“CP Railway Strike Costs Windsor One Million Dollars a Day!”

Headlines like this one are a common sight in the daily news. When a group of workers go on strike, even small groups which strike for just a few days, the results are quite damaging. The economy loses a lot of money, and it takes a while to repair the damage. So imagine an entire nation going on strike for a full year! G‑d commanded the Jews to refrain from working their land for a year every seven years. Almost like a mass year-long strike! They had to take a sabbatical, and spend the year learning Torah and connecting with G‑d.

Now, what do you think the economy looked like after a year of no work? We would expect it to be an absolute disaster! However, it was quite the contrary. We speak often of miracles such as the splitting of the Red Sea, but we neglect to mention an awesome miracle which occurred in the Land of Israel every seventh year. Every sixth year the crop would be so abundant that it lasted for three years for those who were committed to refrain from work on the seventh. So not only were they not affected negatively; they had a worry-free vacation, and were able to concentrate on what G‑d wanted them to do.1

It was all about their trust in G‑d. They just had to believe that He would give them whatever it was they needed, despite the fact that they would not even touch their crops. It wasn’t easy to put their source of livelihood on hold, but they knew that this was G‑d’s will, and that He would provide for them if they fulfilled that will.

It’s not always easy to put our trust in G‑d, but we have to remember that He is the Big Boss up there who is controlling everything that is going on! So, when things are looking down, give a prayer and give your trust, because G‑d is there for us always.

  • Were you ever in a situation where you felt there was no way out, and all you could do was place your trust in G‑d?
  • What are some practical tips on allowing ourselves to simply trust G‑d and refrain from worrying?
  • Is there a difference between praying to G‑d and believing in Him?