Behar-Bechulothai: Alternative universe

The greatest achievement of humankind is the denial of reason.  We can deflect the obvious in favor of what works. 

When my daughter , Esther, said that physics does not make sense to her, I said that is correct.  It doesn't make sense and why should it!  The way you do physics ( really,  any science) is that you translate the question into the mathematical language and then trust the math.  Untrained  Intuition  is counterproductive; trained intuition is no longer intuition.

 The parsha is fundamentally the same idea.  Do not believe that human effort produces  and protects.  It only Gd that provides.  Human effort is so easily cancelled by the greater forces: weather, chance, etc.  Therefore,  the parsha instructs that the field be left fallow as a demonstration of faith, an attestation that it is not the primarily the human effort, but divine grace, that provides sustenance. 

The battle is between Gd and Chronos. The temporal world is based upon the effects of time: decline death, change, etc.  The Eternal  world sees only cycles: shmitah, yovel, generations. Moshiach is the end of cycles, the end of time, the death of Chronos. 

It is appropriate humility to admit that we do not understand the plane upon which events take place. Cause and effect has obvious limitations.  Reliance upon divine providence alone  has a bad track record. Quantum mechanics or Relativity? Anatomy or physiology? Each plane has its own math, and every math is an act of faith. 

Let the good times roll.