2025Commentary注释 behar“在山” 利未记Leviticus 25:1-26:2 + bechukotai“我的律” 利未记Leviticus 26:3-27:34
本周两个读经进度合并 This week two Torah portions are combined.
(ChatGPT was applied for English translation.)
Leviticus 利未记 25:3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; 六年要耕种田地，也要修理葡萄园，收藏地的出产。
2025注释: “六年要耕种田地”， 这与造物主六天作创世之工平行。六等于三加三。六年分成两个三年的小周期，其中第三年和第六年有给穷人的十一捐助，参见利未记14章。六日创世也有两个三日，其中第三天和第六天是关于陆地和陆地上的生物的，参见创世记第一章。
Commentary 2025:
“Six years thou shalt sow…” parallels the six days of creation, where the Creator worked. Six equals three plus three. The six-year cycle can be divided into two three-year periods, with the third and sixth years designated for tithes to the poor (see Deuteronomy 14). Similarly, the six days of creation, equals two three-day periods. Days three and six are both focused on land and living creatures on the land (see Genesis 1).
25:4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. 第七年，地要守圣安息，就是向耶和华守的安息，不可耕种田地，也不可修理葡萄园。
2025注释: “第七年，地要守圣安息，” 这对应于第七日是安息日。记念造物主完成创世之工在第七日安息。
Commentary 2025:
“The seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest…” corresponds to the seventh day, the Sabbath, when the Creator rested after completing the work of creation.
25:6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, 地在安息年所出的，要给你和你的仆人，婢女，雇工人，并寄居的外人当食物。
2025注释: “地在安息年所出的”， 不是自己劳动所得，所以不是私有财产，任何人都可以吃，包括外邦人，甚至下一句经文说“这年的土产也要给你的牲畜和你地上的走兽当食物。” 自己地里所出 的，却要允许寄居的外人当食物，这种非私有化的思想，粗看像是共产主义的萌芽。马列主义说共产主义是人类社会的最高阶段，是理想社会，物质生活很丰富，这也有点像安息年是七年农业周期的最后一年，也是食物很丰富的一年（参见第21节和注释）。有意思的是，Rashi解经关于本节提到地在安息年所出的不能当作私有财产，https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Leviticus.25.6.1?lang=bi
而共产主义是Rashi的后裔马克思所提倡的，https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mordechai-Marx-2
马克思作为犹太拉比的后代，有可能受到过圣经思想的影响。但仔细想，还是有本质的不同。Rashi信造物主而马克思不信。共产主义是无神论，希望通过人类自己的力量，通过暴力革命，实现理想社会，但圣经里没有说要通过暴力革命来消灭私有制，而是让土地拥有者在安息年主动遵行造物主的诫命。安息年的实行靠的是造物主的应许和恩典。
Commentary 2025:
“The sabbath of the land shall be meat for you…” refers to produce not earned through personal labor, and therefore not privately owned. Anyone may partake, including foreigners. The next verse even says that wild animals and livestock may eat of it. This radical concept of open access and non-ownership may seem, at first glance, like a primitive form of communism.
Marxist theory claims that communism is the highest stage of human social development, characterized by material abundance. This echoes the idea that the sabbatical year is the seventh year of an agricultural cycle and a year of abundant provision (see verse 21 and commentary).
Interestingly, Rashi commented on this verse that sabbatical year produce must not be treated as private property (Rashi on Leviticus 25:6). Communism was later championed by Karl Marx, a descendant of Rashi (genealogical link). It’s plausible that Marx, as the descendant of rabbis, was indirectly influenced by biblical ideas.
However, the differences are crucial. Rashi believed in the Creator; Marx did not. Communism is atheistic, aiming to build an ideal society through human effort and violent revolution. In contrast, the Torah does not advocate violent revolution to eliminate private property. Rather, it calls landowners to willingly obey God’s commandments. The sabbatical year depends on God’s promise and grace, not human force.
25:21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. 我必在第六年将我所命的福赐给你们，地便生三年的土产。
2025注释: “我”，指的是造物主，只有祂可以保证出产三倍的祝福。所以第七年（安息年）虽然不耕作，但有第六年的存粮，和地在安息年自长的庄稼，所以在物质上是很丰富的。犹太人认为，造物主让农夫在安息年不需为生计操劳，可以有更多时间学习圣经, 参见https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/129422/what-are-we-supposed-to-do-during-the-shemita-year
现代社会，有些大学的教授在第七年可以带薪休假，叫sabbatical，看词根可能与圣经里的安息年有关。我所在的大学没有这个制度。可惜很多教授即使有这个sabbatical的待遇，也把这一年用来作世俗的学术研究，而没有用来学习圣经。
Commentary 2025:
“I” refers to the Creator—only He can guarantee a threefold harvest. Thus, even though the land is not worked in the seventh (Sabbatical) year, the sixth year provides surplus produce, and additional crops grow naturally during the sabbatical year, making the period materially abundant.
In Jewish tradition, this divine provision allows farmers to spend more time studying the Torah during the Shemitah year, rather than toiling for income. See: What are we supposed to do during the Shemita year?
In modern times, some university professors receive a sabbatical—a paid leave every seventh year—possibly linguistically derived from the biblical sabbatical year. In my university, we do not have this practice. Regrettably, even where sabbatical exists, many professors spend it pursuing secular academic work, rather than studying the Bible.
26:14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; 你们若不听从我，不遵行我的诫命，
2025注释： 这句话的前文是讲遵行主的诫命的奖赏，后文是讲违背主诫命的惩罚。这些是圣经的重要原则。主对祂的子民这样规定是为了他们好，包括对违背诫命的责罚。我在逾越节附近曾两次收到闯红灯的罚单，九年前和今年各一次。都是在为逾越节准备购物途中发生的。那个季节因为要除酵，特别忙，我开车很急。罚单还附有照片的证明，让人无法否认。虽然每次都罚了一百美元，但对提醒我遵守交通规则，避免损失更大的车祸，实际上是有益的。
Commentary 2025:
This verse is preceded by the blessings for obeying the Lord’s commandments and followed by the punishments for disobedience. These are foundational principles of the Bible. The Lord sets these regulations for the good of His people, including the discipline for breaking His commandments.
Around Passover, I received red light tickets twice—once nine years ago and once this year—both while shopping in preparation for the festival. During that season, with all the leaven removal and busy preparations, I was rushing while driving. Each ticket came with photographic evidence that was undeniable. Though each cost me a hundred dollars, they served as a helpful reminder to obey traffic laws—and ultimately helped me avoid far worse accidents. The punishment was actually for my benefit.
27:3 And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 你 估 定 的 ， 从 二 十 岁 到 六 十 岁 的 男 人 ， 要 按 圣 所 的 平 ， 估 定 价 银 五 十 舍 客 勒 。
2025注释: “五 十 舍 客 勒”: 一些与50舍克勒有关的有趣数字：
出埃及记30章以色列人赎罪银每人半舍克勒，是以色利成年男人50舍克勒价银的1/100。
以斯帖记3:9哈曼为了灭绝犹太人所愿意捐的一 万 他 连 得 银 子，就是3000万舍克勒银子，对应于六十万以色列成年男人每人50舍克勒的总价银。六十万是出埃及时从埃及人的奴隶变成造物主的战士的以色列成年男人的大概总数。参见 https://aish.com/haman-and-the-half-shekel/
男人的价银在二十岁到六十岁之间最高，是50舍克勒。我在三十四岁才受洗，在最有价值的年龄，我遗憾没有更多为主作工。六十岁之后价银就变成十五舍 客 勒了。愿主让我的价值用在祂看为最好的地方。
Commentary 2025:
“Fifty shekels”: Here are some fascinating figures related to the value of fifty shekels:
In Exodus 30, each Israelite gave a half-shekel as atonement money—exactly 1/100 of the valuation of a man (fifty shekels) between the ages of 20 and 60.
In Esther 3:9, Haman offered 10,000 talents of silver to destroy the Jews. This equals 30 million shekels—the same total as valuing 600,000 Israelite men at fifty shekels each, who were transformed from Egyptian slaves into God’s army. See: https://aish.com/haman-and-the-half-shekel/
The highest valuation for a man is between ages 20 and 60—fifty shekels. I was baptized at 34, and I regret not having served the Lord more during my “peak value” years. After age 60, the valuation drops to fifteen shekels. May the Lord use my value in the way He deems best.
27:5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.若是从五岁到二十岁，男子你要估定二十舍客勒，女子估定十舍客勒。
2025注释: 圣经设定人的价银，按人的性别年龄有区别。这是宣扬性别年龄的不平等吗？不是的。为了理解这一点，让我们看一个关键价钱“二十”，这是创世记37章十七岁的约瑟被卖为奴的银价的数字。这可能暗示，本章所设定人的价银，是按古代奴隶市场的价钱计算的。古代奴隶按年龄性别确实有不同的市场价值。那么圣经为什么用奴隶的价格给人估价呢？奴隶与仆人在希伯来语都是Eved。人的终极价值，是按他被造的特性侍奉造物主。人最好的职业，是造物主的仆人。参见G.J. Wenham (1978)
Commentary 2025:
The Bible assigns different values to people based on age and gender. Is this promoting inequality? No. To understand this, consider the key valuation number “twenty”—this was the price for which seventeen-year-old Joseph was sold as a slave in Genesis 37. This may suggest that the valuations in this chapter are based on ancient slave-market prices. In those markets, a slave’s value did indeed vary with age and gender. Why, then, would the Bible use slave prices to assign value to people? In Hebrew, the same word (eved) can mean both “slave” and “servant.” The ultimate value of a person lies in how they serve their Creator according to how they were made. The highest calling of a human is to be a servant of the Creator. See G.J. Wenham (1978):