Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"And if you shall say – what shall we eat in the seventh year? See, we may not sow…." (25,20)

If miracles are made for him

Our Sages say that when a Jew benefits from miracles, merits of his are reduced, as it says in the Gemara, "And if a miracle is made for him – merits of his are reduced."

Therefore Rashi says "A person mustn't benefit from miracles."

Accordingly, in his sefer Nachal Kedumim the Chid'a explains the verse "And they said one to the other, -מן הוא - for they did not know what it was". The Chid'a says that the word מן is initials for the words "מעשה ניסים". When Bnei Yisrael saw the manna coming down from Heaven every day they said: "How can we sustain ourselves from miracles? A person for whom a miracle is performed has his merits reduced" That is what they were afraid of when they said מן הוא.

This makes the statement from our Parsha understood as well. "What shall we eat in the seventh year". The words "מה נאכל" are also the initials of מן. The Children of Israel worried about the Shmitah year: How could they eat and be sustained from miracles when thereby their merits will be reduced?

Therefore G-d answers them, "And I shall command my blessing to you in the sixth year." There will be a natural blessing in the sixth year so that there will not be a miracle and thereby their merits will not be reduced.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!