Renewing the Jewish relationship with the earth through creative ritual, mindfulness, and transformative experiential learning.
shamircollective.org
Opening Questions
- What do you do with surplus food?
- If you had one more resource that would enable you to do something productive with your surplus produce, what would that be?
- What is an example of a fruit, vegetable, or nut you always seem to have extra of, no matter how well you plan?
Learning Framing
In this sheet, we will explore how one is supposed to manage, distribute, store (or not store), and destroy surplus produce during a Shmita (Sabbatical) year.
from the Hazon Shmita Sourcebook
The word "shvi'it" (seventh), the word "shmita" (release), and "sabbath of the land" can be used interchangeably. They both refer to the 7th year, where farmers should work the land for 6 years — and then in the 7th year both the land and the farmers rest. That 7th year is called “shnat shmita” - the year of release.
Actions of the Seventh Year Period
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation | Location (in order of use) |
|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁבִיעִית | Sh'viit | Seventh | Exodos 23:11, Leviticus 25:4 |
| תִּשְׁמְטֶנָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּ | Tishm'tena U'nitashta | Release & Lie Fallow, Let it Go & Let it Be | Exodus 23:11 |
| שַׁבַּת לַיהוָה | Shabbat Lado'nay | Shabbat for God | Leviticus 25:1 |
| שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן | Shabbat Shabbaton | Shabbat of Shabbats | Leviticus 25:4 |
| שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ | Shabbat Ha'aretz | Shabbat of the Land | Leviticus 25:6 |
| שְׁמִטָּה | Shmita | Release, Remission | Deuteronomy 15:1 |
(ו) וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה לְךָ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ וְלַאֲמָתֶךָ וְלִשְׂכִירְךָ וּלְתוֹשָׁבְךָ הַגָּרִים עִמָּךְ׃
(ז) וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ וְלַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצֶךָ תִּהְיֶה כָל־תְּבוּאָתָהּ לֶאֱכֹל׃
(6) And the produce of the sabbath of the land [shmita year] is yours to eat:
For you, and your man-servent, and your concubine, and your hired laborers, and sojourners who live with you,
(7) and all of its [the land’s] produce may be eaten [meaning: accessible to] your cattle and the beast [wild animals] in your land.
Glossary B:
|
בְּהֵמָה |
b'heimah | "cattle" (domesticated animal) |
| חַיָּה |
chaya |
"animal" (wild animal) |
(א) וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ וְלַחַיָּה.
אִם חַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת, בְּהֵמָה לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן, שֶׁמְּזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ עָלֶיךָ, מַה תַּ"לֹ וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ?
מַקִּישׁ בְּהֵמָה לַחַיָּה,
כָּל זְמַן שֶׁחַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת מִן הַשָּׂדֶה,
הַאֲכֵל לִבְהֶמְתְּךָ מִן הַבַּיִת,
כָּלָה לַחַיָּה מִן הַשָּׂדֶה,
כַּלֵּה לִבְהֶמְתְּךָ מִן הַבַּיִת (שם; תענית ו'):
(1) AND FOR THY BEAST, AND FOR THY CATTLE
If the wild beast may eat thereof - how much the more is this the case with cattle to supply which with food is your duty!
What, then, is intended by Scripture specially stating {both} “cattle and beast”?
[But by mentioning it, it intends to put on a level (to suggest equal treatment of) the cattle with the wild beast:]
So long as the wild beast has the opportunity of eating from the produce in the field,
feed your cattle with what is stored in the house;
As soon, however, as [food has disappeared for] the wild beast from out of the field,
make it disappear for thy cattle from out of thy house.
[Meaning: clear the food you have stored out of thy house into the field and make it thus available to all animals alike].
(This Rashi comment quotes Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 8; Taanit 6b).
This passage is talking about whether or not you can store food that grows during the Shmita year and how long you can store it for. There is a moment that says you can only store the food in your house (for your domesticated animals) if that food is also available for harvest from what is growing out in the field (accessible to wild animals). What does this remind you of - the idea that you cannot store food inside past the time it is no longer growing outside?
When we pickle food, we are doing so in order to eat that food when it is "out of season." This text tells us that during the shmita year, we should not be storing or hoarding this type of food. The food for the wild animals should be similar to the food for the domesticated animals.
This text is referring specifically to animals, but in the next source, we will the text as it relates to humans.
The Mishneh Torah by Rambam Composed in Middle-Age Egypt (c.1176 - c.1178 CE). The seventh book is Zera'im (Seeds): agricultural laws. Shmita: Laws of the sabbatical (7th) year. Jubilee: 7th of 7 year cycles (49th year).
(א) פֵּרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית אֵין אוֹכְלִין מֵהֶן אֶלָּא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאוֹתוֹ הַמִּין מָצוּי בַּשָּׂדֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
(ויקרא כה ז)
"וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ
וְלַחַיָּה
אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצֶךָ
תִּהְיֶה כָל תְּבוּאָתָהּ לֶאֱכֹל".
כָּל זְמַן שֶׁחַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת מִמִּין זֶה מִן הַשָּׂדֶה אַתָּה אוֹכֵל מִמַּה שֶּׁבַּבַּיִת. כָּלָה לַחַיָּה מִן הַשָּׂדֶה חַיָּב לְבַעֵר אוֹתוֹ הַמִּין מִן הַבַּיִת וְזֶהוּ בִּעוּר שֶׁל פֵּרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית:
(ב) כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ גְּרוֹגָרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ אוֹכֵל מֵהֶן כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַתְּאֵנִים בָּאִילָנוֹת בַּשָּׂדֶה. כָּלוּ הַתְּאֵנִים מִן הַשָּׂדֶה אָסוּר לֶאֱכל מֵאוֹתָן שֶׁבַּבַּיִת אֶלָּא מְבַעֵר אוֹתָן:
(ג) הָיוּ לוֹ פֵּרוֹת מְרֻבִּין מְחַלְּקָן מְזוֹן שָׁלֹשׁ סְעֻדּוֹת לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד. וְאָסוּר לֶאֱכל אַחַר הַבִּעוּר בֵּין לַעֲנִיִּים בֵּין לַעֲשִׁירִים. וְאִם לֹא מָצָא אֳכָלִין בִּשְׁעַת הַבִּעוּר שׂוֹרֵף בָּאֵשׁ אוֹ מַשְׁלִיךְ לְיָם הַמֶּלַח וּמְאַבְּדָן לְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁמְּאַבֵּד:
(ד) הָיוּ לוֹ צִמּוּקִין שֶׁל שְׁבִיעִית. וְכָלוּ הָעֲנָבִים מִן הַשָּׂדֶה מִן הַגַּגּוֹת וְהַפַּרְדֵּסִים שֶׁהֵן הֶפְקֵר. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲדַיִן יֵשׁ עֲנָבִים בַּגְּפָנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַחֲצֵרוֹת אֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל מִן הַצִּמּוּקִין מִפְּנֵי עֲנָבִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁבְּחָצֵר. לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָן מְצוּיִין לַחַיָּה. אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ עֲנָבִים קָשִׁים בְּיוֹתֵר שֶׁאֵינָן נִגְמָרִין אֶלָּא בְּסוֹף הַשָּׁנָה הֲרֵי זֶה אוֹכֵל מִן הַצִּמּוּקִין בִּשְׁבִילָן. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:
(ה) אִילָן שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה פֵּרוֹת שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים בְּשָׁנָה וְהָיוּ לוֹ מִפֵּרוֹתָיו הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת הֲרֵי זֶה אוֹכֵל מֵהֶן כָּל זְמַן שֶׁפֵּרוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת מְצוּיוֹת בַּשָּׂדֶה. שֶׁהֲרֵי מֵאוֹתוֹ הַמִּין בַּשָּׂדֶה. אֲבָל פֵּרוֹת הַסְּתָו אֵין אוֹכְלִים בִּשְׁבִילָן. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדּוֹמִין לַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁל שָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת:
(ו) הַכּוֹבֵשׁ שְׁלֹשָׁה כְּבָשִׁים בְּחָבִית אַחַת. כָּל שֶׁכָּלָה מִינוֹ מִן הַשָּׂדֶה יְבָעֵר מִינוֹ מִן הֶחָבִית.
וְאִם הִתְחִיל בָּהּ הֲרֵי הַכּל כִּמְבֹעָר.
וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבַעֵר אָכֳלֵי אָדָם כָּךְ מְבַעֵר אָכֳלֵי בְּהֵמָה מִן הַבַּיִת.
וְאֵינוֹ מַאֲכִילָן לִבְהֵמָה אִם כָּלָה אוֹתוֹ הַמִּין מִן הַשָּׂדֶה:
(1) The produce of the seventh [shmita] year can only be eaten as long as that species is still growing in the field, as it is said
(Leviticus 25:7)
"Your [domesticated] cattle 🐄🐂🐏🐐🐑
and
in your land
may eat all its yield."
[We understand this to mean that] for as long as beasts are eating this species in the field, you may eat whatever is stored at home. When it is no longer in the field, this species must be biur'ed at home.
{this is known as “biur perot shevi'it - destroying the fruit of the 7th/shmita year}
(2) How so? If, for example, one has dried figs from the seventh year at home, they me be eaten for as long figs grow on the trees in the field. When there are no longer figs in the field, those at home may not be eaten and must be biur'ed.
(3) If one has a lot of fruit [that needs to be destroyed,] it should be distributed [in the community,] in the quantity of three meals at a time. After the time of biur, it may not be eaten, neither by rich nor poor. If one could not find anybody to distribute it to at the time of biur, it should be burned in a fire or thrown into the Dead Sea or destroyed in any way possible.
(4) If one has raisins left over from the seventh [shmita year], and, there were no longer any grapes in the fields, gardens, and orchards that are hefker (ownerless), even if there remain grapes on the vines in the courtyards, one may not eat the raisins given the grapes in the courtyard, because they are not accessible to (street) animals. If, however, there are firm grapes that do not mature until year's close [i.e. still growing], one can eat the raisins because of those. Similar laws apply similarly.
(5) If a tree produces fruit biannually, and one still possesses fruit from the first crop, one may eat of it for the duration of the second crop still standing in the field. For [the chiyuv/requirement that] this species be [present] in the field [is satisfied]. However one cannot eat from stored fruit in mind of the fruit that grows in the fall, because such is considered a different year’s produce.
(6) When a person pickles three types of produce in one barrel, should one of these types of produce no longer stand in the field, that type of produce should be removed from the barrel.
If THEY began eating of [the pickled produce], the entire [triple pickling mixture] is considered removed.
Just as one is obliged to remove food [stored for] ochel Adam (human consumption), one must remove the animal feed from their home. They may no longer serve it to [their domesticated] cattle if that type of produce is no longer present in the field.
- Why do would one want to only eat the stored food while it's still in the field? Imagine having local ecosystems where food is not being stored, but rather we grow what we need, then distribute it all, and repeat it. What kind of systems would we need for this safety and distribution? In Maimonides' case, writing from the perspective of the seasons in Israel, some sort of produce grows year-round. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for all of us at all times.
- Why do you think there is a law of biur perot shevi'it? Why is there a law to destroy the produce we've saved once animals have run out? It is a fine or a punishment for hoarding. However, Maimonides provides alternatives to this practice. Rather than destroy the produce, he notes we should distribute it. Only if it can't be distributed for one reason or another is it destroyed.
Glossary C:
בִּיעוּר m. (בער) removal. Maas. Sh. V, 3; Shebi. VII, 1, a. fr. (removal of the fruits of the third and sixth years of the Sabbath period).—ב׳ חמץ, v. בָּעַר Pi.—Pl. בִּיעוּרִין. Y. Ḥall. IV, 60ᵃ bot. לב׳ as to laws of removal of fruits.
🔥Comes from the root ב - ע - ר/לִבְעוֹר meaning "to burn"
Biur can both be translated as "burned" or "destroyed."
Why should there be a law to destroy produce that is no longer available to the wild animals? This may be to prevent hoarding. It may also be a reminder to be in connection and relationship with our plants and crops outside our homes. Biur, as noted above, means burned/destroyed, but it can also refer to being (re)distributed. The opportunity to distribute the produce before destroying it helps avoid wanton destruction of food or produce as well.
- Sha’at is the same word as “sha’ah” meaning “hour” or “time.”
- Biur can both be translated as “burned” or “destroyed.”
- The texts we are reading use the phrase “sha’at biur” as an idiom that essentially means “no longer in season.”
- In modern English, we might refer to this time as “the moment that a certain plant is no longer available for harvesting for the purpose of consuming in its season.”
- Perspectives on sha’at biur:
- For the plant/fruit: no longer available to harvest.
- For the humans: if you have it in your possession, such as pickled/canned etc, this is the moment it has to be distributed for everyone.
- Every plant has its own sha’at biur – At the time, humans in that region cannot use it for their own benefit. Depending on how much produce is in the human’s possession, the produce needs to be destroyed or distributed.
The Tosefta (2nd century CE) is a compilation of oral teachings contiguous with the mishna and gemara. Compiled by Chiya Bar Abba and his student Hoshaia.
Note: Full text of Tosefta Shevi'it with vowels available here.
(Sefaria text linked below currently only has Hebrew without vowels)
The following texts from the Tosefta outline the procedure for storing and distributing the produce before sha'at biur arrives.
(א) בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה,
הָיוּ שְׁלוּחֵי בֵית דִּין יוֹשְׁבִין עַל פִּתְחִי עֲיָרוֹת,
כָּל מִי שֶׁמֵּבִיא פֵרוֹת בְּתוֹךְ יָדוֹ,
נוֹטְלִין אוֹתָן מִמֶּנּוּ,
וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ מֵהֶן מְזוֹן שָׁלֹשׁ סְעוֹדוֹת,
וְהַשְּׁאָר, מַכְנִיסִין אוֹתוֹ לָאוֹצָר שֶׁבָּעִיר.
1) Initially, agents of the court would sit at the gates of the city.
Everyone who brought fruits in his hand would have the fruits removed and be given enough food for three meals in exchange. 🧺🧺🧺
The rest would be entered into the storehouse.
(ב) הִגִּיעַ זְמַן תְּאֵנִים,
שְׁלוּחֵי בֵית דִּין שׂוֹכְרִין פּוֹעֲלִין,
וְאוֹרִין אוֹתָן, וְעוֹשִׂין אוֹתָן דְּבֵלָה,
וְכוֹנְסִין אוֹתָן בֶּחָבִיּוֹת,
וּמַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָן לָאוֹצָר שֶׁבָּעִיר.
הִגִּיעַ זְמַן עֲנָבִים,
שְׁלוּחֵי בֵית דִּין שׂוֹכְרִין פּוֹעֲלִין,
בּוֹצְרִין אוֹתָן וְדוֹרְכִין אוֹתָן בַּגַּת,
וְכוֹנְסִין אוֹתָן בֶּחָבִיּוֹת,
וּמַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָן לָאוֹצָר שֶׁבָּעִיר.
הִגִּיעַ זְמַן זֵיתִים,
שְׁלוּחֵי בֵית דִּין שׂוֹכְרִין פּוֹעֲלִין,
וּמוֹסְקִין אוֹתָן וְעוֹטְנִין אוֹתָן בְּבֵית הַבַּד,
וְכוֹנְסִין אוֹתָן בֶּחָבִיּוֹת,
וּמַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָן לָאוֹצָר שֶׁבָּעִיר.
וּמְחַלְּקִין מֵהֶן עַרְבֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת,
כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי בֵּיתוֹ.
🌴When it came time for dates, the agents of the court would hire workers to gather them together, make them into pressed cakes and enter them into the storehouse of the city.
🍇When it came time for grapes, agents of the court would hire workers, squeeze the grapes, press them, enter them into jugs and place them in the city storehouse.
🫒When it came time for olives, agents of the court would hire workers to prepare and press them in the oil press and enter the oil into jugs and place them in the city storehouses.
🕯🕯These products would be distributed on the eve of Shabbat, every person according to the needs of his household.
What happens when sha'at biur arrives, and you have an excess of produce in storage? The Tosefta addresses this next:
(ג)
הִגִּיעַ שָׁעַת הַבִּעוּר,
עֲנִיִּים אוֹכְלִין אַחַר הַבִּעוּר,
אֲבָל לֹא עֲשִׁירִים.
דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר:
אֶחָד עֲנִיִּים וְאֶחָד עֲשִׁירִים,
אוֹכְלִין אַחַר הַבִּעוּר.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר:
עֲשִׁירִים אוֹכְלִין מִן הָאוֹצָר אַחַר הַבִּעוּר.
3) (Tosefta Shevi'it Ch. 8 continued)
When sha’at biur arrived:
the poor may continue eating after the time of removal, but not the rich. These are the words of Rabbi Yehudah.
Rabbi Yose says: Both the poor and rich may eat after sha’at biur.
Rabbi Shimon says: Rich eat from the storehouses after sha’at biur.
(ד) הלכה ב
מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פֵרוֹת לְחַלֵּק, מְחַלְּקָן לָעֲנִיִּים.
מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פֵרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית,
וְהִגִּיעַ שָׁעַת הַבִּעוּר,
מְחַלֵּק מֵהֶן לִשְׁכֵנָיו וְלִקְרוֹבָיו וּלְיוֹדְעָיו,
וּמוֹצִיא וּמַנִּיחַ עַל בֵּיתוֹ וְאוֹמֵר:
"אַחֵינוּ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל!
כָּל מִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִטּוֹל, יָבֹא וְיִטֹּל!"
חוֹזֵר וּמַכְנִיס לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ,
וְאוֹכֵל וְהוֹלֵךְ, עַד שָׁעָה שֶׁיִּכְלוּ.
4)
Someone who has fruit from shevi’it (shmita year) when sha’at biur arrived distributes the fruits to neighbors and relatives and people he knows.
He then goes out and places the fruits on his doorstep and says,
“My siblings from the house of Israel, anyone who needs may come and take.”
He then returns and enters back into his house and eats until they are gone.
(יג) וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן־הַבַּיִת וְגַם נְתַתִּיו לַלֵּוִי וְלַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה כְּכָל־מִצְוָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי לֹא־עָבַרְתִּי מִמִּצְוֺתֶיךָ וְלֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי׃
(13) you shall declare before the LORD your God: “I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house; and I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, just as You commanded me; I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of Your commandments:
In the following text, there is a disagreement among the sages about what one does when sha'at biur arrives for one of the three vegetables that have been pickled together. It's amazing to think of the rabbis debating the details of this scenario, which for them may have been a realistic possibility. Perhaps they were planning their own pickling at this time as well!
When we talk about eating locally and seasonally, how do we define "your field" here? Should sha'at biur only include your personal field, how far your animals graze, the fields in your area, or beyond? The last line in the following text helps us arrive at an answer to this question.
The Mishna, 1st-3rd century CE, the first major collation of the Jewish Oral Law, as well as the first major work of rabbinic literature, compiled and redacted at the beginning of the third century CE by Yehuda HaNasi, a central Jewish leader during the Roman occupation of Judea. We imagine these conversations happening in the Galilee, the northern region between modern day Haifa and Tiberias.
(ה) הַכּוֹבֵשׁ שְׁלֹשָׁה כְבָשִׁים בְּחָבִית אַחַת:
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אוֹכְלִין עַל הָרִאשׁוֹן.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, אַף עַל הָאַחֲרוֹן.
רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁכָּלָה מִינוֹ מִן הַשָּׂדֶה, יְבַעֵר מִינוֹ מִן הֶחָבִית, וַהֲלָכָה כִדְבָרָיו.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, כָּל יָרָק, אֶחָד לַבִּעוּר.
אוֹכְלִין בָּרְגִילָה עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ סִגָּרִיּוֹת מִבִּקְעַת בֵּית נְטוֹפָה:
(5) 🫑🥕🥒One who preserved three kinds of vegetables in one jar:
Rabbi Eliezer says they may be eaten only so long as the first still remains [in the field].
But Rabbi Joshua says: even so long as the last remains.
Rabban Gamaliel says: when the species is no longer to be found in the field, the species in the jar must be destroyed/removed (biur),
[Note: As we read in the Mishneh Torah, the halachah/final legal opinion agrees with Gamaliel.]
Rabbi Shimon says: all vegetables are regarded as one [kind] in respect of the law of biur.
Purslane may be eaten until there is no more wild purslane in the valley of Bet Netopha.
After a successful launch in 2019, our summer 2020 in-person program was restructured to provide a virtual program in June 2020. We will also be providing virtual programming in Spring and Summer 2021.
romemu.org/yeshiva
[email protected]