Text Box: How are we to treat the poor among us? This weeks Parasha teaches of the Jubilee year and the return to your own lands on the 50th year. The return of property and the forgiving of debt. I have heard this spoken on numerous times in Shuls, congregations, and Kehiliot. But I have not heard addressed is the section of Lev 25:35-55. This question of how to treat the poor has become bothersome for many because of the number of people who chose to live on the street by means of others handouts. Their profession is that of beggar. This section of the Parasha is not dealing with them. This section is dealing with those who have found themselves poor but are willing to work for sustenance. It was a common practice at the time of this Parasha for a person to sell themselves into slavery for a certain period in order to support themselves, their family, or in restitution for a debt they could not pay. But, G-d does not want His chosen people, whom her redeem out of Egypt from slavery to be slaves to anyone. This is the reason why a person who chooses to be a slave for all time has an awl driven through their earlobe into a doorpost. To have their ear pierced in such a manner drives home that they are turning against the torah which they have heard and forsaking the price paid in Egypt during the time of putting the blood of the lamb on the doorpost. They are consciously choosing to defy G-d to stay in slavery and be under someone other than the one true G-d of the universe. For this reason G-d outlines that a person who offers to sell themselves to a fellow Jew is not to be treated as a slave but as a hired hand, as if he were a sojourner hired to work for you. Slaves are to be allowed only form the pagan nations that surround you or form the alien among you who chooses to be a slave. (Of note here is the word used for sojourner is the same that gets translated proselyte when desired by the Chumash) If a person sells themselves as a slave to a stranger or sojourner, it is the duty of a kinsman to redeem the sold person. The one who redeems his kinsman is to treat him as a hired servant for the redemption price. Even if he is not redeemed he is to be set free on the Jubilee year. For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought ot fromt eh land of Egypt, I am the L-rd your G-d. The greatest for of Charity is to provide someone with the means to provide for themselves. It is for this reason that Standing Strong assists people with small business ventures. None of G-d’s people are to be a slave to others but are to work for their sustenance as freemen under the L-rd. We provide family budgeting training based upon G-d’s word and provide counseling on setting up and running businesses. For more information on the work of Standing Strong click here.

This week’s Parasha

Standing Strong

A Messianic Jewish Congregation with an outreach to Believers in Israel

May 12—Double portion

On the  mount / In my statues

Lev 25:1-26:2             Lev 26:3-27:34

Jer 32:6-27                  Jer 16:19-17:14

Luke 4:16-21               Luke 19:1-10

Rom 6:1-23                 1 Tim 6:3-10