driving on Shabbat

Re'eh 5780-2020

“Changing and Updating Jewish Law”
(updated and revised from parashat Re’eh 5762-2002)

In parashat Re’eh, we learn of the practice known as shmitat k’safim, of forgiving debts in the seventh year of the Sabbatical cycle. However, because of a proclamation by Hillel the Elder known as Pruzbul , the law of forgiving the debts has hardly ever been practiced. How was Hillel able to cancel a law of the Torah through, what seem to be, legal devices and loopholes?

"The Preeminence of Shabbat"

Smack in the middle of the Torah portions dealing extensively with the building of the Tabernacle, the Torah boldly exhorts the people to observe the Sabbath day. What is the relationship between Shabbat and the building of the Temple and Tabernacle?

"Shabbat as a Priority in Jewish Life"

In the middle of the Torah portions that deals with building the Tabernacle and the sin of the Golden Calf, the Torah unexpectedly reaffirms the sanctity of the Sabbath day. From this, our rabbis deduce that Shabbat is a foremost priority that supercedes even the building of the Tabernacle, the Mishkan. This same overriding principle profoundly impacts on Jewish life in contemporary times.

"Changing and Updating Jewish Law"

In parashat Re'eh, we learn about the practice of forgiving debts in the seventh year of the Sabbatical cycle known as shmitat k'safim. However, because of a proclamation known as pruzbul, by Hillel the Elder, the law of forgiving the debts has hardly ever been practiced. How was Hillel able to cancel a law of the Torah through what seem to be legal devices and loopholes?