Parshat Behar

When you enter the land that I assign to you, the land shall observe a Shabbat to the Lord. Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather in the yield. In the seventh year the land shall have a Shabbat of complete rest, a Shabbat of the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.

25:2 - 6

The laws of shmitah and yovel are followed by the remedies provided for the rehabilitation of the impoverished (indeed, the shemitah and yovel laws similarly seek to redress the inequalities of wealth arising during the inter yovel years)…The impoverished Jew is referred to as “your brother.” Each paragraph outlines the relevant directives for his rehabilitation, beginning with the redemption of his estate and home which the owner has been unable to maintain. It is followed by the duty to extend interest free loans for the rehabilitation of the needy. Rashi comments: You shall strengthen him. Do not let him sink so that it will be hard for him to recover. Strengthen him the moment his hand fails. To what may this be compared? To the burden on a donkey’s back. While it is still on the donkey, one man can seize it and set it right. But once it has fallen to the ground, five men cannot lift it up.

Nechama Leibovitz

Since material possessions are a handicap to one’s efforts to determine true values, the Torah lays down guidelines how such material values are to be used. When followed, these guidelines ensure that such material possessions have beneficial impact on our lives, instead of vice versa. To the extent that material possessions free man from being totally preoccupied with his physical survival in this world, they afford him the opportunity to try and acquire spiritual values. To this extent, material wealth can almost be considered a necessity…On the other hand this means that unless material wealth is used correctly, as a means towards the spiritual elevation of man, such spiritual elevation will not be achieved….From the above, it follows that being given the land of Israel and all the material wealth that this entailed, was a prerequisite for Israel to attain its spiritual objectives both nationally and individually. Cleaving to one’s piece of land as a basis for one’s financial security therefore, became very important. Pious people’s habit of jealously guarding what is rightfully theirs, is understandable for that very reason. Also, the Torah seems especially protective about the material wealth of religious leaders. The reason is to shield them against temptation to acquire wealth by dubious means.

Akedat Yitzchak

Similarly it is forbidden by law of the Torah for a person to guard his field and lock it up from the poor in the Sabbatical year, even if he intends to declare them free for all at the time of gathering them in. Instead, the field is to be ready and free for the poor throughout the year…the owner is even obliged to make breaches in the fence so that everyone may come and take…

Ramban