(א) וַיְדַבֵּר יי אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּהַר סִינַי לֵאמֹר. (ב) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַיי. (ג) שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת תְּבוּאָתָהּ. (ד) וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַיי שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר. (ה) אֵת סְפִיחַ קְצִירְךָ לֹא תִקְצוֹר וְאֶת עִנְּבֵי נְזִירֶךָ לֹא תִבְצֹר שְׁנַת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ. (ו) וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה לְךָ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ וְלַאֲמָתֶךָ וְלִשְׂכִירְךָ וּלְתוֹשָׁבְךָ הַגָּרִים עִמָּךְ. (ז) וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ וְלַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצֶךָ תִּהְיֶה כָל תְּבוּאָתָהּ לֶאֱכֹל.
(1) And the LORD spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying: (2) 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 for the LORD. (3) Six years shall you sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its produce. (4) But the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath for the LORD; you shall not sow your field, nor prune your vineyard. (5) That which grows by itself from your harvest, you shalt not reap, and the grapes of your untended vine, you shall not gather [in quantity, as if to sell]; it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. (6) And the sabbath-produce of the land shall be for food for you: for you, and for your servant and for your maid, and for your hired servant and for the traveler who sojourns with you; (7) and for your cattle, and for the wild beasts that are in your land, shall all the abundance be for food.
Vayikra Rabbah 1:1
“The mighty in strength that fulfill Their word” (Psalms 103:20). To whom does
the Scripture refer? R. Isaac said, “To those who are willing to observe the
Sabbatical Year. In the way of the world, a person may be willing to observe a
commandment for a day, a week, a month, but are they likely to continue to do so
through the remaining days of the year? But throughout that year this mighty
person sees their field declared ownerless, his fences broken down, and their produce
consumed by others, yet they continues to give up their produce without saying a
word. Can you conceive a person mightier than such as they?”
“The mighty in strength that fulfill Their word” (Psalms 103:20). To whom does
the Scripture refer? R. Isaac said, “To those who are willing to observe the
Sabbatical Year. In the way of the world, a person may be willing to observe a
commandment for a day, a week, a month, but are they likely to continue to do so
through the remaining days of the year? But throughout that year this mighty
person sees their field declared ownerless, his fences broken down, and their produce
consumed by others, yet they continues to give up their produce without saying a
word. Can you conceive a person mightier than such as they?”
Taken on its own, Shmita is a riddle with no answer. In order to begin to understand the intricate puzzle that is Shmita, we must first connect the 6 years to the 7th, the individual parts of the cycle to its flowering conclusion. The 6 years of the Shmita Cycle are those of cultural design, and the 7th year is the indicator year; the ultimate ‘check-in’ to see how we are collectively doing as a culture. Shmita itself is not an isolated moment in time, but rather a cyclical expression of a vibrant culture rooted in local food systems, economic resiliency, and community empowerment. For us today, the Shmita Cycle can take shape as a story of transition, from the isolated self towards holistic community; from perceived scarcity towards revealed abundance. It is a story so old and ancient that we have forgotten just how much we need it today, now, for our own survival, for our own evolution and growth.
– Yigal Deutscher, Envisioning Sabbatical Culture
– Yigal Deutscher, Envisioning Sabbatical Culture
From Hazon: Shmita Sourcebook
A Yearlong Shabbat
1. Let Rest & Lie Fallow: Take the time to form a new relationship with work and rest. Allow your land, your body, your workers, your economy of production and consumption, to rest.
2. Release With Faith: We are reminded we do not own our land, resources, or even time, and that these are Divine gifts. To enter into Shmita is to embrace a sense of security that is beyond our control.
A Sabbatical Food System
3. Land Stewardship: There is no seeding or plowing of agricultural land during the Shmita Year.
4. Perennial/Wild Harvest: Primary harvests include wild edibles and perennial produce.
5. Eat Local: Harvests must be eaten locally. They cannot be exported.
6. Seasonal Diet: Harvests should be gathered at full ripeness, and eaten in their natural growing season.
7. Animal Care: Wild and domesticated animals must have free access to range and food.
Community & Food Security
8. Creating Commons: All private agricultural lands are declared public and become community commons.
9. Shared Harvest: All harvested and stored produce are declared ‘ownerless’ and shared equally.
10. Fair Distribution: When harvesting, only collect specific to your immediate needs and not beyond.
11. Waste Reduction: Harvests have a special sanctity. They cannot be wasted or thrown away.
Community & Economic Resiliency
12. Land Value: Land is not a commodity, and has no market value. If land is sold, the price is based on the potential harvest seasons remaining until the Jubilee.
13. De-Commercialization: Produce can be harvested and shared for nourishment and enjoyment; not sold in the marketplace as a commodity.
14. Generous Giving: The value of exchange is based on generous giving and lending practices, without the need for profit or monetary gain.
15. Debt Release: All debts from previous years are canceled at the conclusion of the Shmita Year.
Jubilee Release
16. Land Redemption: Land is linked to family heritage and ancestral lineage, and always returns to such tribal connections.
17. Release of Slaves: Slaves are released from their work and are free to return home, to their community and land.
A Yearlong Shabbat
1. Let Rest & Lie Fallow: Take the time to form a new relationship with work and rest. Allow your land, your body, your workers, your economy of production and consumption, to rest.
2. Release With Faith: We are reminded we do not own our land, resources, or even time, and that these are Divine gifts. To enter into Shmita is to embrace a sense of security that is beyond our control.
A Sabbatical Food System
3. Land Stewardship: There is no seeding or plowing of agricultural land during the Shmita Year.
4. Perennial/Wild Harvest: Primary harvests include wild edibles and perennial produce.
5. Eat Local: Harvests must be eaten locally. They cannot be exported.
6. Seasonal Diet: Harvests should be gathered at full ripeness, and eaten in their natural growing season.
7. Animal Care: Wild and domesticated animals must have free access to range and food.
Community & Food Security
8. Creating Commons: All private agricultural lands are declared public and become community commons.
9. Shared Harvest: All harvested and stored produce are declared ‘ownerless’ and shared equally.
10. Fair Distribution: When harvesting, only collect specific to your immediate needs and not beyond.
11. Waste Reduction: Harvests have a special sanctity. They cannot be wasted or thrown away.
Community & Economic Resiliency
12. Land Value: Land is not a commodity, and has no market value. If land is sold, the price is based on the potential harvest seasons remaining until the Jubilee.
13. De-Commercialization: Produce can be harvested and shared for nourishment and enjoyment; not sold in the marketplace as a commodity.
14. Generous Giving: The value of exchange is based on generous giving and lending practices, without the need for profit or monetary gain.
15. Debt Release: All debts from previous years are canceled at the conclusion of the Shmita Year.
Jubilee Release
16. Land Redemption: Land is linked to family heritage and ancestral lineage, and always returns to such tribal connections.
17. Release of Slaves: Slaves are released from their work and are free to return home, to their community and land.