Yearning for Shemitah

Shemitah is Approaching

In Preparation for Shemitah

1. We are currently nearing the beginning of the shemitah year, which
   will take effect, b’ezras Hashem, on Rosh Hashanah 5782/2021.
2. Worry. Some people start feeling pressure and worry as shemitah
   nears. For farmers, the mitzvah and issurim of shemitah involve real
   sacrifice. Dovid Hamelech refers to farmers who keep shemitah as
   mighty warriors (‘א א”פ רבה ויקרא ,(as their dedication in abandoning
   their fields for a whole year takes lots of strength. Regular people
   also feel restricted because of the kedushas shevi’is of produce.
3. Joy. In truth though, we should be extra joyful that we have the
   zechus of this holy, precious, and dear mitzvah. Just as there are six
   mundane weekdays and the seventh is Shabbos, we also have six
   years without kedushah followed by a seventh year of kedushah, in
   which we eat produce sanctified with kedushas shevi’is. We should
   yearn to be zocheh to the year of kedushah already, just like a person
   waits on Erev Shabbos in anticipation of the arrival of Shabbos.
4. Desire to keep the mitzvos hateluyos ba’aretz. Moshe Rabbeinu
   davened 515 tefillos – the gematria of “ ואתחנן – “to be zocheh to
   enter Eretz Yisroel. Chazal say, “Why did Moshe Rabbeinu desire to
   enter Eretz Yisroel? Did he need to eat its produce or be satiated
   from its goodness? Rather, he said, ‘There are many mitzvos Klal
   Yisroel were commanded about that can only be fulfilled in Eretz
   Yisroel. I want to enter so I can fulfill them’” ( א”ע ד”י דף סוטה’ גמ.(
5. Applies to everyone. People think the halachos of not working the
   land only apply to farmers. In truth though, many halachos apply to
   activities in a city setting, e.g., tending gardens, transporting dirt to
   a construction site upon the completion of a building (see below, 38),
   growing vegetables or seedlings on a windowsill, various plants in a
   house, spilling water from a balcony onto the ground, and so forth.
   Learning the Halachos
6. One of the reasons people feel pressure is because they do not know
   the halachos and consequently do not know what they can and
   cannot do. We therefore determined that it is necessary and
   beneficial to begin organizing the halachos in a clear manner that
   everyone will gain from and to preface with some principles on the
   topic. Throughout the year, b’ezras Hashem, we will focus on
   different shemitah topics that will be relevant at that time. “The one
   who toils on erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos.”
7. Chutz La’aretz.Although our fellow Yidden who live in Chutz La’aretz
   are not zocheh to have the experience of keeping shemitah or the
   kedushah of Eretz Yisroel, they too must know the halachos. First of
   all, they need to know to be careful about shemitah produce
   imported from Eretz Yisroel and the halachos about shemitah of
   money, which also applies in Chutz La’aretz.
8. But the main point is that the halachos also apply to them. Soon
   Hashem will break the yoke of the goyim that is on our necks and He
   will bring us speedily to our land. It is especially important to learn
   these halachos since it was due to a disregard for the halachos of
   shemitah that we were sent far away from our land, as Chazal say,
   “For the aveirah of shemitah and yovel, galus comes to the world”
   ( א”ע ג”ל דף שבת’ גמ .(Thus, by learning and working on the halachos of
   shemitah, we should be zocheh to keep them again.
   Preparing Properly
9. There are also several topics it is worthwhile to know in advance so
   that one can prepare properly, e.g., when the deadline for planting
   trees is (below, 29) and what type of work is forbidden during
   shemitah so that one can do these things before shemitah.