Jewish Heritage Connection

Dvar Torah: Torah Portion: Korach
Rabbi Dovid Saks

We all know, either from personal experience or from watching from the sidelines, how utterly repulsive a feud between two people or two parties can become.
People become lost and totally unfocused when they are swept up in a fight, and at times they say things that are senseless and fabricate all sorts of accusations.
Our portion speaks of such an occurrence.
Korach was an elite Levite who carried the holy Ark during the travels in the desert. He was wise and a very holy man. Korach was also the wealthiest Jew around. He acquired his wealth because while he was still in Egypt he had access to the keys to one of the Pharoh’s treasuries, and when the Jews were freed from Egypt, he took the treasure along with him.
All was fine until our leader Moshe, through G-d’s command, appointed a younger cousin of Korach to the position of prince of his tribal unit.
Korach’s feelings were hurt, and instead of accepting it as G-d’s will, Korach channeled his personal frustration and grievance at Moshe.
Korach began pointing an accusing finger at Moshe, claiming that he subjectively appointed his brother Aaron as the only High Priest, without G-d’s command. Korach claimed that since the whole nation had become holy when G-d spoke to them at Mount Sinai, therefore, he and the 250 leaders were just as holy as Aaron, and were worthy of becoming High Priests.
Our Sages relate that Korach posed far-out and nonsensical claims to support his position, and was able to attract followers through sarcasm and mocking Moshe’s position.
Moshe took offense to these unfound accusations and did his utmost to meet with Korach and his cohorts to discuss the matter in a civil and peaceful way. The Torah tells us that they refused to meet with Moshe. Their refusal to meet indicated that they weren’t interested in peace.
Moshe realized that unless this matter was taken care of immediately, our entire authentic tradition that Moshe was the leader and G-d’s appointed disseminator of Torah, would be in jeopardy.
He challenged Korach and his cohorts to a showdown with Aaron. Aaron and the 250 opposing leaders would present incense Ketores offerings that were usually reserved for the High Priest. Whoever would be spared and his offering accepted by G-d, would determine who G-d chose as High Priest.
Sure enough, G-d accepted Aaron’s offering through a fire from Heaven, and a heavenly fire descended and consumed the 250 men who opposed Moshe, together with their offerings. The earth opened up and swallowed Korach and the rest of his assemblage.
This unequivocally proved that Aaron was G-d’s true pick as High Priest.
Additionally, in order that we have physical evidence for the future, that Aaron and his Kohain descendants are the only ones to produce a High Priest, Moshe took a log from an almond tree and split it into twelve staffs. A staff was given to each tribal head and they wrote their tribal name upon it and Aaron wrote his name on his staff. Moshe then took all the staffs, positioning Aaron’s staff in the middle of the staffs, and placed them in the Temple. Moshe then declared that whichever staff would blossom and produce almonds would indicate that he was chosen as High Priest.
The next day Moshe collected the staffs and Aaron’s staff had produced almonds. G-d then told Moshe to place Aaron’s staff in the holy of holies so that in the future if someone would cast doubt of the appointment of Aaron’s descendants – the Kohanim – as the representatives to serve in the Temple, the staff that is stored near the Ark would be taken out and shown as proof.
There is one person who is mentioned at the beginning of the feud, yet is not mentioned when Korach and his cohorts were eliminated. His name was Ohn. Our Sages teach us that Ohn’s righteous wife utilized great wisdom and reasoned with him against joining Korach and she cleverly protected him.
The question is raised, why does it say that she used great wisdom to convince her husband out of a doomed position?
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz o.b.m. is quoted to say, “Yes, when one is in the midst of a raging disagreement it indeed takes great wisdom to cut to the chase, and see things clearly and advise accordingly!”
Ohn’s righteous wife saved him. She even plied him with wine to put him to sleep so that he should not have misgivings and reconsider rejoining the soon to be doomed rabble rousers.
King Solomon in Proverbs refers to Ohn’s wife when he states, “The wisdom of women, establishes the home.”
When the Kohanim/Priests bless the congregation, and when parents bless children, with the Priestly blessing, we conclude with the blessing of Shalom – peace, for it is only when peace prevails that the preceding blessings have true value, benefit and meaning!

Dvar Torah: Torah Portion: Shlach
Rabbi Dovid Saks

Our portion opens telling us that the Jews sent 12 spies into the land of Israel with instructions to report back about the land and its inhabitants.
The Torah mentions the names of the 12 spies, with each spy representing a tribe. The Torah confers the title of “Nasi” – prince – to each of these 12 men.
The inauguration of the Tabernacle took place a few months before the spies were sent. At that time the Torah elaborates on the identical offerings and gifts that each ‘Nasi’ prince of the tribes donated. The Torah also names each of the ‘Princes’ of the 12 tribes that contributed these sacrifices. Surprisingly, they are not the same names as the 12 ‘Nasi’ princes they sent as spies.
Why weren’t the same ‘Nasi’ princes who inaugurated the Tabernacle sent to spy the land?
Rabbi Dov Weinberger o.b.m. explains that each of the tribes sent a spy because the mission of the spies was that each of the tribes should report on his perspective of the land. Since the Princes who donated the inaugural sacrifices and gifts gave the identical gifts, the tribes felt that those Princes were not a suitable match to give their own perspective of the land. They therefore chose different Princes for this mission.
The original mission statement was that each one should spy with their own perspective and then report on it.
However, once they began their mission, things drastically changed. Ten of the spies changed their mission’s goal, and began collaborating with each other with a negative attitude. G-d orchestrated that the inhabitants of the land be busy so that the spies would go undetected. However, the spies viewed this as a major defect of the land.
There were two good spies, Calev and Yehoshua. The Torah tells us that Moshe gave Yehoshua a blessing before the mission to protect him from the negativity. Calev on the other hand had to work diligently not to be pressured and influenced by the bad spies. In fact, Calev veered off from the group and went into the City of Chevron to pray at the Cave of Machpaila, where our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaacov and the matriarchs are buried. He prayed to G-d that in the merit of the holy ones buried there, he should be spared from the negative influence of the spies.
When the spies reported back, they did not just state their findings and leave it to the leaders to decide. They actually insisted and pushed their negative agenda and used fright tactics to influence the nation to reject the prospect of traveling forth to the land.
This upset G-d, and He punished the nation by delaying their entry into the land for 40 years. Each day of the 40 days they spent spying corresponded with a year delay of entering the land.
The spies were killed by a Heavenly wrath, and the males who were 20 – 60 years old at the time of the Exodus didn’t make it into the land. This was a major blow to the nation.
Nevertheless, G-d does not leave His nation without hope. Immediately after the incident of the spies the Torah gives two laws that pertain to when they would enter the Land of Israel. The first is the laws concerning wine libations that are poured on the Altar of the Temple when sacrifices are offered. The second is the law of giving a portion of one’s dough to a Kohain. This Mitzvah is called separating Challa. Today, the portion of ‘Challa’ that is separated after a blessing is made, is burned rather than given to a Kohain.
At the end of the portion, the Mitzvah of Talis/Tzitzis is given.
Rabbi Weinberger explains the connection between these three laws as follows: During the 40 years of travel through the desert, every last one of their personal needs were provided by G-d. There were clouds protecting them on all sides. The clouds laundered their clothing and their clothing grew with them. A pillar of fire illuminated the night. Their food was provided each day with Manna from Heaven, and their water was provided by a rock from which water emerged.
It was a utopian existence. Perhaps, it was this existence that the spies wished to retain rather than switch to a less elevated level of existence of working for their food and protection once they entered the land.
However, G-d wished that the Jews leave this idyllic spiritual existence that they were treated to in the desert, and wanted them to earn their levels of spirituality by working the land and conducting themselves ‘on their own’. Thus, through their own efforts they would generate their rewards.
Once in Israel, they would receive their sustenance not through the Manna; rather, they would have to plant grain and be involved in all the steps to produce bread. Then, right before they baked the bread they were to do the Mitzvah of separating Challa and giving the gift to a Kohain.
The miraculous water they received from the rock was replaced by having to go through the process of making wine for the Altar’s libations, and other Mitzvos such as Kiddish, Havdalla etc.
The clouds of glory were replaced by the Mitzvah of Talis/Tzitizis which is produced from wool/cotton/linen, which envelopes and protects us.
Thus, G-d’s ultimate goal is for us to utilize this world and transform and elevate it into Mitzvos so that we earn reward in this world and our eternal world as well!

Dvar Torah" Torah Portion: Beha'aloscha
Rabbi Dovid Saks

Recently, I was in Florida at an airshow. It was breathtaking; the speed, formation, and precision; the ascending and descending planes, and of course the thunderous sound.
My interest and attention were especially drawn to air flight since I had just read a letter that the great ethical teacher, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe o.b.m., had written to his student who was in the doldrums.
He wrote that the following thought occurred to him while he was on a flight.
In general, we can describe the trajectory of one’s life and the pursuit of his accomplishments as taking a road trip towards one’s desired destination. There are times when we must stop, yield, or speed up. We will encounter hills, dips, bumps, tickets, and accidents. All this happens when one is rooted on the ground through the journey of life. However, if one adds air travel to his life’s journey, he will realize that there are opportunities to ascend, and there are also times when we will descend.
When we pray, perform Chesed and Tzadaka, observe Mitzvos, trust and believe in G-d and when we study the Torah we are ascending. However, there are times when we are sidetracked and descend from the spiritual highs that we accomplished. The good news is that it doesn’t mean we are grounded for life. We always have the ability to rise up and take off. However long was the duration of the descent, a Jew always has the inner ability to pick himself up!
In the Book of Mishlai - Proverbs, King Solomon writes, “For seven times a Tzadik – a righteous person – falls, and he arises.”
Baal Haturim explains that this refers to our forefather Yaacov, who was a Tzadik, and was faced with seven challenges, yet he arose from each of them. The seven challenges were; his hateful brother Aisav, his deceitful father-in-law Lavan, wrestling with the Angel, when his daughter Dina was held captive, when Yosef was missing, when Shimon killed the males of Shechem and when he was troubled when Binyamin had to leave him to go the Egypt. Yaacov was faced with all these challenges, yet he found the ability to get back on his feet and rise.
The Medrash teaches us that the seven falls in the verse are referring to seven holy Temples that we had, and then went out of use or fell. They were; the Mishkan which accompanied the Jews in the desert; once they came into the Land of Israel, they built four Tabernacles, in Gilgal, Nov, Givon and Shilo; and then they built the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. These seven fell. The verse continues, and it will get up – this refers to the Third and everlasting Temple, that will descend from the Heavens when the Moshiach will arrive.
But how do we arise after we have fallen from our level of spirituality?
Our Chasidic Masters quote a Talmudic passage which questions the action of lowering an ax behind one’s back in order to bring it up with force. Is it considered an action of lowering, or do we look at the lowering the ax as part of raising the ax, since we are lowering it to give force to bring it up with additional strength.
Say our Chasidic Masters, if one views their spiritual descent as a descent, it is quite challenging to raise oneself up. However, if one views their feelings of spiritual void as an impetus to raise themselves higher, to gain or regain renewed strength, then the pitfall serves to help him to rise, ascend, elevate himself and grow!
I recently read what the late Rabbi Yitzchok Alster o.b.m. said how his influential Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner o.b.m., was able to introduce and teach novel Torah thoughts to budding scholars.
“There are times when you are faced with a puddle of water in front of you. You have a choice, to avoid it completely, go around it, sludge through it… or to take a leap over it.” He continued, “Rabbi Hutner had the talent to raise us up to soar and fly over that which we didn’t think we had the ability to do or achieve!
So, the message is that we must just dive in! Err, what I really meant to say is … we need to raise ourselves and take off!

Dvar Torah: Torah Portion: Naso
Rabbi Dovid Saks

Included in the Parsha are the laws of a Nazir. A Nazir is a person who vows to conduct himself in a specific sanctified manner. A Nazir is prohibited to drink wine, eat grapes or any derivatives of grapes. He is also not allowed to cut his hair or come into contact with a dead body even to his or her closest relatives. The minimum amount of time one can be a Nazir is thirty days.
Often one would take such a vow adding restrictions upon himself when he felt a temptation to sin. Taking a vow to be a Nazir would bring him to a heightened level of awareness and sanctity, and providing him with a protective shield to safeguard him from sinning.
When the Nazir completed the time he set for himself, he was required to offer sacrifices in the Temple, and also cut his hair.
Interestingly, after the Torah describes the sacrificial process at the conclusion of being a Nazir, the Torah says, "After this, the Nazir may drink wine."
The question is, why does the Torah call him a Nazir if he is already done with being a Nazir?
An answer offered is as follows: The Torah is teaching us that even when the Nazir completes his term of his heightened level of sanctification, he will be a changed and elevated person. Even after returning to his daily routine, the effect of his transcending experience will linger on. Thus, even after completing his Nezirus period, the Torah continues to call him a Nazir. Though he is done with the formalities of being a Nazir, his level of sanctity continues on.
In reality, this concept applies to anything that we do connected to sanctity. Any involvement that we have with doing a Mitzvah, or any commitment that we make towards an observance, however long its duration, brings us a lasting spiritual elevation, and is a source of blessing that remains with us and gives us momentum to build further.
This week’s Haftorah speaks of the events that led up to the birth of Samson, a famous Nazirite. Samson/Shimshon’s parents were childless for many years. One day an angel appeared to his mother Tzlalfonis, and told her that she would conceive and have a child. He instructed her that she was not allowed to drink wine or ingest anything that is ritually unclean while she is pregnant, for her child would be a Nazir from the womb and then for the rest of his life.
Tzlalfonis came home and told her husband Manoach what happened. He then prayed to G-d for the angel to appear again to give them more details on how to raise the child. The angel appeared to Tzlalfonis again, and she ran and called her husband. The angel then appears to simply repeat what he had said previously to Manoach’s wife. What did the angel add that satisfied Manoach’s uncertainty about how to raise his child?
Rabbi Shimon Schwab o.b.m. explains that what the angel was telling Manoach was that “Whatever I told your wife about raising the child…you should do yourself.” Which means that the angel told Manoach that in order to raise his child in this unique way of being a Nazir – Manoach himself ought to become a Nazir.
For it would be a mixed message for a parent to live an un-Nazarite life while placing a demand on their child to live a sanctified Nazirite life. Children look towards their parents and conduct themselves in the same manner as their parents. If Manoach would not have become a Nazir, he would be unsuccessful in prodding and directing his son Shimshon to maintain a heightened level of sanctity – since his father was not doing it himself.
Shimshon was born in the era that the wicked Philistines brutally ruled over the Jews in Israel for 40 years. Shimshon’s parents’ devoted example was successful and Shimshon was blessed by G-d, becoming a great influential leader and loyal Judge for the Jewish people. With Shimshon’s amazing physical strength, he fought against the Philistines and defeated them, thus restoring the Jews to power in the Land of Israel!
Before our forefather Yaacov passed on, he bestowed a blessing to each of his children. When Yaacov blessed his son Dan, he prophesied that Shimshon, who was a descendant of Dan, would be blinded by the Philistines and G-d would listen to his sincere prayer, giving him the strength to topple the Philistines’ temple.
May G-d recall the prayers of our forebears and listen to our prayers, and infuse peace in Israel and to all Jews around the world!

Shavuos!
Rabbi Dovid Saks

The Holiday of Shavuos commemorates the most unique and singular event that ever occurred; it is when G-d revealed Himself by proclaiming the Ten Commandments in the presence of the entire Jewish nation.
The Torah attests that there has never been or will there ever be a nation or religion that witnesses such an undeniable public event of G-d’s Revelation to the Jews.
We live with this reality each day when we follow and adhere to G-d’s laws and identify as G-d’s chosen nation. The festive holiday of Shavuos gives us pause to reflect on our unique relationship with G-d and His relationship with us.
In our Holiday prayers we refer to Shavuos as, “The time when our Torah was given to us.” The Torah portion we read on the first day of the holiday is from the Book of Exodus, where the Torah describes the preparation the Jews were instructed to make prior to G-d giving them the Torah. And we read about G-d’s proclamation of the Ten Commandments. This hallmarks our belief and knowledge of G-d’s existence, and His control over everything, and His instruction to us as to how to abide by His commands.
The Ben Ish Chai was the Rabbi of Baghdad in the early 1900’s. He was a prolific writer and great orator. He raises the following interesting question: Why didn’t G-d give the Torah to our holy forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaacov? In fact, for 15 years they were alive at the same time. Why did G-d wait hundreds of years later to give the Torah to the Jews after they were freed from Egypt?
He explains: If the Torah would have been given to our Patriarchs, the evil inclination would have been armed with ways to convince and sway future descendants to dismiss themselves from following the dictates of the Torah.
The evil inclination would use the following ploy, “Don’t you realize how holy and powerful the Torah is? It's impossible for a regular human being to follow it.”
He would continue, “I’ll prove to you that you are unfit for it. Look at who it was given to and who accepted it; it was Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaacov, the holiest of people who were fit to keep the Torah of G-d.”
The evil inclination would continue, “Even if you think you can do it, are you going to compare yourself as angel-like as your forefathers? Take a look at Avraham. He had a dear son who was born when he was 100 years old, and when this beloved son, Yitzchok, was 37 years old, G-d instructed Avraham to offer his son as a sacrifice and both father and son got up early to do it with joy. He didn’t stop until the last moment when Avraham was instructed from on High to stop!”
The Evil inclination would ask, “Do you think you are up to this task? Torah is too much for the average person; it was only given to extremely holy angel-like people. Do you know that Yaacov was so holy that the prophets, King David in the Psalms, and our Medrash teach us that Yaacov’s image is engraved on G-d’s Throne in the Heavens!”
Says the Ben Ish Chai, G-d specifically waited to give the Torah to the nation after they were freed from Egypt to avoid these excuses that the Evil Inclination could have claimed to convince us to abandon the Holy Torah.
Originally, the Jews were to remain in Egypt for 400 years, however, G-d cut this time almost in half, and they were there for only 210 years. One of the reasons for this is that while the Jews were in Egypt as residents and then as slaves they were extremely influenced by the Egyptian decadence and worship, which almost obliterated any semblance of their spiritual spark. Had G-d not swiftly freed them from Egypt they would have been lost
When the Jews were released, they spent the next 49 days raising their spiritual level until they were fit to receive G-d’s Torah.
So, let’s see who it was that received the Torah. It was approximately 2.5 million people ― infants through adults ― who had just come out of Egypt where they were on the lowest levels of spirituality. Yet, every single one of them, unequivocally, accepted the Torah on their own volition without any coercion. They were aware that Torah was likened to fire and was Holy, and it had many demands, yet, no one had second doubts whether it would be too difficult or unattainable. They all declared with one voice, “We will do and we will listen!”
G-d specifically waited to give the Torah to this raw and ‘un-angel-like’ generation to thwart the Evil Inclination’s claim that Torah could only be given and observed by those who are the likes of our holy patriarchs, for in fact, it was given to and accepted by a nation who had recently been slaves and very much lacking in spirituality.
Shavuos reminds each of us that we are worthy, able, and fortunate to embrace, fulfill and delight in the Divine gift of the Torah!

D'var Torah: Torah Portion: Bamidbar
Rabbi Dovid Saks

This Shabbos, we begin reading Bamidbar, the fourth book of the Torah. It begins with G-d instructing Moshe to take a census of the Jewish people.
This was not the first time G-d instructed him to take a census. Less than a year earlier, another census was taken. Interestingly, both counts were equal, 603,550.
Why was it necessary for another count? Rashi, our great commentator, explains that G-d was conveying His love for the Jewish nation. Just as a person at certain points of time takes stock of his assets which are dear to him, so too, each individual of the Jewish nation is dear to G-d and He wishes to count His precious nation.
This census counted the number of males between the ages of 20 and 60. They did not take a headcount; rather, each person handed over a half Shekel coin and they counted the coins. Additionally, each family needed to prove which patrilineal tribe they belonged to.
In the Parsha we find not only a census of the entire nation but each individual tribe was counted as well. The Torah designates that three tribes encamped together in each of the four directions surrounding the Temple, which was in the center of the encampment. In fact, the number of men in each tribe is repeated a second time when their place was designated.
This mentioning the numbers of each tribe a second time seems to be redundant. But we know that every letter and word of the Torah is sacred. G-d instructed Moshe to scribe each letter, word, verse, dot and crown adorned on top of certain letters and where and how spaces are to be formed. Thus, when a mere letter is missing or formed incorrectly, the Torah scroll is invalid and cannot be used until it is corrected.
I came across something very interesting regarding the tally of the tribe of Benyamin which was 35,400.
After our morning prayers, some have the custom to recite some added verses of the Torah and statements of our belief.
For example, there are Six Zachiros ― remembrances ― that are highlighted in the Torah which we remember each day. 1) We must remember that G-d took us out of Egypt. 2) That G-d appeared to us at Mount Sinai. 3) The sin of the golden calf and its consequences. 4) To remember the wickedness of the nation of Amalek, who were the first to attack us. 5) To remember that Miriam was excommunicated due to her speaking Lashon Hara ― ill ― about her brother Moshe. 6) To remember the Holy day of Shabbos.
Another example of additions that are recited are the 13 principles of faith of Maimonides. These include: our belief in the Omnipotence of G-d; the truth of our Torah and that it will never be retracted or amended; that we only pray to G-d; and our belief in the coming of Moshiach and of the World to Come.
I was surprised to learn that Nachmanides had a custom to recite various verses from the Torah after his prayers and among them was the verse of “The total for the Tribe of Benyamin was Thirty-Five thousand and four hundred.”
Why? The Chasam Sofer o.b.m. explains as follows: During King David’s reign, he conducted a census, and instead of counting each person by having each person give a half Shekel coin, he did it through a head count.
Something strange began to happen after this census. Every day 100 people died! King David realized that this is due to the Ayin Harah ― the evil eye ― that was set on the Jewish people because they were highlighted by having taken a head count. King David, through recognizing a hint in a verse of the Torah, understood that the remedy to the plague was to institute that each person recite 100 blessings a day. The Gematria of Satan's name Samach-Mem is 100. Thus, the 100 blessings that we recite nullify his evil powers. As soon as this was implemented, the plague stopped. We continued reciting 100 blessings each day till today! The majority of the 100 blessings are fulfilled when we recite our three daily prayers.
The lunar calendar that we follow has 354 days in the year. When we calculate 100 blessings each day for the 354 days – the yearly total of blessings comes to 35,400! – The same number as the count of the Tribe of Benyamin!
Why did the Tribe of Benyamin merit having the yearly total of blessings hinted to in its tribal total? When the land of Israel was divided up amongst to the tribes, the area where the Temple stood in Jerusalem was in the territory of the Tribe of Benyamin. The Temple in Jerusalem is the source of all blessing, as King David, in Psalm 133 when referring to Zion and the eventual Temple in Jerusalem, states, “For there G-d has commanded the Blessing - may there be life forever!” Since Benyamin had the source of blessing in his territory it is fitting that the number of blessings we say in the year corresponds to his tribal count.
We see that each number truly counts!

D'var Torah: Torah portions: Behar / Bechukosai
Rabbi Dovid Saks

The first of the two portions we read this week is called Behar. Behar means, “at the mountain.” This mountain refers to Mount Sinai, where we received the Torah from G-d.
The portion opens with G-d instructing Moshe, while he was at the Mountain, to speak to the Jewish nation and tell them that when they reach and then settle in the land of Israel they are to engage in agriculture activities for six years, and then throughout the seventh year they are to give the land a rest, a year of Shabbos for the land. During this year all constructive and profitable agricultural activities are forbidden. The fields are to be considered ownerless for the entire seventh year.

This is a pretty challenging law to abide by, and interestingly, the majority of the Jews who were there at Sinai were not even going to make it into the land of Israel after their forty-year journey in the desert.
The obvious question is, what would the Jews do for food during the Sabbatical and Jubilee years when no work may be done? The Torah addresses this, telling us that G-d gave a guarantee that there will be blessing in the crops of the sixth year that would provide enough food to carry them through.

The Jews would have been unable to accept this law, especially since they would not even make it to Israel to see this guarantee fulfilled, had the Torah not introduced this law saying, “It was given at the Mount together with all the other laws of the Torah which were given directly by G-d.” Only G-d Who is in control of every aspect of life and the world could command such a demanding law and could guarantee such an abundant blessing for those who fulfil it!
The Torah mentions the Mitzvah of the observance of Shemitta – the Sabbatical year –and juxtaposes it next to the Mitzvah of observing the weekly Shabbos. The Medrash points out that the Torah specifically mentions the laws of Shabbos in conjunction with the laws of the Sabbatical year, because one might think, since I am observing a ‘Shabbos’ in my fields for an entire year, perhaps, the observance of the weekly Shabbos is suspended and its observance is not necessary during the Sabbatical year. To counter this notion, the Torah specifically places the Mitzvah of Shabbos right by the Mitzvah of Shemitta to tell us that the weekly Shabbos must be observed at all times even in the Shemitta year.
The Shem Mishmuel asks why would we ever think that the weekly Shabbos be suspended during the Sabbatical year? After all, there are 39 categories of laws regarding all facets of activities which constitute forbidden activities on the weekly Shabbos, while the Shemitta law primarily impacts on agricultural activities. So why would we even think that the weekly Shabbos observances would be suspended during Shemitta?
Additionally, while productive actions in the field are forbidden during the Sabbatical year, picking fruit off the tree is permitted during the year, yet, picking attached fruit from a tree is forbidden on the Shabbos. Thus, not all the forbidden agricultural laws on the Shabbos align themselves to what is forbidden during the Sabbatical year, so why would one even entertain the thought that the Laws of Shabbos be suspended during the year of Shemitta?
Perhaps the Torah specifically set up the law of weekly Shabbos next to the Sabbatical year because as groundless as it may sound to absolve the weekly Shabbos during the Shemitta year, still, had the Torah not juxtaposed the two laws, sometime in the future one may make a serious claim that the weekly Shabbos is suspended due to the Sabbatical year. Their reasoning may be luring and enticing for others to actually follow and suspend the restrictions of the weekly Shabbos.
The Torah therefore makes it clear to us by placing the law of the weekly Shabbos next to the law of the Sabbatical year to emphasize that G-d’s treasured gift to us, the Holy Day of Shabbos, is always applicable, essential and binding ever since it was exclusively and eternally given to us!