In this week’s parsha, B’har, the Israelites are given a vision of a world of equals. According to the laws of this parsha, no human being can be condemned to perpetual servitude, there are provisions for the forgiveness of debts, and every fifty years all land returns to its original owners. Since all the earth and its inhabitants belong to God, no one can lay exclusive and permanent claim to land or people.

The rabbis say that this parsha teaches us that all human beings deserve the respect and care that prevents their utter degradation. But to care for each other, we must know that we are connected. At this service, we’ll hear a story that tells us why understanding that we are connected is the key to our survival, our freedom, and our chance at a jubilee of our own.