Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
Every seventh year, the Torah tells us
in this week's portion, is the shmittah--sabbatical year. During
this period of time, the land in Israel must remain fallow--no
working the ground.
In contemporary times, the chief rabbinate in Israel sells the
land to a non-Jew which allows Jews to continue sowing and
planting.
The sale is hotly debated. After all, isn't it a legal fiction, a
process which circumvents Torah law? A conceptual analysis of
shmittah sheds some light on this question.
It can be suggested that for six years we are creators on the
land. In the process we could forget our creature-hood, that what
we have stems from a higher source. On the seventh year, the
Torah tells us, step back from working the land to boldly
declare, this world is God-centered, not human-centered.
Thus, the Torah speaks of shmittah as Shabbat l'Hashem--a Sabbath
for the Lord, (Leviticus 25:2) for in that year the centrality of
God is reaffirmed.
A second observation comes to mind. Shmittah teaches an important
ecological lesson. For six years we work on nature. During
shmittah, however, we are mandated to be in rhythm with nature,
to let it be, to marvel at its beauty.
Thus the Torah speaks of shmittah as Shabbat la'aretz, a Sabbath
for the land, (Leviticus 25:4) a year when we are at peace with
nature.
A final approach. For six years we harness our energies to be
creative in the outer world; during the seventh year we recharge,
we refocus from our environment to ourselves. We contemplate the
deeper questions of meaning and purpose.
Thus, the Torah speaks of shmittah as Shabbat lakhem--a Sabbath
for the human being (Leviticus 25:6) when we re-evaluate our
goals and ponder the deeper questions of life.
While the sale of land during shmittah may be in religio-legal
terms valid, conceptually, if it is not actively observed we miss
its key lesson.
Today, the state of Israel is struggling
to define its central mission. Thus, a shmittah year set aside to
contemplate the centrality of God in the redemption process, to
behold the beauty of the land of Israel and to search for our
personal and national reason for being--should be a mitzvah that
we embrace with open arms.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM RABBI AVI WEISS
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