|
Shabbat Parashat Vayishlach 5784Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Preparation for Shemitta – #177 – part IDate and Place: 1 Tevet 5669 (1908), Yafo Recipient: This is a public letter to the residents and farmers of the agricultural settlements of Eretz Yisrael. Body: The upcoming year, 5670, is a Shemitta year (Sabbatical year, during which there are major limitations in Eretz Yisrael on agricultural work and on use of the Land’s produce), according to the count that is customarily used. This is based on the accepted opinions from the times of the Geonim and the Rishonim from way back in history. From the time the New Yishuv took root in the Land and started including agricultural work, the question of Shemitta has turned into a major question. This is because of our status as a small, vulnerable entity. We are but a minority in the Holy Land, which is mainly occupied by non-Jews. Also, the main part of the Yishuv’s economy is based on production and marketing of wine and other produce of the Land. Due to these two fundamental reasons, as well other reasons, it is in no way possible to fulfill the mitzva of Shemitta according to all its laws and prohibitions, which would include stopping all work of cultivation, making all the produce ownerless, and having to treat the produce as possessing sanctity of Shemitta. This would by necessity cause the whole Yishuv to be totally destroyed, Heaven forbid. If during the course of the year, the commercial connections are stopped, the few farmers that exist will have to leave the Holy Land because of an inability to support themselves in this poverty. Because there are so few fellow Jews in the Land at this time, the agricultural communities will be desolate and abandoned. [This flies against the spirit of the Torah, which is a Torah of] “Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peaceful,” and bring life and blessing forever. Therefore, venerable, brilliant rabbis got together and dealt with this problem in previous Shemitta cycles and identified several factors that make the halachic imperative of keeping the laws of Shemitta weaker these days than they were in ancient times: 1. Many halachic authorities posit that the laws of Shemitta in our days apply only according to Rabbinic law. 2. The land of Eretz Yisrael is, based on the “law of the kingdom,” owned by the king. Therefore, those who live on and work the land are only like sharecroppers on a non-Jew’s land. 3. There are also doubts as to the count of years, i.e., we do not know for sure which year is actually Shemitta. Other side reasons can also affect matters. In truth, none of these reasons and even their confluence suffice to cancel the laws of Shemitta, Heaven forbid, as we will explain: The first reason, that it is only Rabbinic, does not [necessarily] take away at all from the obligation to keep it and from its severity. After all, we say: “The words of the Scribes are more beloved than the words of the Torah itself” (Yerushalmi, Berachot 1:4). The idea that the king owns the land is also not enough of a reason [to change things significantly] for a few reasons. Also, the doubt about the count of years does not make it permitted [to ignore Shemitta]. For one, we have already decided and work with a clear assumption about the count of years, accepted by our great rabbis, the Rishonim and the most brilliant of the generations, with the concurrence of the head teacher, the Rambam. According to their count, 5670 is the year of Shemitta. Also, it is not possible to maintain a doubt about the year and be lenient based on that, as we would fully uproot a mitzva based on doubt. However, since we sometimes find that the Rabbis give permission to be more lenient regarding a law that they legislated than by a Torah law, this is significant when combined with other reasons to be lenient, especially when the need to be lenient is very pressing. We will continue from here next time. Top of page
Print this page
Send to friend
|
We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for: Nir Rephael ben Rachel Bracha Arye Yitzchak ben Geula Miriam Neta bat Malka Meira bat Esther Together with all cholei Yisrael
to the memory of: for our homeland Prof. Yisrael Aharoni z"l Kislev 14, 5783 Rav Shlomo Merzel z”l
Mr. Shmuel & Esther Shemesh z"l Sivan 17 / Av 20 Mr. Moshe Wasserzug z"l Tishrei 20 ,5781 R' Eliyahu Carmel z"l Rav Carmel's father Iyar 8 ,5776 Mrs. Sara Wengrowsky bat R’ Moshe Zev a”h. Tamuz 10 ,5774 Rav Asher & Susan Wasserteil z"l R' Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld z"l & Mrs. Sara Brachfeld z"l Tevet 16 ,5780 R 'Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha and Chana bat Yaish & Simcha Sebbag, z"l Rav Yisrael Rozen z"l Rav Benzion Grossman z"l R' Abraham & Gita Klein z"l Iyar 18, /5779Av 4 Rav Moshe Zvi (Milton) Polin z"l R' Yitzchak Zev Tarshansky z"l Adar 28, 5781 Nina Moinester z"l Nechama Osna bat Yitzhak Aharon & Doba Av 30, 5781 Rabbi Dr. Jerry Hochbaum z"l Adar II 17, 5782 Mrs. Julia Koschitzky z"l Adar II 18, 5782 Mrs. Leah Meyer z"l Nisan 27, 5782 Mr. Shmuel & Rivka Brandman z"l Tevet 16 5783/ Iyar 8, 5781 R' Yona Avraham ben Shmuel Storfer z”l 19 Kislev Hemdat Yamim |