What can this week's Torah portion teach us about caring for the environment?
(יא) וְהַשְּׁבִיעִ֞ת תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּ וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ אֶבְיֹנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְיִתְרָ֕ם תֹּאכַ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְכַרְמְךָ֖ לְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃
(11) but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
(ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהֹוָֽה׃ (ג) שֵׁ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ תִּזְרַ֣ע שָׂדֶ֔ךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְמֹ֣ר כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ (ד) וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהֹוָ֑ה שָֽׂדְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔ע וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר׃ (ה) אֵ֣ת סְפִ֤יחַ קְצִֽירְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְצ֔וֹר וְאֶת־עִנְּבֵ֥י נְזִירֶ֖ךָ לֹ֣א תִבְצֹ֑ר שְׁנַ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן יִהְיֶ֥ה לָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ו) וְ֠הָיְתָ֠ה שַׁבַּ֨ת הָאָ֤רֶץ לָכֶם֙ לְאׇכְלָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וְלַאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְלִשְׂכִֽירְךָ֙ וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ הַגָּרִ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ׃
(2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I assign to you, the land shall observe a sabbath of יהוה. (3) Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather in the yield. (4) But in the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath of יהוה: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. (5) You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untrimmed vines; it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. (6) But you may eat whatever the land during its sabbath will produce—you, your male and female slaves, the hired and bound laborers who live with you,
(ג) אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃ (ד) וְנָתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֥ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִתֵּ֥ן פִּרְיֽוֹ׃
(3) If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments, (4) I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.
Senator Meghan Kallman & Rabbi Lex Rofeberg
The shmita year has two major components. The first is that it serves as a rest for land: Just as humans get to observe a sabbath once every seven days, the land that we inhabit gets a sabbath, too...Shmita’s other major component is that debts are forgiven...
These ideas can be, and should be, used in practice — not just in our ancient texts, and not just aspirationally. For instance: we could forgive debts, and change the systems that cause such terrible indebtedness...
The idea of shmita can also guide us in acting to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Shmita proposes that for a year, humans must avoid treating land simply as a means to our ends; we must not think in terms of limitless expansion, but rather in terms of sustainability and rest. Leaving the land fallow rejects the notion that our planet, and its resources, exist only to serve us.
The shmita year has two major components. The first is that it serves as a rest for land: Just as humans get to observe a sabbath once every seven days, the land that we inhabit gets a sabbath, too...Shmita’s other major component is that debts are forgiven...
These ideas can be, and should be, used in practice — not just in our ancient texts, and not just aspirationally. For instance: we could forgive debts, and change the systems that cause such terrible indebtedness...
The idea of shmita can also guide us in acting to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Shmita proposes that for a year, humans must avoid treating land simply as a means to our ends; we must not think in terms of limitless expansion, but rather in terms of sustainability and rest. Leaving the land fallow rejects the notion that our planet, and its resources, exist only to serve us.
(ג) קְלִפֵּי רִמּוֹן וְהַנֵּץ שֶׁלּוֹ, קְלִפֵּי אֱגוֹזִים וְהַגַּלְעִינִין, יֵשׁ לָהֶם שְׁבִיעִית וְלִדְמֵיהֶן שְׁבִיעִית. הַצַּבָּע, צוֹבֵעַ לְעַצְמוֹ, וְלֹא יִצְבַּע בְּשָׂכָר, שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים סְחוֹרָה בְּפֵרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית, וְלֹא בַבְּכוֹרוֹת, וְלֹא בַתְּרוּמוֹת, וְלֹא בַנְּבֵלוֹת, וְלֹא בַטְרֵפוֹת, וְלֹא בַשְּׁקָצִים, וְלֹא בָרְמָשִׂים. וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹקֵחַ יַרְקוֹת שָׂדֶה וּמוֹכֵר בַּשּׁוּק, אֲבָל הוּא לֹוקֵט וּבְנוֹ מוֹכֵר עַל יָדוֹ. לָקַח לְעַצְמוֹ וְהוֹתִיר, מֻתָּר לְמָכְרָן:
(3) The skins of pomegranates and their blossoms, the husks of nuts and the [fruit] pits, [the laws of] the Sabbatical year apply to them and [the laws of] the Sabbatical year apply to their money [exchanged for them]. The dyer may dye for himself, but may not dye for payment, since one may not do business with the fruits of the Sabbatical year, and not with firstborn animals, and not with Terumah [produce consecrated for priestly consumption], and not with Neveilot [improperly slaughtered animals of permitted species], and not with Tereifot [animals with a mortal condition such that they would die within one year], and not with Shekatzim U'Remasim [creeping creatures]. And he may not take the produce of the field and sell it in the market, but he may collect it and his son may sell it for him. If he took for himself and had left over, he may sell them.
We're obviously not living in Biblical times today. In the year 2022, what can we take from this teaching on Shmita to apply to the abuse of our world today?
(א) כְּלָל גָּדוֹל אָמְרוּ בַּשְּׁבִיעִית. כָּל הַמְיֻחָד לְמַאֲכַל אָדָם, אֵין עוֹשִׂין מִמֶּנּוּ מְלֻגְמָא לָאָדָם, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לַבְּהֵמָה. וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְיֻחָד לְמַאֲכַל אָדָם, עוֹשִׂין מִמֶּנּוּ מְלֻגְמָא לָאָדָם, אֲבָל לֹא לַבְּהֵמָה. וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְיֻחָד לֹא לְמַאֲכַל אָדָם וְלֹא לְמַאֲכַל בְּהֵמָה, חִשַּׁב עָלָיו לְמַאֲכַל אָדָם וּלְמַאֲכַל בְּהֵמָה, נוֹתְנִין עָלָיו חֻמְרֵי אָדָם וְחֻמְרֵי בְהֵמָה. חִשַּׁב עָלָיו לָעֵצִים, הֲרֵי הוּא כָעֵצִים, כְּגוֹן הַסִּיאָה וְהָאֵזוֹב וְהַקֻּרְנִית: (ב) שְׁבִיעִית, נִתְּנָה לַאֲכִילָה וְלִשְׁתִיָּה וּלְסִיכָה, לֶאֱכֹל דָּבָר שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לֶאֱכֹל, וְלָסוּךְ דָּבָר שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לָסוּךְ. לֹא יָסוּךְ יַיִן וְחֹמֶץ, אֲבָל סָךְ הוּא אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶן. וְכֵן בַּתְּרוּמָה וּבְמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי. קַל מֵהֶם, שְׁבִיעִית, שֶׁנִתְּנָה לְהַדְלָקַת הַנֵּר:
(1) An important rule that they [the Sages] said regarding the Sabbatical year: anything that is specifically [considered] human food cannot be made into a plaster for humans, and it need not be said [that it cannot be made into a plaster] for animals. And anything that is not specifically [considered] human food can be made into a plaster for people but not for animals. And anything that is neither specifically [considered] human food nor animal food: [if] he intended it [at the time of picking] to be both human food and animal food, it takes on the stringencies of human food and the stringencies of animal food. [If] he intended it for wood, it is considered wood [and can therefore only be used to feed fire]. For example, Satureia Thymbra, hyssop, and thyme [can all be used either as food or as wood]. (2) [Produce grown during] the Sabbatical year may be used for eating or for drinking or for anointing; for eating that which is normally eaten, and for anointing that which is normally used to smear. He may not anoint with wine or vinegar, but he may anoint with oil. And so too in [produce that is] Terumah [produce consecrated for priestly consumption] or Ma'aser Sheni [second tithe, which must be eaten in Jerusalem]. The [law of the] Sabbatical year is more lenient than them in that it[s produce] may be used to light a candle.
(ח) אֵין לוֹקְחִים עֲבָדִים וְקַרְקָעוֹת וּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה מִדְּמֵי שְׁבִיעִית. וְאִם לָקַח, יֹאכַל כְּנֶגְדָּן. אֵין מְבִיאִין קִנֵּי זָבִים וְקִנֵּי זָבוֹת וְקִנֵּי יוֹלְדוֹת מִדְּמֵי שְׁבְיעִית. וְאִם הֵבִיא, יֹאכַל כְּנֶגְדָּן. אֵין סָכִין כֵּלִים בְּשֶׁמֶן שֶׁלַשְׁבִיעִית. וְאִם סָךְ, יֹאכַל כְּנֶגְדּוֹ:
(8) One may not buy slaves or land or impure animals with money [received in exchange for] Sabbatical [produce]. And if he bought [them], he must eat a corresponding amount [of other food as if it were Sabbatical produce]. One may not bring the bird sacrifices of Zavim [men who have an abnormal seminal discharge] or bird sacrifices of Zavot [women who have an abnormal vaginal discharge] or bird sacrifices of women who gave birth from money [received in exchange for] Sabbatical [produce]. And if he brought [them], he must eat a corresponding amount. One may not anoint vessels with oil [grown during] the Sabbatical year. And if he anointed, he must eat a corresponding amount.
Rav Kook, Introduction to "Sabbath of the Land"
The treasure of the nation, the Divine blessing that is implanted in it, the order of the world, the righteous and good life, lived in harmony with justice and honesty, peace and tranquility, grace and courage, permeated by the all-embracing contemplation of the Divine purpose, as it exists in the national soul -- none call be activated in the day-to-day life. The very nature of this life obfuscates the spiritual majesty of the Divine soul (which dwells in the nation) and prevents its bright and shining light from penetrating the profane reality.
Life can only be perfected through the affording of a breathing space from the bustle of everyday life. The individual shakes himself free from ordinary weekday life at short and regular intervals -- every Sabbath... What the Sabbath achieves regarding the individual, the Shmita achieves with regard to the nation as a whole.
A year of solemn rest is essential for both the nation and the land, a year of peace and quiet without oppressor and tyrant...It is a year of equality and rest, in which the soul reaches out towards Divine justice, towards God who sustains the living creatures with loving kindness. There is no private property and no punctilious privilege but the peace of God reigns over all in which there is the breath of life.
Sanctity is not profaned by the exercise of private acquisitiveness over all this year's produce and the covetousness of wealth stirred up by commerse is forgotten. for food -- but not for commerce.
The treasure of the nation, the Divine blessing that is implanted in it, the order of the world, the righteous and good life, lived in harmony with justice and honesty, peace and tranquility, grace and courage, permeated by the all-embracing contemplation of the Divine purpose, as it exists in the national soul -- none call be activated in the day-to-day life. The very nature of this life obfuscates the spiritual majesty of the Divine soul (which dwells in the nation) and prevents its bright and shining light from penetrating the profane reality.
Life can only be perfected through the affording of a breathing space from the bustle of everyday life. The individual shakes himself free from ordinary weekday life at short and regular intervals -- every Sabbath... What the Sabbath achieves regarding the individual, the Shmita achieves with regard to the nation as a whole.
A year of solemn rest is essential for both the nation and the land, a year of peace and quiet without oppressor and tyrant...It is a year of equality and rest, in which the soul reaches out towards Divine justice, towards God who sustains the living creatures with loving kindness. There is no private property and no punctilious privilege but the peace of God reigns over all in which there is the breath of life.
Sanctity is not profaned by the exercise of private acquisitiveness over all this year's produce and the covetousness of wealth stirred up by commerse is forgotten. for food -- but not for commerce.