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IS A NEGLECTED GARDEN
A SIGN OF

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon

n order to address the question whether this is forbidden by Torah law Even in such a case, however, it is pref-
of gardening during Shemitta, we or only by rabbinic decree. erable that one harvest in an altered
will examine Shemitta from the Pruning is the removal of branches manner (e.g., if produce is usually har-
Isources. vested with a tool, one should harvest
from a tree to stimulate growth. Some instead by hand).
authorities maintain that the Torah
Labors that are forbidden prohibition applies only to grape- This prohibition of harvesting pro-
by Torah law vines, while the pruning of other trees duce only applies to produce that has
is only forbidden by rabbinic decree. Shemitta sanctity. Therefore, it is per-
“Six years you may sow your field and According to this view, the Torah only missible to pick fruit during the first
six years you may prune your vineyard prohibits pruning that stimulates the few months of Shemitta in the ordinary
and gather in the yield. But in the sev- growth of the fruit, as is the case with manner (since it does not have Shemitta
enth year the land shall have a sabbath a grapevine. sanctity). On the other hand, fruit that
of complete rest, a sabbath of the L-rd: has Shemitta sanctity must be picked
you shall not sow your field or prune Plowing is forbidden during Shem- in an altered manner, even during
your vineyard. You shall not reap the itta, but there is a disagreement as to the eighth year, even though planting
aftergrowth of your harvest or gather whether all plowing is forbidden by is already permissible. The Shemitta
the grapes of your untrimmed vines; it Torah law (which is the prevailing opin- sanctity of vegetables is determined
shall be a year of complete rest for the ion) or only plowing that accompanies by the date on which they are picked,
land” (Vayikra 25:3–5). the planting process. and therefore, from the very beginning
These verses contain four labors that When it comes to harvesting the pro- of the Shemitta year, they may not be
are forbidden to perform during the duce, by Torah law, it is forbidden to picked in the ordinary manner, but
Shemitta year: sowing, pruning, reaping gather (picking fruits and other peren- only in small quantities (as explained
and gathering. nial crops) or reap (harvesting vege- in the preceding paragraph), until the
tables and other annual crops). This next Rosh Hashanah.
Sowing is the burying of seeds in prohibition stems from the fact that
the soil so that crops can grow from it is forbidden to demonstrate owner- Labors that are forbidden by
them. The prohibition against sowing ship over the land. It follows that one is rabbinic decree
applies even to plants that do not bear permitted to harvest a small, non-com-
fruit. Planting a seedling or a tree is mercial quantity of produce that will In addition to
also forbidden, but the Poskim disagree suffice for one’s family for several days. the labors

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