Page 18 - HaMizrachi Tu BiShvat 5782 - USA

SHEMITTA:

THE FARMERS’ EXPERIENCE Nadav Gedaliah

to do everything possible to properly
observe the laws of Shemitta.

Hefker!

Alongside the farmers who rely on the
heter mechirah or join the Otzar Beit Din
are those who have chosen to simply
stop working their land, despite (or
perhaps because of) the difficulty in
doing so. Aryeh Bramson, a resident of
Tel Aviv who has owned a vineyard in
Yitzhar for the past 20 years, is one of
these farmers.
ith all due respect to “We are letting the vineyard rest, just
the home garden, the like that,” he says with the satisfied
Shemitta bin and the smile of one who has clearly been wait-
Wsupermarket dilem- ing for this moment.
mas, Shemitta is first and foremost the
year of the farmers, those who have to How does it work? “As of Rosh Hasha-
nah, there was and will be no work in
decide every seven years where they the vineyard other than rescue and
are headed: Sell the land according to damage prevention. We do almost
the heter mechirah and continue work- nothing. The crop does not belong to
ing the land almost as usual, without us but to all the people of Israel. It is
the holiness of Shemitta (kedushat not a heter mechirah that sells the land
shvi’it), join Otzar Beit Din (in which the to Arabs.”
Beit Din acts as the owner of the field)
with all the complexities it entails or Aren’t you afraid that the vineyard will
to simply keep Shemitta in the most be damaged? “There are always con-
direct fashion, by letting the field lie cerns in the vineyard here,” Bramson
fallow throughout the entire seventh reassures. “Every year, there are dis-
year. eases in the vineyard. Each growth
stage stands on its own and needs a
In recent years I have gotten to know a lot of prayer and effort. Any mishap
few dozen land-loving farmers who feel or special events such as heat or some-
deeply connected to the Land. Though thing unexpected is a problem. There
some struggle with Shemitta or do not are many surprises in the vineyard,
fully understand its importance, there and everything can easily go down
are many pious farmers who choose the drain. We have no hesitation in

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