{"id":84989,"date":"2020-12-17T22:48:02","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T20:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=84989"},"modified":"2020-12-17T22:48:02","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T20:48:02","slug":"vayeshev-entitlement-and-creation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/vayeshev-entitlement-and-creation\/","title":{"rendered":"Vayeshev: Entitlement and Creation"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"84989","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":84768,"related_cahpter":"1126","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Joseph expected everyone and everything to bow to his will. This cautionary tale highlights the dangers of land ownership, or ownership of any material possessions.","content":"
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Our story returns to tell us, \u201cNow Jacob was settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan\u201d (Gen. 37:1, JPS translation). Jacob\u2019s father and grandfather had only ever been outsiders in the land in which Jacob now shepherds his flocks along with his family. Perhaps it is no wonder that Jacob\u2019s favorite son, Joseph, starts to feel a little too comfortable there.<\/p>\n

The two dreams that Joseph famously dreams, and subsequently decides to share with his 11 brothers, both feature elements of nature bowing down to him: in the first, 11 sheaves of wheat bow down to his; in the second, the sun, moon, and 11 stars bow down to him. Unsurprisingly, his brothers are furious, and so begins the tragic event sequence that later leaves Joseph in Egyptian jail.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At least subconsciously, Joseph expected everyone and everything to bow to his will. This cautionary tale highlights the dangers of land ownership, or ownership of any material possessions. Though we may have monetarily acquired the rights to a piece of land or a car or a sheaf of wheat, they are still ultimately on loan to us. Land is not ours to rule over, but to faithfully steward in partnership with God.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though a farmer may slip into feeling a sense of control over a field that they tirelessly work, ultimately they have no control of how their crops will turn out. Shmita offers an opportunity to reset our relationship with the land and God: a forced break from toiling, and a strong reminder that it\u2019s not up to us.<\/p>\n

Chanukah is a fitting counterpart to this. Though we cannot bring more hours of sunlight to the cold winter days, we\u00a0can\u00a0<\/i>bring a little candle light into the world, even if only for a brief time. As humans, we have been given capabilities of creation, and are entrusted to use them for good, to bring blessing to our families and to our communities.<\/p>\n

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach.<\/p>\n

The next shmita year begins next Rosh Hashanah 2021, almost a year from now. We have time to prepare. As we move through 5781 we invite you to join us in preparation for the upcoming shmita year \u2013 a sabbatical year for the Earth but also for ourselves, our communities, and our world. Each week we will share thoughts on how the weekly parsha can help guide our thinking around shmita themes of work and rest, wealth and debt, responsible land use, fair labor practices, private and public property ownership, and physical and spiritual revitalization.<\/p>\n

Join us for the journey.<\/p>\n

See here for more information on the Hazon Shmita project, and its blogs.<\/a><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":81608,"id":81608,"title":"shmita","filename":"shmita.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/bereishit-the-sabbatical-paradigm\/shmita\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"shmita","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":81605,"date":"2020-10-15 14:26:00","modified":"2021-02-01 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