Parashat Behar opens with the words, “And the Lord spoke to Moshe at Mount Sinai, saying…” and goes on to set forth the mitzvot of shemitta and yovel. This prompts Rashi’s famous question – what is the connection between shemitta and Mount Sinai? – and his response – that just as these mitzvot, in all their detail, were given at Mount Sinai, so were all the other mitzvot, in all their detail. Unfortunately, in our time, the mitzvot of shemitta and yovel are observed in very minor, almost negligible form. On the other hand, there are other mitzvot mentioned in our parasha – the prohibitions on ona’ah, neshekh, and ribit – which apply at all times and are central pillars of Torah-based ethics. They are the focus of this article.
