Shemitah (Sabbatical Year)

The Shemitah (Sabbatical) Year -- its laws, traditions, and timeless messages.

We can talk at great length about our faith in G-d; our trust in His absolute wisdom, goodness and beneficence. But do we put our money where our mouths are?

When is the next Sabbatical year, and how is this calculation computed?

It was in 1950, after we had completed our army service. At first we lived in tents, in the middle of a barren wilderness. At that time, there were not yet water pipes reaching our moshav. We had to content ourselves with what could be grown in dry ...

What is Judaism's economic system? Is there one? In promoting free enterprise, the Torah is clearly capitalistic. But it is a conditional capitalism, and certainly a compassionate capitalism.

We are forever asking: What is the reason? What is the meaning? We ask this question of all commandments and all occurrences, even those we supposedly understand...

Six reasons for the Sabbatical Year: The soil, a macro-Shabbat, making up for six years of Shabbats, a lesson in faith and humility, unity, and liberation.

What is the greater wonder -- G-d's ability to perform miracles, or our ability to trust in them?

Faith is measured by actions, as is demonstrated by the shmitah year -- and the weekly Shabbat.

The Sabbatical year is associated with two mitzvot: 1) The land must be left unplowed and fallow. 2) All personal debts are cancelled. There is a connection between these two precepts