of Shema it speaks about the <b>spiritual</b> service of a Jew — acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven⁵⁹,

study of Torah,

fulfillment of the commandments

(tefillin and mezuzah),

which this corresponds to the first matter mentioned above in Shemittah — the rest of the person,

so that he should be able to be free to occupy himself with spiritual matters,

as above.

In the portion of "And it will be, if you surely listen" it speaks about how through "surely you will listen etc." is — "and I will give the rain of your land in its time etc. and you will gather your grain etc."

(and if, heaven forbid, "and you will turn aside etc.",

is — "and it will not be etc. and the land will not give etc.").

This emphasizes how the Almighty is the master of the laws of nature,

and therefore the <b>materiality</b> of a Jew,

"and you will gather your grain etc.",

depends

(not on the plowing and sowing of man,

but)

on "<b>surely you will listen to My commandments</b>",

on ful-

filling the will of the Almighty⁶⁰.

And the sections "Aser Te'aser",

"Ki Sechaleh Le'aser" emphasize,

how the assets of a Jew are with him like a deposit from the Above⁶¹

and the person is not the owner over them; which is expressed in that a part of his assets he <b>must</b> give away

(to another Jew)⁶²

— "Matanos Aniyim" and "Hafrashat Terumos u'Ma'asros"⁵⁹

; analogous to fruits of Shevi'is which are hefker to all⁶³.

And therefore one then concludes with the reading of Parshas HaMelech⁶⁴

(and also the reading of all the aforementioned sections is by the king)

— because the true recognition that the person and all that is his and the entire creation are not an existence for themselves,

but everything belongs to the Above,

is revealed through the king.

For his primary function of the king is to draw down to

(and — into)

the Jews the matter of acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven and fear of Hashem,

until the feeling of true <b>bitul</b>

(which gives no place for an existence besides from

the Upper One),

as the Tzemach Tzedek explains it at length⁶⁵.

12.

This is also the inner explanation that the law of “the seventh year still applies to it”

(in the eighth year)

is specifically in that “harvest of the seventh year that goes out into the aftermath of the seventh year”:

(that one takes out from the rest of the <b>heart</b>)

that the Most High is the master of the land

(and the laws of nature),

is <b>both as </b>here in "the eighth year",

because one still eats

(and the vitality of the food is)

from the grain that was sown in the <b>sixth year</b> as the verse says⁶⁶

"And you shall sow the eighth year and eat from the old grain until the <b>ninth</b> year" — one sees in it <b>openly</b> the blessing of God

(according to the nature of the land it cannot be in the eighth year),

so that one should also have

(in the eighth year itself)

the recognition

the recognition,

that the <b>man</b> and all that is his belongs to the Most High,

there is the second matter in the eighth year,

that "the seventh year still applies <b>in it in the harvest</b> of the seventh year that goes out at the end of the seventh year" — that also in the eighth year the man is not a master over the harvest

(which is from <b>his</b> field),

and consequently he feels and recognizes that this belongs to the Most High.

And consequently,

At the time when it is the time when one feels a wellspring of the content of the matter of shemittah,

Both in that which one sees that also then the Above One sustains the person,

And in that which the person feels that he is not an existence

By himself,

Because in his own field it was not permitted to him to conduct himself as a homeowner —

Is then the fitting time that the reading of the portions of Hakhel by the king should have an inner effect on the subsequent six years,

Until that — "and they shall learn to fear the Lord your God all the days that they live on the land"⁶⁷.

(Nitzavim)

Vayeilech 5732 and 5740,

Simchas Beis HaShoevah 5713)