The Transcendent Promises of the Torah: Which Prophetic Assurances Would No Mortal Dare to Make?

Every cycle of seven years, the seventh year is the Sabbatical year, in which Hashem commands that the land of Israel be left unattended and no work should be done (except for necessary work to prevent loss). Hashem promises those who observe the Shmita year in Israel that in the sixth year (the year before the Shmita year), the land will yield three times as much produce as in a regular year—for the sixth year itself, the seventh year when the land is not worked, and for the eighth year since the farmland was not cultivated the prior year. Here is the Torah’s wording: "And Hashem spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: When you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Sabbath to Hashem. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather its produce. But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to Hashem: you shall neither sow your field, nor prune your vineyard. That which grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, and the grapes of your untended vine you shall not gather; it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. ... And if you shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we may not sow, nor gather in our produce: Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth produce for three years" (Leviticus 25:1-21).

Should someone attempt to insert a book and claim it was received from the Creator of the universe, they most certainly would not dare to write in such a book a prophetic promise like this one, guaranteeing a threefold increase in crop yield in a consistent seven-year cycle. Indeed, if the promise does not materialize, it would be enough to refute the claim of a divine book. Only the one who controls all of creation and the laws of nature can dare to make such a promise. Only the Torah of Israel includes promises about what will occur here in our world, while other religions focus promises only on the World to Come, as no dead will return to life to testify that these are lies.

In our times, when all of Israel does not reside in its land, and according to most Halachic authorities, the commandment of Shmita does not apply today from the Torah, the promise given in the Torah is not binding in our time; nevertheless, there are testimonies from Shmita-observing farmers of open miracles and personal providence. Rabbi David Kleiner has collected in his book "And I Commanded My Blessing: Stories of the Blessing of the Shmita in our times" testimonials from Shmita-observing farmers who were privileged to witness wonders in their crops beyond nature.

Non-Human Promise of Security

The Torah contains commandments accompanied by promises that no human would dare to commit to. For example, one of the important mitzvot in the Jewish calendar is the pilgrimage to the Holy Temple three times a year: on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. This cyclical event, where all men leave their homes for several days to ascend to Jerusalem, presents a perfect opportunity for enemies and thieves. Yet the Torah clearly promises that during the pilgrimage, no nation will threaten Israel or invade the land: "Three times in the year shall all your males appear before Hashem, the God of Israel... and no man shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before Hashem, your God, three times a year" (Exodus 34:23-24). The sages explain that not only did enemies not invade, but thieves also did not steal the possessions of the Israelites during these days. Could it be imagined that a mortal would dare to make such a promise, which could be disproved with the first burglary of a pilgrimage goer's home, or with the first invasion of enemy armies into the land of Israel? Only the one who controls and manages the world has the power to promise such a commitment, tested year after year for hundreds of years when the Temple stood in Jerusalem.

How can one be saved from the birth pangs of the Messiah in the end of days? What process will the people of Israel undergo until the coming of the Messiah? When will we know we have arrived at the final exile? Rabbi Zamir Cohen in a comprehensive and fascinating lesson on historical prophecies that have been fulfilled in the past and prophecies of redemption in the future: