Tzipiyah.com

And Hashem said to Moses on Mount Sinai saying: Speak to the Nation of Israel and say to them, when you come to the land that I give you, the land shall observe a Sabbath rest for Hashem. For six years you may sow your field and for six years you may prune your vineyard; and you may gather its crop. But the seventh year shall be a complete rest for the land, a Sabbath for Hashem, your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune. The after growth of your harvest you shall not reap and the grapes you had set aside for yourself you shall not pick. It shall be a year of rest for the land. The Sabbath produce of the land shall be yours to eat, for you, for your slave, and for your maidservant; and for your laborer and maidservant who lives with you.

So, is it a coincidence I turned to this page? I think not, for this year is a Shemittah year in Israel. It is exactly the kind of year that the Torah itself is describing in this passage from Parashat Behar.

The Torah outlines many laws, six hundred and thirteen, to be exact. These laws span many categories from the treatment of man to man, man to G-d, the treatment of food, special days, and daily actions. Shemmitah, however, is especially unique because it outlines Bnei Yisraels’ treatment of our land, Eretz Yisrael. On the most basic of levels, Shemmitah is the reminder that the land that Hashem gave to us, while ideologically and theologically it belongs to us, physically belongs to G-d. To remember this we return the land to its rightful owner once every seven years for Him to take care of, and our faith will stand as assurance that He will take proper care of it for us until the next year. For it is not the laws of nature that govern agriculture, it is G-d.

While Israel is a theologically integrated country with secular and religious Jews, there are many intricate laws pertaining to Shemmitah in modern times so as to safeguard and protect the innate holiness of this year and to not accidentally transgress this law. Many of these laws, however, are overlooked by the majority of the population that live in Israel. The minority, who do pay attention to the intricate laws, are in disagreement over the proper way to observe the law of Shemittah and have established four different categories of produce to buy during the year, each one with its own Rabbinical stamp of approval. As the saying goes, “when you have two Jews you have three opinions”.

Shemmitah plays a unique role in modern day Israel. Israel is largely an agricultural country and has made stridesin inventions for farming under strenuous Middle Eastern conditions. This law is meant to strengthen our belief in the land and our faith and trust in Hashem. What it does, however, is wreak havoc on our economy every seven years. Those who are observant enough to care about the law resort to importing produce from neighboring countries, buying from non-Jewish farmers, and essentially “in sourcing” their produce. Those who chose to do so benefit from not having to worry about all of the intricate laws pertaining to “kedushat sh’viyit” produce . You can buy “kedushat sh’viyit” or “holy seventh year” produce, which is essentially organic produce grown in Israel under observant Shemmitah laws, untouched by the modern farmer. But this produce tends to run out partway through the year, and becomes very expensive. Or, if you are indifferent to the laws of Shemmitah, you can continue to produce your fruits and vegetables as a farmer, or to buy them as a consumer.

This can’t possibly what Hashem had intended for Shemmitah. As far as I can see, it has splintered Bnei Yisrael into different categories. Again, it is our own disunity that is our downfall. This law is meant to strengthen our faith in Hashem and in the land, yet we defile the land and its holiness. Whether it is in attempt to surpass the laws of Shemittah by importing goods from another country, or by ignoring the laws of Shemmitah altogether and continuing to work the land, we are moving ourselves further and further away from the essence of the mitzvah-to strengthen our faith in G-d, that the primary force of G-d in this world is Himself, and not the laws of nature. That He Himself governs the laws of nature.

Now in no way am I suggesting an economical breakdown for how the Shemittah year should run. I’m a mythology major, I don’t do number. I strictly do letters. Yet I think the lesson we can derive from this very important halacha is twofold. First, the incredible power that we have in even considering this mitzvah. Only a short sixty years ago it was impossible to even think of performing this mitzvah. Our country was not ours and sovereign and we had no religious jurisdiction to reinstate the laws pertaining to the land if we were not living within it. Realizing that comes with incredible responsibility, which leads into the second lesson. With this realization comes the power that with only sixty short years, as a nation, we have continue to splinter ourselves further with the discord over halacha, rather than letting it be our unifying factor.