This Shabbat we finish reading the Book of Leviticus with a double Torah portion: ‘Behar’ and ‘Bechukotai.’ Reading them here, amidst the jungle and the incredible nature of Costa Rica, the ancient text suddenly takes on a more vibrant and tangible meaning than ever. 🌿📖
Here are two insights we took with us into this Shabbat:
🌍 We are just guests here In the Behar portion, the Torah explains why during the Shmita year everyone must leave the land alone and allow the produce to belong equally to all. The explanation is amazingly simple: “For the land is Mine; for you are strangers and residents with Me.” When we live in Puerto Viejo, surrounded by wild nature and wildlife, it is very easy to understand this humility. We are not the owners of the land, we are merely its keepers. The BINA House we established here is meant for exactly this—to create a space that isn’t “mine” or “yours,” but an open place of “ours.” A space of connection. 🛖❤️
✌️ Active peace, without an army 🇨🇷 The second point comes from the portion of ‘Bechukotai,’ which promises a particularly moving blessing: “I will grant peace in the land… and a sword shall not pass through your land.” This weekend (May 8th), Costa Rica celebrated the inauguration of a new president. But beyond politics, Costa Rica is perhaps the only country in the world that fulfills this verse in practice. In 1948, this country made a brave decision to completely abolish its army! Instead of buying tanks and weapons, the budgets flow into education, healthcare, and nature conservation. They understood that peace isn’t just “the absence of war,” but an active effort of building community and simple human connection around a table.
So just before a new week begins, we wish all of us—the travelers continuing on their journey and the locals staying here with us—that we always remember to treat this land with respect, and that we know how to build an active peace of community and love around us. ✨
Shabbat Shalom and a wonderful week from Puerto Viejo! 🌴🌊🌅