Page 27 - HaMizrachi Tu BiShvat 5782 - USA

express itself in the merging of the physical beating. In some ways, there has been for a buildup. Coupled with the Divine
and spiritual, not with the corruption of a Shemitta of sorts, as society as we berachah of increased yield in the sixth
either or both. know it has ground to a halt. year, there is an understanding that
there will be a break, a year when
For this reason, shevi’it is referred to But while it is true that one can iden- the wheels of progress push towards
as Shabbat haAretz, and much like the tify some positive effects of Covid-19, another form of advancement – when
weekly Shabbat, it is a Shabbat Lashem, including a temporary lapse in pollu- the economy can be set aside for the
a Shabbat for Hashem. tion and numerous social initiatives sake of growth in realms other than
that brought out the best in people, business.
Shemitta today how many of them will remain in the
long term? As masks (hopefully) come The centrality of shevi’it has led some
The Covid-19 pandemic that caught off and the locks are opened, society to search for ways in which even the
the world off guard has had massive still lacks a mechanism to ensure these non-agricultural sectors of society can
repercussions for society, and as of this values aren’t short-lived. experience the mitzvot of Shemitta, and
writing, continues to impact the world. how can Jews throughout the world
Who could have imagined that lock- Shemitta, in contrast, allows the world connect to some of Shemitta’s themes?
downs, masking, and social distancing to take a time out. In an agricultural Some advocate buying agricultural land
would become part of our daily lives society, Shemitta not only calls for in order to fulfill the mitzvah of letting
and that what we once considered more limited agricultural production it lie fallow. This does not, however,
necessities would become off-limits? but a year off for everyone, a rest period provide a full experience of the mitz-
Society has been turned upside down for the rich and poor alike. Preparation vah. After all, those who buy tiny plots
through anxiety, illness, death, unem- in the preceding years is an integral of land and fail to cultivate them can
ployment, and loneliness, and the part of ensuring successful accommo- hardly be described as giborei ko’ach,
world economy has taken a massive dation during shevi’it, but it also allows “mighty in strength,” the appellation of

Olive trees in the Hinom Valley,
overlooking Har HaBayit
(PHOTO: BEN GOLDSTEIN)

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