There is something odd about a verse toward the end of the third aliyah of this week’s parsha. The verse reads: “And I will remember my covenant with Yaakov, and even my covenant with Yitzchak and even my covenant with Avraham I will remember, and the land I will remember.” (26:42) (וְזָֽכַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י יַֽעֲק֑וֹב וְאַף֩ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֨י יִצְחָ֜ק וְאַ֨ף אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶזְכֹּ֖ר וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֶזְכֹּֽר). What does it mean the land will be remembered? The preceding sections of the parsha explain that Bnei Yisrael were exiled from the land for not keeping shemitah. With the Jews in exile, the land would now be given a period of time to rest, equal in amount to the shemitah years that were not kept. Is that not a remembrance of the land? Also, why is this section followed in the fourth aliyah by sections concerning the valuation assigned to pledges to donate the value of a person
and the laws of substitution of sacrificial animals or consecrated property?
The beginning of the fourth aliyah concerns a situation where a person vows to make a donation equal to the value of a particular human being. The Torah sets forth a monetary value based on people’s ages. The Torah is conveying that a person’s worldly status does not matter, nor does their physical condition matter. No matter what, people have inherent value. In Pirkei Avot (4:3) we are taught that “there is for you no person who does not have his hour and there is not for you a thing that does not have its place.” Thus, not only is there inherent value in people, there is inherent value and purpose in things.
The Land of Israel has a purpose. That purpose is to be worked by Bnei Ysrael. In Parshat Bereishit, Adam is commanded to work the land (Bereishit 2:15). As long as Bnei Yisrael are not in the Land of Israel, that land is not fulfilling its inherent purpose. Yes, the Land of Israel must be recompensed for the years of shemitah that were not observed. Yet, once those years are repaid, the people must ultimately be returned to the land. Here Hashem is promising that even if not in the merit of Yaakov, even if not in the merit of Yitzchak, even if not in the merit of Avraham, then in the merit of the land itself will the people be returned. Hashem promises to remember the covenant He made to the Avot and promises to remember the purpose of the land itself: to be worked by the children of the Avot.
The section on consecration of property teaches that if we promise to make a korban with one animal, and then attempt to substitute a different animal, even if of a higher quality, both animals become sanctified. Sanctity is not easily removed or discarded. Bnei Yisrael may have been exiled from the land, we may have sinned, but we have not lost our sanctified status. The nation is still set apart to be holy to Hashem. The nation will be restored to Hashem and restored to the land in the fullness of time.
This section of the parsha also teaches that if we are to redeem an object, we must not only pay its value, but must pay an additional fifth. From here we can learn that if we want to be redeemed, if we truly want a restoration of the land and the creation of a Third Beit Hamikdash, we must add to our inherent value. We must add value to ourselves by increasing our learning and our mitzvot, both as it relates to our service of Hashem and our service of our fellow man. As we learn from the outset of the parsha (see the Rashi on 26:8), a united Jewish people has manifold strength and ability. A united people of Hashem can accomplish so much more than the one or the few.
If we are united as a people in the service of Hashem we can bring about our redemption, sanctify the memory of the Avot, and bring about the remembrance and redemption of the land.
William S.J. Fraenkel received a Bachelor of Arts in religion and a law degree from NYU, and served as a board member and officer of several Orthodox shuls. The opinions expressed in this dvar Torah are solely his own.
