Why is interest on a loan compared to a snake's bite?

The central theme of this week's Torah portion is that of the Sabbatical year, known as "Shemitta". Every seven years the land of Israel must lay dormant -- no agricultural work may be performed on the land. Right to this very day, the rules of Shemitta are observed and many Jewish farmers do not plant, prune, or even harvest. After seven Shemitta years -fifty years in total - was the "Yovel" - the Jubilee year.

This week's reading includes a terrible curse on the Jewish people for disobeying His commands, but even when He must curse us, He always adds a blessing.

No matter how badly Jews have been beaten, tortured, exiled and abused, we must know that each and every one of us has tremendous value.

Knowing you are not alone can be one of the most vital pieces of information when facing life's greatest challenges.

Prominence isn't everything. Very often it's the quiet 'little guy' who is the greater person.

While Behar first makes for some routine reading as it deals primarily with agricultural and real estate law, Bechukotai is moving and awakening.