פרשת משפטים תשי"ז - שמיטה ומצוות נוספות

And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and gather in the increase thereof;

but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.

תשמטנה THOU SHALT LET IT REST — by not tilling it (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 23:11:1), ונטשתה AND THOU SHALT ABANDON IT — by not eating of its produce (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 23:11:1) after “the time of removal” of the produce has arrived. Another explanation is: תשמטנה THOU SHALT LET IT REST, from what is real work, as, for example, ploughing and sowing, ונטשתה AND LEAVE IT ALONE — not even to manure and to hoe it.

ונטשתה AND THOU SHALT ABANDON IT — by not eating of its produce (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 23:11:1) after “the time of removal” of the produce has arrived. Another explanation is: תשמטנה THOU SHALT LET IT REST, from what is real work, as, for example, ploughing and sowing, ונטשתה AND LEAVE IT ALONE — not even to manure and to hoe it.

It is a positive commandment to annul [ownership of] everything that comes out of the ground in the seventh year as it says "and in the seventh [year], annul it and forsake it" and anyone who locks up his vineyard or fences in his field in the seventh year has violated a positive commandment, and similarly someone who harvest all his fruits and brings them inside. Rather everything should be seen as ownerless and everyone has equal claim as it says " and the destitute of your people will eat it." [The owner] may bring in small amounts the way one does from ownerless property e.g. five pitchers of oil or fifteen of wine and if he brought in more it is permitted.