Bechuchosai

· The number 7 pops up all over parshiot Behar and Bechuchosai.

· Behar:

o Shmitah – 25:4 - The seventh year will be a Shabbos of rest for the land.

o Yovel – 25:8 – You shall count for yourself seven shmitah years, seven years, seven times, and it shall be for you the period of the seven shmitah years, 49 years.

o Last Possuk – 26:2 – You shall keep My Shabbosos – Et Shabosi Teshmeru

o Tishre – 25:9 – You shall make a proclamation with the shofar on the 10^th day of the 7^th month, on Yom Kippur shall this proclamation be made.

o 7^th month has Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succot – most filled month.

· Bechuchosai –

o 26:18 – If after these catastrophes you still do not listen to Me, then I will increase your punishment sevenfold, according to your sins.

o 26:21- If you walk contrary to Me and have no desire to listen to Me, I will increase the blows upon you sevenfold, according to your sins

o 26:23 – If after these catastrophes you have not been disciplined to listen to Me, and walk contrary to Me, then I too will walk contrary to you, and I shall also smite you seven fold, for your sins.

o Then it uses phrase Nekam Breet – Revenge of the Covenant

o 26:27 – If in spite of this you still will not listen to Me, and you will walk contrary to Me, I will walk contrary to you in fury, and indeed I too shall punish you sevenfold, for your sings.

o 26:33 – Your land will be desolate and your cities will be in ruins.  The land will then be appeased for its Shabboses.

o 26:42 – I will then remember My covenant with Yaakov, and also My covenant with Yitzchok, and also My covenant with Avrohom, I will remember and I will remember the land.  The land being bereft of them, will be appeased for its Shabbosos.

· What’s with the number 7?

· The Maharal points the importance of the number 7.

· A cube has 6 sides, representing the physical world.

· The number 7 represents what is in the physical world, but gives it meaning, the spiritual aspect of the world – that’s in the world, yet extra.

· If you put a circle on a table, you can fit exactly 6 circles the same size around it.

· There are 7 notes in a musical scale, an octave, the 8^th being a repeat of the 7^th note.

· There are 7 colors in the spectrum: blue, red, yellow, green, orange, violet, and purple.

· Shabbos is the core around which all the other days of the week revolve.

· There are 7 arms of the menorah, with the 6 pointing to the middle – 7^th arm.

· If you count the number of Brochas that Avrahom, Yitzchak, and Yaakov got – they each received exactly 7 brochos.

· Eretz Yisroel is known for its 7 foods – Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Pomegranates, Olives, and Dates

· Pesach and Succot each last 7 days.

· Shmitah and Yovel – 7 years and 49 (7x7) years.

· The role of the Jews is to spread the word about this aspect of reality to the world – the Spiritual – that the world is not only physical.- What the number 7 represents.

· If we don’t do it, then the 7 will go against us - Nakeem Brit – Revenge of the Covenant

· So this is our choice.

· To publicize, amplify, and harmonize with the number 7.

· Or resist it, walk contrary to it, rebel against it - Then this extra spiritual aspect will come after us, and attack us, Chas Ve Shalom.

· Let’s get with it – fulfill the Brit, and not be subjected to the Nakim Brit.

· Let’s tell the world that the world is not only physical

· There’s an extra, spiritual aspect – in addition to the 6 sides of the cube

· An aspect represented by the number 7

· Symbolized most especially by Shabbat.

· The number 7 in Hebrew is zion.

· That is the original Zionism.

7 notes on musical scale

7 colors in the spectrum

       blue, red, yellow, green,

       orange, violet, and purple

7 days in the week,

       Shabbos is key day

7 years of Shmitah

7 Shmitahs in Yovel

7 days in Pesach and Succot

7 arms of the Menorah

7 foods of Eretz Yisroel –

      Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs,

      Pomegranates, Olives, and Dates

7 brochas given to each of the Avos