{"id":83701,"date":"2020-11-19T09:22:04","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T07:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=83701"},"modified":"2020-11-19T09:22:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T07:22:04","slug":"toldot-what-will-we-eat-in-the-seventh-year-shmita-lack-and-abundance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/toldot-what-will-we-eat-in-the-seventh-year-shmita-lack-and-abundance\/","title":{"rendered":"Toldot: What Will We Eat In The Seventh Year? Shmita, Lack, And Abundance"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"83701","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":83696,"related_cahpter":"1123","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Shmita is a lesson in tempering our fear of lack by establishing systems of abundance","content":"<header><\/header>\n<section class=\"entry\"><\/section>\n<p>While the language may be a product of recent decades, the dichotomy between an \u201cabundance mentality\u201d and a \u201clack mentality\u201d is a core human experience. The basic principles of these two concepts reflect a question of perspective; one who embodies an \u201cabundance mentality\u201d sees opportunities even in life\u2019s challenges, whereas one with a \u201clack mentality\u201d concentrates on the fear of not having. Even as these ideas have gained traction in recent years, we see this tension reflected in the Torah.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the shemitah year, where sowing is forbidden, the Torah preempts the fear of a lack of food \u2013 \u201cWhat will we eat in the seventh year?\u201d (Lev. 25:20) and expresses a reassurance that God will provide a three-fold crop in the sixth year. Is this a miracle, or something more nuanced?<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Toldot<\/em>, Isaac, in his blindness, gives a blessing intended for his eldest son, Esau, to Jacob, his younger son in disguise. Isaac blesses his son (Gen. 27:28): \u201cMay God give you from the dew of the heavens and from the fats of the earth; and an abundance of grain and fresh wine.\u201d In his commentary, Ramban (1194-1270), writes:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2026the blessing is not that God should give him \u2018from the dew of the heavens,\u2019 because dew falls in every place, but were he to have said that God should give an <em>abundance<\/em> of dew, or that it should fall in its <em>due time<\/em>, as is related in \u201cI will give your rains in their due time,\u201d (Lev. 26:4) that would be a blessing.\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Following the laws of Shmita and Yovel, the Torah states (Lev. 26:3-4): \u201cIf by my statutes you walk and my commandments you observe and do them. I will give your rains in their due time; and the earth will give of her produce, and the tree of the field will give of its fruit.\u201d The Torah here is not speaking of the observance of Torah law generally, but is specifically referring to the laws which precede this statement \u2013 Shmita and Yovel.<\/p>\n<p>Why does Ramban reference Shmita in his comment on Isaac\u2019s blessing? In my opinion, when the Torah refers to the tension of <em>tov v\u2019ra<\/em> \u2013 good and bad, or <em>brakhah u\u2019klalah<\/em> \u2013 blessing and curse, it is an expression of the tension between stability and instability. Ramban concludes by explaining that Isaac\u2019s intention is that God should bless his son in hunting without danger and that the produce of the earth should not be \u201cbad,\u201d using the word <em>ra<\/em>. In other words, that the produce should be stable.<\/p>\n<p>Shmita is scary because it raises deep fears of instability. Perhaps, instead of understanding God\u2019s promise of a three-fold crop as a miraculous happening, the Torah is urging us that if we enact the principles and systems necessary to make Shmita possible \u2013 i.e., utilizing resources to support vulnerable community members \u2013 then we create an environment of stability and ensure \u201cblessing.\u201d Shmita, then, becomes a lesson in tempering our fear of lack by establishing systems of abundance.<\/p>\n<p>The next shmitah year begins next Rosh Hashanah 2021, almost a year from now. We have time to prepare. As we move through 5781 we invite you to join us in preparation for the upcoming Shmitah year \u2013 a sabbatical year for the Earth but also for ourselves, our communities, and our world. Each week we will share thoughts on how the weekly parsha can help guide our thinking around Shmitah themes of work and rest, wealth and debt, responsible land use, fair labor practices, private and public property ownership, and physical and spiritual revitalization.<\/p>\n<p>Join us for the journey.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hazon.org\/shmita-project\/hazon-shmita-blog\/\">See here for more information on the Hazon Shmita project, and its blogs.<\/a><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":81608,"id":81608,"title":"shmita","filename":"shmita.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/bereishit-the-sabbatical-paradigm\/shmita\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"shmita","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":81605,"date":"2020-10-15 14:26:00","modified":"2021-02-01 15:07:19","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":711,"height":708,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","medium_large-width":711,"medium_large-height":708,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","large-width":711,"large-height":708,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","1536x1536-width":711,"1536x1536-height":708,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","2048x2048-width":711,"2048x2048-height":708,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita.jpg","post_full_size-width":711,"post_full_size-height":708,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shmita-422x420.jpg","home_baner-width":422,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"A New Weekly Series: The \"Shmitah Parasha\" Blog","main_caption":"Toldot: What Will We Eat In The Seventh Year? 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