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The Sabbatical Year, (in Hebrew: שְׁמִטָּה Shemittah -- "of Remission") was promulgated in the Torah and was practiced within Judaism. It had a number of dimensions to it: It was a year during which farm-land had to remain uncultivated and it was also a time when debts were "forgiven" (i.e. "remited") occurring every seven years in the ancient Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah. This Biblical law applied only to the Land of Israel, or areas directly controlled by the Children of Israel.
Biblical sources and citations
- Book of Exodus: "You may plant your land for six years and gather its crops. But during the seventh year, you must leave it alone and withdraw from it. The needy among you will then be able to eat just as you do, and whatever is left over can be eaten by wild animals. This also applies to your vineyard and your olive grove." (Exodus 23:10-11) *
- Book of Leviticus: "God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land must be given a rest period, a sabbath to God. For six years you may plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and harvest your crops, but the seventh year is a sabbath of sabbaths for the land. It is God's sabbath during which you may not plant your fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not harvest crops that grow on their own and do not gather the grapes on your unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest for the land. While the land is resting may be eaten by you, by your male and female slaves, and by the employees and resident hands who live with you. All the crops shall be eaten by the domestic and wild animals that are in your land." (Leviticus 25:1-7) *
- Book of Deuteronomy: "At the end of every seven years, you shall celebrate the remission year. The idea of the remission year is that every creditor shall remit any debt owed by his neighbor and brother when God's remission year comes around. You may collect from the alien, but if you have any claim against your brother for a debt, you must relinquish it..." (Deuteronomy 15:1-6) and "Moses then gave them the following commandment: 'At the end of each seven years, at a fixed time on the festival of Sukkoth, after the year of release, when all Israel comes to present themselves before God your Lord, in the place that He will choose, you must read this Torah before all Israel, so that they will be able to hear it. 'You must gather together the people, the men, women, children and proselytes from your settlements, and let them hear it. They will thus learn to be in awe of God your Lord, carefully keeping all the words of this Torah. Their children, who do not know, will listen and learn to be in awe of God your Lord, as long as you live in the land which you are crossing the Jordan to occupy'." (Deuteronomy 31:10-13)[http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=5&CHAPTER=31
- Books of Chronicles: "...And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia; to fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had been paid her sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. (2 Chronicles 36:20-21)*
Descriptions of observances
Any natural produce of the land was not to be farmed, but instead left to be taken by poor folk, passing strangers, and beasts of the field. All debts, except those of foreigners, were to be deferred for the year.
For some time, it was accepted that all debts between the people of Israel were to be remitted; however, most modern commentators and scholars hold that such debts were to be suspended for the year. This practice was, presumably, instituted to prevent the resources of the debtor, already stretched thin due to the land lying fallow, being exhausted by the discharging of debts.
Some claim that there is "little notice of the observance of this year in Biblical history". It appears to have been much neglected. This statement in 2 Chronicles states that the first Temple was destroyed due to there not being an observance of the Sabbatical year.
Modern observance in Israel
According to Orthodox Judaism, the Sabbatical year is still in force in modern-day Israel, and the seven year cycle has not been lost. The time of the occurrence of the Jubilee Year though may be in doubt. According to Jewish law, observance of the Sabbatical year is of high accord, and one who does not do so may not be allowed to be a witness in a Jewish court.
Since it is allowed for Jews to farm fields owned by non-Jews during the Sabbatical, it has become customary to sell all fields in Israel to a loyal non-Jew for the symbolic price of one shekel before the Sabbatical. They are then bought back for the same price after the Sabbatical. Thus, the fields can be farmed anyway. This procedure is carried out by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. Since this procedure was first invoked in the late 19th century it has met with opposition from Haredi poskim (authorities of Jewish law), and hence many Haredi Jews do not avail themselves of this leniency, and Haredi farmers are supported by communal funds.
The 50th year of the land, that is also a Shabbat of the land, is called "Yovel" in Hebrew, which is the origin of the Latin term "Jubilee", also meaning 50th.
See also
"Sabbatical year (Bible)"