Seventh Inning Stretch
Shmitah Rules

(ב) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה.

(ג) שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת תְּבוּאָתָהּ. (ד) וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר .

(2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

(3) Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the produce thereof. (4) But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath unto the LORD; thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Time, Shabbos, Shmitah and Mashiyach.

Shabbos is directly linked to Shmitah in the Torah. Shabbos is rest one in seven days, Shmitah is rest one in seven years. Shabbos is a time for rest and reflection, for study and for song.

Shmitah is an interval of time. It is a yardstick used to mark the passage of time. "I have not seen this man since the last Shmitah!" Just as Shabbos is a marker in time, "I saw him two Shabbatot ago."

Before Shabbos and Shmitah we must prepare and asses, not only our physical assets but what we are doing with our most precious asset , our time. Shmitah and Shabbos are "Cathedrals in time", extremely valuable and precious in this day and age more then ever.

R. Katina said, “Six thousand years the world will exist and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate. As it is written, ‘And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day’ (Isa. 2:11)... R. Katina also taught, “Just as the seventh year is the Shmita year, so too does the world have one thousand years out of seven that are fallow (mushmat), as it is written, ‘And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day’ (Isa. 2:11); and further it is written, ‘A psalm and song for the Shabbat day’ (Ps. 92:1) – meaning the day that is altogether Shabbat – and also it is said, ‘For one thousand years in Your [God's] eyes are but a day that has passed.’ (Ps.90:4) (Sanhedrin 97a).”

Rabbanu Bachya

In his commentary on Berashit 2:3, he writes that the seventh millennium will follow the Messiah and the resurrection, and will be a time of “great eternal delight” for those who merit resurrection.

This being the case, he explains, just as one prepares during the six days of the week for the Shabbat, so too one should prepare during the six thousand years for the seventh.

Abrabanel

Writes that similar to the structure of the week of Creation, so too the world will exist for six thousand years, with the seventh millennium being a Hefsek (break) and a Shvita (rest).

Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer :

Six eons for going in and coming out, for war and peace. The seventh eon is entirely Shabbat and rest for life everlasting

(א) עד אימתי חורשין בשדה האילן ערב שביעית. בית שמאי אומרים, כל זמן שהוא יפה לפרי. ובית הלל אומרים, עד העצרת. וקרובין דברי אלו להיות כדברי אלו.
(1) Until when is plowing done in a field with trees in the pre-Sabbatical year? According to Beit Shammai, as long as the plowing contributes to the growth of the fruit. According to Beit Hillel, until Shavuot [festival at the end of the wheat harvest]. These two measures are almost identical.

In the times of Mashiyach we will come to a deeper understanding of truth. An understanding that facts that appear to be conflicting, between Science and Torah, between mind and body, between Hillel and Shammi are in truth very close to one another.

The beginning of Mesechtah Shveet does not start with a dispute. We have two classic contradictory opinions who disagree on nearly every page of Mishnah. But in this case we have some what of an anomaly, although Hillel and Shami are saying two different things we are told that they are close to each other.

(ג)...... רבי שמעון אומר, כל זמן שאני רשאי בעבודת האילן, רשאי אני בפסולו.

(3)....... Rabbi Shimon says, as long as I am permitted to cultivate the tree, I am permitted to deal with its decay.

(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ׃

(15) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and to guard it.

Shmitah, Mashiyach, Olam Habba and Gan Eden

Q: What was this work that Adam had to do? This was Gan Eden a paradise, a perfect existence. What was this Avodah?

What is this Avodah that is spoken of in Berashit? It can not be the typical

(ו) .... רבי יהודה אומר, כל הרכבה שאינה קולטת לשלשה ימים, שוב אינה קולטת. רבי יוסי ורבי שמעון אומרים, לשתי שבתות.

(6)...... Rabbi Yehudah says, Any grafting which hasn't taken hold within three days will not take hold thereafter. Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Shimon say, within two weeks.

How do we bring Mashiyach ? Bnay Yisroel must observe two Shabbatot.

Shabbat 118b : Rav Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: “If Israel were to keep two Shabbatot according to the laws thereof, they would be redeemed immediately.”

In the Sifrei HaPardes, Rav Yechiel Epstein writes that the two Shabbatot which must be observed are Shabbat Hagadol and Shabbat Shuba. Each of these Shabbatot have a special power to them:

Shabbat Shuba falls between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, it is a Shabbat which teaches man how to return to HaShem. Shabbat Shuba is typically the first Shabbat of the year.

Shabbat Hagadol contains within it the secret of redemption. The other Shabbat, Shabbat HaGadol, is the first Shabbat observed in Egypt and the second Shabbat in Nisan.

If man could master these two Shabbatot, the Mashiach would quickly arrive.

(א) שלש ארצות לשביעית. כל שהחזיקו עולי בבל, מארץ ישראל ועד כזיב, לא נאכל ולא נעבד. וכל שהחזיקו עולי מצרים, מכזיב ועד הנהר ועד אמנה, נאכל, אבל לא נעבד. מן הנהר ומאמנה ולפנים, נאכל ונעבד.

(1) There are three regions in regard to the Sabbatical [laws]. All [land] that was controlled by those who came up from Babylon, [that is,] from the Land of Israel until Kiziv, [its produce] may not be eaten and [it] may not be cultivated. And all [land] that was controlled by those who came up from Egypt, [that is,] from Kiziv until the river and until Amanah, [its produce] may be eaten, but [it] may not be cultivated. From the river and from Amanah and further, [its produce] may be eaten and [it] may be cultivated.

This Mishnah is a reffrence to the three Exiles the Jewish people experinced.

(י) וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו, אוֹמֵר הָיָה רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, הָאוֹכֵל פַּת כּוּתִים כְּאוֹכֵל בְּשַׂר חֲזִיר. אָמַר לָהֶם, שְׁתֹקוּ, לֹא אֹמַר לָכֶם מַה שֶּׁרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר בּוֹ:
(10) And they [the Sages] said another [law] in front of him [Rabbi Akiva]: Rabbi Eliezer would say, "One who eats the bread of Cuthites is like one who eats pig meat." He responded to them: Quiet! I will not tell you what Rabbi Eliezer says about this.

Halacha Corner

What Bracha did Shabbta Tzvi make on Pork?

Different types of Klipah . Some things are bound or Assur, like Egypt , that is why the Zohar hates Egypt and we are told not to return. We can not

(ו) אלו כלים שאין האמן רשאי למכרם בשביעית, מחרשה וכל כליה, העל, והמזרה, והדקר. אבל מוכר הוא מגל יד ומגל קציר ועגלה וכל כליה. זה הכלל, כל שמלאכתו מיחדת לעברה, אסור. לאסור ולהתר, מתר.
(6) These are the tools that a craftsman is not allowed to sell during the Sabbatical year: a plow and all its tools, a yoke, a winnowing fan, and a pick. However, one may sell a hand-sickle, a harvesting sickle, and a wagon and all its tools. This is the rule: anything whose usage is directed toward [work which is a Sabbatical] transgression is forbidden; but [anything the normal usage of which is for work which is] a transgression [on the Sabbatical year] or permitted, it is permitted.
(ז) וֶרֶד חָדָשׁ שֶׁכְּבָשׁוֹ בְּשֶׁמֶן יָשָׁן, יְלַקֵּט אֶת הַוֶּרֶד. וְיָשָׁן בֶּחָדָשׁ, חַיָּב בַּבִּעוּר. חָרוּבִים חֲדָשִׁים שֶׁכְּבָשָׁן בְּיַיִן יָשָׁן, וִישָׁנִים בֶּחָדָשׁ, חַיָּבִין בַּבִּעוּר. זֶה הַכְּלָל, כָּל שֶׁהוּא בְנוֹתֵן טַעַם, חַיָּב לְבָעֵר, מִין בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִינוֹ. וּמִין בְּמִינוֹ, כָּל שֶׁהוּא. שְׁבִיעִית אוֹסֶרֶת כָּל שֶׁהוּא בְּמִינָהּ, וְשֶׁלֹּא בְמִינָהּ, בְּנוֹתֵן טַעַם:
(7) A new rose [i.e. grown during the Sabbatical year] that was pickled in old oil [i.e. grown before the Sabbatical year], one may take the rose [from the oil, and eat it]. But an old [rose] in new [oil] requires Bi'ur. New carobs that were pickled in oil wine or old [carobs] in new [wine], require Bi'ur. This is the rule: anything [from the Sabbatical year] that is [of an amount that] transfers taste [to another food] requires Bi'ur [if] it is a species in a different species. But a species in its own species, for any amount [it requires Bi'ur]. The Sabbatical prohibitions apply to any amount of a species in its own species, and [in a case of a species] not in its own species, [they only apply] when [the amount is enough to] transfer taste.
(ה) אֵין נוֹתְנִים, לֹא לַבַּיָּר, וְלֹא לַבַּלָן , וְלֹא לַסַּפָּר, וְלֹא לַסַּפָּן. אֲבָל נוֹתֵן הוּא לַבַּיָּר לִשְׁתּוֹת. וּלְכֻלָּן, הוּא נוֹתֵן מַתְּנַת חִנָּם:
(5) [Money from Sabbatical year produce] may not be given to a well digger nor to the owner of a bathhouse nor to a barber nor to a captain of a ship. But it may be given to a well digger in exchange for a drink. And to all of them, he may give a free gift [of Sabbatical year produce].
(ז) כורת דבורים, רבי אליעזר אומר, הרי היא כקרקע, וכותבין עליה פרזבול, ואינה מקבלת טמאה במקומה, והרודה ממנה בשבת חיב. וחכמים אומרים אינה כקרקע, ואין כותבין עליה פרזבול, ומקבלת טמאה במקומה, והרודה ממנה בשבת, פטור.
(7) A beehive, says Rabbi Eliezer, is like land, and one may write a Pruzbul upon it, and it does not contract impurity in its place, and one who detaches [honey] from it on Shabbat is liable. The Rabbis say it is not like land and one may not write a Pruzbul upon it, and it does contract impurity in its place, and one who detaches [honey] from it on Shabbat is exempt.