November 3, 2021
Contemporary Shemittah: Challenges and Compliance, Relevance and Rebirth
The biblical charge of Shemittah, wherein the land must lie fallow for an entire year on a regular basis, originally applied to a world with radically different economic realities, expectations, and constraints from the world we live in today. To that end, since the return of a large Jewish communal presence in Eretz Yisrael in the late 19th century, the prospect of contemporary Shemittah has posed a unique challenge within the realm of Jewish observance. This class considers different aspects of that challenge as well as proposed resolutions over the centuries, from the legal and ethical debates over Hetter Mekhira to discussions around whether and how it might be possible to restore the thematic relevance and meaning of Shemittah today.
