Shemitah / Sheviit (Sabbatical Year)
Every seventh year, Jewish law commanded farmers to stop working their land and release debts owed to them.
Shemitah, or the Sabbatical Year, extends the rhythm of rest that defines the weekly Sabbath into an agricultural cycle. Just as Jews stop working every seventh day, the Torah teaches that the land itself deserves a year of rest every seven years—no plowing, no harvesting, no pruning. Whatever grows naturally during that year belongs to everyone, not just the landowner. It's a striking idea: the land has rights, and wealth cycles need resetting.
But shemitah isn't only about the earth. In the same seventh year, debts were forgiven. If someone owed you money and the sabbatical year arrived, the debt was released—a built-in economic reset button. This created a radically different relationship to property and obligation than most ancient societies imagined. You couldn't accumulate power indefinitely through debt; every seven years, the ledger was wiped clean.
Over centuries, Jewish thinkers and communities wrestled with how to actually live this law. Medieval and early modern authorities developed elaborate systems to preserve the spirit of shemitah while adapting it to changing economic realities. Some arranged legal transfers of land to non-Jews for the year; others reinterpreted when the debt release applied. The concept never stopped evolving, and today communities continue exploring what rest and economic justice might mean in contemporary life.
How it traveled
- Targum Jonathan on LeviticusEretz Yisrael (travels) · 30explains
- Tosefta SheviitEretz Yisrael (travels) · 190explains
- Mishnah SheviitYavneh · 200explains
- SifraEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- Sifrei DevarimEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelEretz Yisrael (travels) · 250explains
- Jerusalem Talmud SheviitTiberias · 400explains
- GittinSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- Bava MetziaSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- Rosh HashanahSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- Moed KatanSura (Babylonia) · 500explains
- Rashi on LeviticusTroyes (Champagne) · 1080explains
- Bekhor ShorOrléans · 1145explains
- Mishneh Torah, Sabbatical Year and the JubileeFostat (Old Cairo) · 1180explains
- ChizkuniNorthern France · 1220explains
- Yalkut Shimoni on TorahTiberias · 1250explains
- Sefer HaChinukhBarcelona · 1300explains
- Meiri on GittinPerpignan · 1300explains
- Meiri on Moed KatanPerpignan · 1300explains
- TurToledo (Castile) · 1335explains
- Ran on GittinBarcelona · 1340explains
- Bartenura on Mishnah SheviitJerusalem · 1482explains
- Avkat RokhelTzfat · 1565explains
- Shulchan Arukh, Choshen MishpatTzfat · 1565explains
- Tosafot Yom Tov on Mishnah SheviitPrague · 1613explains
- Ba'er Hetev on Shulchan Arukh, Choshen MishpatPrague · 1700explains
- Penei Yehoshua on Rosh HashanahFrankfurt am Main · 1730explains
- Or HaChaim on LeviticusJerusalem · 1740explains
- Malbim on LeviticusBucharest · 1860explains
- Malbim on DeuteronomyBucharest · 1860explains
- Haamek Davar on LeviticusVolozhin · 1875explains
- Arukh HaShulchanNovardok (Novogrudok) · 1884explains
- Torah Temimah on TorahPinsk · 1904explains
- Commentary on Sefer Hamitzvot of RasagLviv (Lemberg) · 1914explains
- Introductions to Tanaitic LiteratureJerusalem · 1923explains
- Tosefta Kifshutah on SheviitJerusalem · 1936explains
- Brief Commentary on SheviitJerusalem · 1936explains
- Tosefta Kifshutah on DemaiJerusalem · 1936explains
- Tosefta Kifshutah on TerumotJerusalem · 1936explains
- Tosefta Sheviit (Lieberman)Eretz Yisrael (travels)explains
Key passages(20)
Minchas Asher · R. Asher Weiss (Minchas Asher)
Chazon Ish · Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz
Derech Emunah · Chaim Kanievsky (Bnei Brak)
Har Tzvi · Tzvi Pesach Frank (Har Tzvi)
Mishneh Torah, Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee · Moses ben Maimon (Rambam) · 1176 CE
מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לִשְׁבֹּת מֵעֲבוֹדַת הָאָרֶץ וַעֲבוֹדַת הָאִילָן בְּשָׁנָה שְׁבִיעִית שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה ב) "וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַה'" וְנֶאֱמַר (שמות לד כא) "בֶּחָרִישׁ וּבַקָּצִיר תִּשְׁבֹּ
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וְזֶה֮ דְּבַ֣ר הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ שָׁמ֗וֹט כׇּל־בַּ֙עַל֙ מַשֵּׁ֣ה יָד֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַשֶּׁ֖ה בְּרֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹֽא־יִגֹּ֤שׂ אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ וְאֶת־אָחִ֔יו כִּֽי־קָרָ֥א שְׁמִטָּ֖ה לַיהֹוָֽה׃
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וַיְצַ֥ו מֹשֶׁ֖ה אוֹתָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים בְּמֹעֵ֛ד שְׁנַ֥ת הַשְּׁמִטָּ֖ה בְּחַ֥ג הַסֻּכּֽוֹת׃
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וְהַשְּׁבִיעִ֞ת תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּ וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ אֶבְיֹנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְיִתְרָ֕ם תֹּאכַ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְכַרְמְךָ֖ לְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃
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דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהֹוָֽה׃
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וְכִ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת הֵ֚ן לֹ֣א נִזְרָ֔ע וְלֹ֥א נֶאֱסֹ֖ף אֶת־תְּבוּאָתֵֽנוּ׃
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וּזְרַעְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁמִינִ֔ת וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם מִן־הַתְּבוּאָ֣ה יָשָׁ֑ן עַ֣ד ׀ הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַתְּשִׁיעִ֗ת עַד־בּוֹא֙ תְּב֣וּאָתָ֔הּ תֹּאכְל֖וּ יָשָֽׁן׃
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שֵׁ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ תִּזְרַ֣ע שָׂדֶ֔ךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְמֹ֣ר כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃
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וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהֹוָ֑ה שָֽׂדְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔ע וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר׃
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אֵ֣ת סְפִ֤יחַ קְצִֽירְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְצ֔וֹר וְאֶת־עִנְּבֵ֥י נְזִירֶ֖ךָ לֹ֣א תִבְצֹ֑ר שְׁנַ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן יִהְיֶ֥ה לָאָֽרֶץ׃
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וְ֠הָיְתָ֠ה שַׁבַּ֨ת הָאָ֤רֶץ לָכֶם֙ לְאׇכְלָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וְלַאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְלִשְׂכִֽירְךָ֙ וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ הַגָּרִ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ׃
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וְלִ֨בְהֶמְתְּךָ֔ וְלַֽחַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ תִּהְיֶ֥ה כׇל־תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ לֶאֱכֹֽל׃ {ס}
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כׇּל־יְמֵ֥י הׇשַּׁמָּ֖הֿ תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־שָׁבְתָ֛ה בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶ֖ם בְּשִׁבְתְּכֶ֥ם עָלֶֽיהָ׃
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לְמַלֹּ֤אות דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ בְּפִ֣י יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ עַד־רָצְתָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ אֶת־שַׁבְּתוֹתֶ֑יהָ כׇּל־יְמֵ֤י הׇשַּׁמָּה֙ שָׁבָ֔תָה לְמַלֹּ֖אות שִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ {ס}  
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וְדֵין אַהֲוָויַת הִלְכַת שְׁמִיטָתָא אַשְׁמִיטוּ כָּל בַּר נַשׁ מָרֵי מְזוֹפְתָּא דְיִזוֹף בְּחַבְרֵיהּ לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לִמְדַחֲקָא בְּחַבְרֵיהּ לְמִתְבּוֹעַ אוֹזְפוּתֵיהּ וְלָא מִן אָחוֹי בַּר יִש
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וּשְׁבִיעִיתָא תִּשְׁמְטִינָא מִפּוּלְחָנָא וְתַפְקַר פֵּירָהָא וְיֵיכְלוּן מִסְכֵּינֵי עַמָּא וְשִׁיּוּרְהוֹן תֵּיכוּל חֵיוַת בָּרָא כְּדֵין תַּעֲבֵיד לְכַרְמָךְ לְזֵיתָךְ
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Shemitah / Sheviit (Sabbatical Year). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- The Chazon IshChazon Ish(1911)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Tzvi Pesach FrankHar Tzvi(1964)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Chaim KanievskyDerech Emunah(1990)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Asher WeissMinchas Asher(2000)Buy on Eichler’s→