Derasha 2 on Behar 25:02

Parashas Behar · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 25:02

The Complete Passuk

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהֹוָֽה׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Yerushalmi Orlah 1:2.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Yerushalmi Orlah 1:2
וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ. תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יַנַּאי, אִילָן שֶׁנְּטָעוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת חַיָּב בְּעָרְלָה וּפָטוּר מִן הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית צְרִיכָה לְמִבַּעְיָא, מַאי טַעְמָא — דִּכְתִיב וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ וְכְתִיב שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע.

English: “And the land shall rest.” It was taught: Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yannai: A tree planted inside a house is obligated in Orlah and exempt from ma’asros; regarding Shevi’is the matter requires investigation. What is the reason? Because it is written “and the land shall rest” and it is written “your field you shall not sow.”

Type of Learning

Classical derasha (Yerushalmi) — from the dual language of the verse regarding the status of an indoor tree for Shevi’is.

What Is Learned

A tree planted inside a house is subject to Orlah but exempt from ma’asros. Whether it is subject to the laws of Shevi’is remains an open question because of the verse’s dual phrasing.