There are parashiyot that seem, at first glance, to speak only about ancient laws — fields, harvests, economic systems, and social contracts. But then, almost unexpectedly, we realize they are actually speaking about us: our obsessions, our fears, and the kind of society we are becoming. Parashat Behar envisions a world in which even the land is entitled to rest. The Sh’mita year interrupts the relentless logic of nonstop production and reminds us of something modern life of