בן איש חי – It appears from the posuk that Hakodosh Boruch Hu will only give a brocha if one “asks” what will he eat in the seventh year. This is extremely difficult to understand that Hakodosh Boruch Hu is only going to send brocha to one who asks – one who does not have Emunah in Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Additionally, the Torah says that Hakodosh Boruch Hu will send a brocha in the sixth year, which means that by the seventh year, all will have what they need. If they have what they need, why would anyone ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year?” (בן איש חי)
There are two ways that Hakodosh Boruch Hu sends brocha to man. There are those who receive brocha through hard work. It is only after they work hard that Hakodosh Boruch Hu sends them a brocha. Then there are those who do not need to lift a finger in order to be blessed, rather Hakodosh Boruch Hu prepares their blessing without the person needing to do anything. This applies to the years of shemitah as well.
There are those who plant and harvest a regular year, but while in the storage houses, the produce becomes three years’ worth. They have no extra work, but are sustained for three years. Then there are those who are zoche to harvest from their fields three years’ worth in one year. It will be enough for them to sustain themselves despite not working the field in the year of shemitah. However, they will have to work very hard, for they will have to harvest, sell, and do all the work of three years in one year.
To Worry or Not to Worry
Who are those who are zoche to receive the bounty of Hakodosh Boruch Hu without any exertion on their part? It is to those who place their full bitachon in Hakodosh Boruch Hu without conditions, and do not ask any questions.
Mishlei – “It is the ברכת ד' היא תעשיר ולא יוסיף עצב מה 10:22 blessing of Hashem that enriches, and one need not add toil to it.”
Then there are those who are shomer Torah and mitzvos, and they do not work the land during the Shemitah year, as the Torah commands, however, they are full of worry and concern; they ask how they are going to survive, and so to them Hakodosh Boruch Hu acts in kind. While He does provide for them, and they will be able to harvest three years’ worth of produce in one year, they will have worry and pain, when they need to toil very hard to bring forth three years’ worth of produce in one year.
“ונתנה הארץ פריה ואכלתם לשובע” – If one will have true bitachon in Hakodosh Boruch Hu, then the Land will produce what it usually does, and one will have enough food to suffice for all the years, even during shemitah. “וכי תאמרו מה נאכל בשנה השביעית” – However, if you will not have complete bitachon in Hakodosh Boruch Hu and you will worry how you will have sustenance, then you will receive the sustenance, but it will come with worries. You will have to worry about all the extra work you will need to do, in which you will have to do the work of three years in one.
