“Ki Li HaAretz”: Changes in Meaning of “The Holy Place” (and Zionism) in Heschel’s Thought
Shemitah’s social laws reflect a deep religious attitude to the “holy land.” Since the rise of Zionism, this term has taken on political implications, which caused Abraham Joshua Heschel to change his mind time and again about its meaning. In this course we will consider the various religious understandings of Shemitah in the Torah alongside the various interpretations of the “holy land” in Heschel’s thought.
Shemittah in the Mishnah: Challenges and Opportunities
This class will undertake the close study of Mishnayot Sheviit BeIyyun, working through the Masechta with a focus on literary and conceptual issues. We expect to cover the following material over the four classes:
1. Chapters 1-3: Resting the Land – Timeline and Operations
2. Chapters 4-5: Benefiting from the Land and Benefiting Fellow Man
3. Chapters 6-9: Boundaries of the Land and Use of Shemitah Produce
4. Chapter 10: Shemitat Kesafim (Release of Money) and its Challenges
Covenantal Commandment: The Sabbatical Year in the Bible
The Torah sees the commandment of the Shemitah as a central observance with far-reaching social, ethical, and religious implications. We will pay close attention to the biblical text to understand how this observance is framed in the Bible and its contemporary relevance.
A Sabbath of the Land for You: Shemittah, Ethics, and Jewish Philosophy
While Shemitah may appear to be a narrow topic linked specifically to agricultural laws in the land of Israel, this class will use Shemitah as a window into contemporary ethical questions about economics, the environment, and freedom. We’ll explore how Jewish philosophical texts, from medieval to modern, understand shemitah’s broader significance for those who might not encounter it in daily practice.
- Session 1/Intro: Why might Jewish philosophy have anything to say about Shemitah? This class will introduce some of the different approaches Jewish philosophers have used to think about Shemitah and explore what might be gained by thinking philosophically about this topic. We will also broach some questions of philosophy of halakha by discussing what it means to “participate” in Shemitah.
- Session 2/Economic Justice: The notions of rest for both the land and agricultural workers, as well as the release of debts after the Shemitah year, speaks to concerns about economic and labor justice, explored by many modern Jewish thinkers.
- Session 3/Land and Zionism: Shemitah is inherently about the land. Modern Jewish thinkers differ on their approach to the land of Israel and Judaism, which impacts the ways we may think of Shemitah.
- Session 4/Rest and Environmental Ethics: Like Shabbat, Shemitah is fundamentally about “rest.” What might notions of “Sabbath” and rest have to say for Jewish philosophy? How might they impact that way we think about our current environmental crisis?
- Session 5/Freedom: Finally in the Jubilee year the Bible tells us to proclaim freedom across the land, and every seven years slaves are set free. Notions of freedom are central to Jewish philosophy, especially in the modern period. – How might they help us understand the meaning of freedom in the Shemitah year?
Shemittah: Radical Perspectives on Society, Land and the Individual
The Biblical descriptions of Shemitah, and other laws regarding Tzedaka, pose a challenge to the normal rules that govern the structures and smooth functioning of our society. Hazal emphasized the critical significance of these ideals and at the same time created practical methods to circumvent the difficulties that they created, amplifying the cognitive dissonance already present. We will look at passages in Talmud and Midrashic texts and analyze together where these divergent patterns of thought lead us.
Pruzbol: A Talmud Shiur
The Mishnah in the fourth chapter of Gittin lists a number of Rabbinic decrees created “mi-penei tikkun ha-olam,” for the betterment of the world. One of those listed is the Pruzbol, instituted by Hillel to encourage Jews to make loans to one another. This course will study the Talmudic discussion of Pruzbol in Gittin 36a-37b, which touches on a series of burning questions like “how was Pruzbol allowed in the first place?” and “should we get rid of it?” In each session we will use a section of the Talmud in Gittin as a jumping off point into parallel texts and medieval commentators. This course is oriented towards students with some experience studying medieval Talmud commentators, but most texts will be presented with translation.
Contemporary Shemittah: Challenges and Compliance, Relevance and Rebirth
The biblical charge of Shemitah, 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 Shemitah 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 Shemitah today.