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Why does Rashi (רש"י) attribute the 70-year exile to neglecting Torah (תורה) study when the Torah explicitly blames neglecting Shmita? The shiur reveals that proper Shmita observance requires allowing poor people free access to one's land, which demands genuine closeness and trust. Torah study creates the communal bonds that make such sharing natural rather than burdensome.
Rabbi Zweig begins by examining the Torah (תורה)'s teaching that the 70-year Babylonian exile corresponded to 70 neglected Shmita cycles. He notes an apparent contradiction: while the Torah explicitly states the exile was due to not observing Shmita, Rashi (רש"י) in Parshas Bechukosai attributes it to neglecting Torah study. The resolution reveals a profound insight about Jewish community building. The rabbi explains that the primary violation wasn't agricultural work during Shmita (since God provided enough food for three years), but rather the refusal to allow poor people free access to one's land during the sabbatical year. This represents a much deeper challenge than giving charity - it requires genuine closeness and trust to allow others to freely use one's property.
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Parshas Behar, Leviticus 25:35
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