| A Society That Refuses to Give Up on People Imagine the following two scenarios. (1) A person sells land that has been in their family for generations. Years later, they realize it was a terrible mistake. The family falls into poverty and begins a downward social and economic spiral that might continue from generation to generation. (2) A real estate group gradually acquires large portions of a city. Over time, they gain so much control that families who have lived there for years and have rented stores, apartments or homes, can no longer afford to live or work in the area. These are real 20th and 21st century problems that have not been solved and only get worse. Although the Torah does not directly address these exact scenarios, it presents an original approach on how to deal with many of the same challenges by introducing the concept of Yovel, the Jubilee year. Every fifty years, ancestral land returned to its original owners and indentured servants (people who had become servants because of unpaid debts) were freed. This mitzvah applied only in the Land of Israel and only when the majority of the Jewish people live there. A central lesson of Yovel is that the land ultimately belongs to G-d, not to us. We may buy and sell property but our ownership is never absolute. When the fiftieth year arrives, we are reminded that G-d is the true owner of the land and has the right to return it to the original owners. But Yovel wasn’t just a theological idea, it also had an economic impact on society. Although modern culture recognizes a responsibility to care for the less fortunate, still, poverty often becomes deeply ingrained within families and communities. Children raised in poverty frequently lack the hope, education, and support needed to break free from the cycle. Yovel creates the necessary societal reset because twice every century, families, communities, and even entire cities were given the opportunity to begin again. Real estate monopolies were broken up. Families regained their ancestral land. People who had lost everything were given a second chance to rebuild their lives. The same day the land returned to its original owners, indentured servants were also freed. A person who had fallen into crushing debt and lost their freedom was not meant to remain trapped forever. Husband, wife, and children could once again begin life as free people on their own land.G-d gave people another chance. This system is more radical than almost anything found in the modern world and reflects the Torah’s balance between personal ownership and social responsibility. Jews recognize the right to private property and personal success but also insist that society cannot allow entire classes of people to become permanently trapped in poverty and hopelessness. In a broad way, Yovel is a fusion, combining elements of capitalism and socialism without fully becoming either one. On the one hand, people are free to create a meaningful future by building wealth and succeeding, thereby becoming independent and creating opportunities for themselves and their families. On the other hand, wealth will not be viewed as absolute or permanent. Society also bears responsibility to ensure that people are not left behind forever. As a result, Yovel creates a culture carrying two crucial messages. When land reverts to its owner, the person who became arrogant due to vast land holdings will be reminded that wealth, land, or success ultimately belong to G-d, not them. A second message is that people who made poor choices or experienced devastating setbacks are reminded that failure does not define them forever; everyone deserves the possibility of renewal. Although the mitzvah of Yovel is no longer practiced today, its message remains deeply relevant; here are questions thinking Jews should ask themselves. If I have been blessed with wealth and success, do I allow it to go to my head or do I remember that everything I possess is temporary and entrusted to me for a purpose? Do I use my blessings only for myself and family or do I also use it to help others? Do I give people second chances? Is there anyone in your life who needs another chance even though they may not fully deserve it? If no one comes to mind, perhaps the person who most needs that second chance is you. Have you convinced yourself you cannot change or that everything you touch turns to mud? The good news is that we do not need to wait fifty years for a new beginning because a second chance begins the moment we are willing to open our hearts and minds to the possibility that there’s something we can change—if we’re willing to change. If you’ve tried many times and haven’t succeeded, try something new—ask G-d for help. Keep doing everything you can but realize you need more than just you. As C. S. Lewis succinctly said, humility is not about thinking less of yourself. It is about thinking of yourself less. Sometimes the most important freedom is not freedom from others but freedom from the beliefs that limit us and have us falsely believing that we can never change. Yovel teaches that land can return, freedom can return, and dignity can return but perhaps the Torah’s deepest message is that hope can return as well. Good Shabbos |
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