Parashat Behar/Bechukotai: How does Keeping the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years Bring About Redemption?

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Parashat Behar/Bechukotai
How does keeping the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years Bring About Redemption? 

Why is it a Great Challenge to become a Guest in “Your Own” Garden?

Keeping the Sabbatical year in Israel can be challenging, especially for farmers, and even for very small-scale gardeners like myself. Being a workaholic, I find it difficult to let go of improving my surroundings. It’s not simple to abstain from working the land and truly let go, letting G-d take over. Rather than noticing which plants are unhappy, which one needs compost, or more water or light, the Sabbatical year – Shemitta – is about completely releasing ownership and appreciating what is.

It took me several seven-year cycles to finally reach a place where I could feel like a guest in “my own” garden. Truly internalizing that I don’t own it – that I am merely an eternal renter with a contract from the true Landlord, who reclaims His ownership every seven years – was not immediate. I still remember my first Shemitta year in Bat Ayin and how uncomfortable I felt when, from my kitchen window, I saw a neighbor casually trampling into my garden and helping himself to the ripest cherry tomatoes – the very ones I had planned to harvest the next day in honor of Shabbat.

It was a great challenge to silence my inner voice: “These are my tomatoes! I worked so hard to prepare the soil, plant the seeds, raise the stakes, and ensure they had enough water. How could he have the nerve… without even asking permission?!” While I was able to intellectually accept that the laws of Shemitta grant equal access to all produce growing in the Land of Israel, that inner voice still kept whispering in the back of my mind each Shemitta year – until my fourth Shemitta cycle in Bat Ayin.

Finally, during the most recent Shemitta, I learned to let go and truly relax. After living on the land for over 30 years, I was finally able to completely silence the voice of ownership, even letting go of concern for the fallen fruits that, if left too long, would become infested. No longer did I feel compelled to pick up every single fruit, rinse, inspect, mash, and add to preserves of every kind. For the first time, instead of noticing all the things that needed improvement in my garden, I could simply delight in its beauty.

How Does the Shemitta Year Parallel a Husband-and-Wife Relationship?

Living in Eretz Yisrael grants us a relationship with the land that mirrors the depth and sanctity of marriage. Just as a husband and wife must count seven days of separation following a woman’s cycle, so too do we release physical interaction with the Land every seven years. Just as Shemitta teaches us to relinquish our sense of ownership over the land, the laws of taharat hamishpacha (family purity) train a husband to let go of any illusion of ownership over his wife.

The Shemitta year ingrains within us the truth that we never fully possess the Land – we are only its caretakers. Likewise, the marital cycle of withdrawal and reunion emphasizes that a woman is not an object of possession, and that marriage is a partnership of mutual respect. Our relationship with the Holy Land is similar: it requires reverence, space, and time off for recharging. Stepping back for a time allows for renewal and reconnection. Coming together again breaks the feeling of entitlement and opens the door for deeper love.

The same is true in marriage. Stepping away from physical contact can break stale patterns, the pause offers fresh possibilities for growing together, and opens the heart to rediscovery – new pathways into each other’s souls. Keeping the hands-off laws of the Shemitta year, approaching the Land with humility, reverence, and gratitude, empowers us to reach new levels in the Land. As the Talmud teaches: “In the year following the conclusion of the Sabbatical Year, the son of David will come” (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a). It is through letting go that we prepare the ground – and ourselves – for redemption.

Why is Exile the Consequence of Neglecting Shemitta Observance?

Since keeping the Shemitta year prepares us for redemption, it makes sense that neglecting fulfilling the mitzvot of Shemitta causes exile, as it states, “Because of the sin of neglecting the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, exile comes to the world...” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 33a). This Talmudic statement is based on the following verses in Parashat B’Chukotai:

ספר ויקרא פרק כו פסוק לד אָז תִּרְצֶה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתֶיהָ כֹּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה וְאַתֶּם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶם אָז תִּשְׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ וְהִרְצָת אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתֶיהָ: (לה) כָּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה תִּשְׁבֹּת אֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁבְתָה בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶם בְּשִׁבְתְּכֶם עָלֶיהָ:

“Then, the land will be appeased regarding its sabbaticals. During all the days that it remains desolate while you are in the land of your enemies, the Land will rest and thus appease its sabbaticals. It will rest during all the days that it remains desolate, whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals, when you lived upon it (Vayikra 26:34-35).

Rashi explains that the seventy-year Babylonian exile was a measure-for-measure punishment – one year of exile for each Sabbatical year (Shemitta or Yovel) that the Israelites failed to observe. Over 436 years during which the people consistently sinned and neglected Shemitta, there should have been seventy sacred years of rest for the land. Because these years were disregarded, Hashem exiled the people to allow the land to “rest” in their absence. As it states: “Until the land was appeased for its Shabbatot… until the completion of seventy years” (II Divrei Hayamim 36:21).

The Torah teaches us to keep Shemitta to absorb the Infinite Light within Eretz Yisrael. The holiness of the land is reserved for those willing to meet the conditions to access this Infinite Light. Only by following this practice do we deserve to live in the Holy Land. This explains why the consequence of neglecting to observe Shemitta results in the severe punishment of exile from the Holy Land.

The Netivot Shalom deepens this understanding: The Shemitta year imbues the Land with holiness. When the laws of Shemitta are not upheld, the נְשָׁמָה/neshama – ‘soul’ of the Land departs. And with the departure of its soul, exile from the Holy Land inevitably follows (Netivot Shalom, Vayikra, p. 106).

Why Does Resting Bring About Restoration?

Shemitta applies only in Eretz Yisrael, revealing the land’s elevated spiritual stature and the unique sanctity of its fruits. The produce of the Holy Land contains a distinctive energy and holiness, as reflected in the blessings we recite over the seven species native to it. Rebbe Nachman teaches that ascending to the highest levels of spirituality is not linear – it often involves being pushed back. Yet if we accept these setbacks with simcha (joy), we actually expand our capacity to receive greater Divine light (Likutey Moharan 24). His student, Rav Nachman of Tcherin, explains that this process is foundational: learning how to face pauses and delays with joy becomes essential for progress in all areas of life (Yekara d’Shabbat on LM 24).
This idea is mirrored in many physical disciplines, where the rest between exertions is what brings about the deepest restoration. One of our meditative movement teachers used to say, “Let the pause do its good work.” In moments of stillness, we shift shape – we let go of who we were to become something new. In the process of meditative movement, the pause is essential to transformation – the shedding of the old habit of being. Likewise, after six years of working the land and drawing the spiritual dimension from within the Holy Land and its fruit, Shemitta invites us to stop. Only by letting go – by pausing completely – can we truly internalize the light of the Land.
In today’s fast-paced world, where we are constantly rushing and overextended, the mitzvah of Shemitta offers a powerful spiritual remedy. Taking a break isn’t easy; we fear losing ground. But relentless movement without renewal can lead to burnout. Shemitta teaches us how to pause before we collapse – how to breathe and become whole again. This seventh-year rest is not only agricultural – it is a Divine prescription for spiritual and emotional healing.
(Inspired by Rabbi Meir Elkabas, The Restraint of Shemittah)

The Return to Our Source During the Jubilee Year
Parashat Behar introduces the mitzvah of the Jubilee year – a spiritual milestone that challenges us even more than the Sabbatical year. After observing seven full Shemitta cycles, the Torah calls upon us to sanctify an additional year – the fiftieth – and to refrain from working the land for a second consecutive year:

ספר ויקרא פרק כה פסוק ח וְסָפַרְתָּ לְךָ שֶׁבַע שַׁבְּתֹת שָׁנִים שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים וְהָיוּ לְךָ יְמֵי שֶׁבַע שַׁבְּתֹת הַשָּׁנִים תֵּשַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִים (ט) וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ שׁוֹפַר תְּרוּעָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ בְּיוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים תַּעֲבִירוּ שׁוֹפָר בְּכָל אַרְצְכֶם:(י) וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם אֵת שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ לְכָל ישְׁבֶיהָ יוֹבֵל הִוא תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּם אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ תָּשֻׁבוּ: (יא) יוֹבֵל הִוא שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם לֹא תִזְרָעוּ וְלֹא תִקְצְרוּ אֶת סְפִיחֶיהָ וְלֹא תִבְצְרוּ אֶת נְזִרֶיהָ:

“Then you shall count for yourself seven sabbatical years, seven times. The days of these seven sabbatical years shall amount to forty-nine years for you. You shall proclaim with shofar blasts... on the Day of Atonement... You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you, and you shall return, each man to his property, and each man to his family. The fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor pick its grapes [for yourself] ... (Vayikra 25:8-1).

In this sacred year, we not only observe the agricultural release of Shemitta – refraining from planting and allowing the produce of the fields to be available to all – but we also witness a full societal reset. Land holdings return to their original families. All Hebrew slaves go free. The Yovel year represents a collective return to the roots of our truest self, reconnecting with what is most essential in our lives.

This is why the Torah emphasizes that Yovel is proclaimed specifically on Yom Kippur. As the Maharal explains, Yovel and Yom Kippur are intrinsically linked. Both are about return – whether of land, people, or soul. Just as the Jubilee returns land to its ancestral owner and releases the slave to freedom, Yom Kippur returns the sinner to innocence, restoring us to our original state of purity and perfection (Maharal, Gur Aryeh, Vayikra 25:9).

This return is not only personal but cosmic. The fiftieth year alludes to the Fiftieth Gate – the level of transcendent Divine light that lies beyond the bounds of human logic and limitation.  To let the land lie fallow for two full years – Shemitta followed by Yovel – is the ultimate act of emunah. It demands that we fully surrender all ownership and rely entirely on Hashem. Yet in that very restraint lies the seed of ultimate restoration. The more fully we let go, the more space we create for something infinitely greater to return.

May we merit to reach this sacred return – to come back to our highest selves, and be restored to our rightful portion in the Holy Land, aligned with the essence of our souls.

Here We Keep Shemitta

How Does Shemita Facilitate Gratitude for Renewing Our Relationship With G-d?

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Parashat Behar

 How Does Shemita Facilitate Gratitude for Renewing Our Relationship With G-d? 

Shemita: The Synthesis Between the Systems of Private and Shared Ownership 

The Sabbatical year (Shmita) is truly a gift! I experienced this, especially during the last Shemita in 2021–2022 or 5782. For the first time in the several Shemita Cycles, I had been living on the Land, I felt I could let go of my ownership of our entire plot with its orchard of grapevines and apple, pear, plum, cherry, pomegranate, fig trees and more. It was such a freeing feeling not to feel responsible or worry about picking all the fruits before they would go bad. I took a much-needed break from removing worms and making jams, fruit pies, dehydrated pears, and apricot leather.  I was no longer in charge of sharing and distributing crops, I just announced “Hefker!” – ‘free for all to help themselves’ and whatever may be wasted, so be it. Let the animals of the field, the birds, stray rabbits, turtles, hedgehogs, and even the ants enjoy! At the very least the fruit remnants would return to the earth and nourish it.  The Shmita year – when the land belongs to no one and everyone – is a perfect synthesis between the free enterprise of the Western world and the trend of utopic Marxism, that I was swept away by in my teenage years. Whereas we idealistic teens didn’t have any criticism to spare against the capitalistic private ownership and the exploitation of the poor, it later became all too clear to most of us that the innate self-interest of human nature doesn’t allow a system where everyone shares everything to function permanently. The Torah system of integrating and replacing private ownership with communal ownership every seven years seems to me the perfect sustainable, socialistic system. During Shemita when the produce belongs to everyone, production, distribution, and exchange are owned and regulated by the general community, and we get plenty of Otzar Beit Din fruits and vegetables sold for picking prices. Since no charge is made for the fruit, but only for the labor, Otzar Beis Din products cost much less than regular retail prices making the crop available to the poor. Furthermore, one year of shared ownership has repercussions for the following six years reminding us that ultimately everything belongs to Hashem, and even when we do enjoy private ownership, we don’t forget the poor, but happily let them have their pick. After a well-deserved break from getting dirt under my fingernails, during Shemita year, as soon as Rosh Hashana was behind us, I was eager to restore my garden and plant the winter crop. Then a new gift surprised me! All the swiss chart and beet leaves that I didn’t even plant but just began to water came up in such eager abundance that I literally could feed an army. For every B’erot retreat the students would pick the tender baby leaves for a humongous, wholesome salad, for all to share. 

Receiving the Continual Gift of the Land by Letting Go of the Land 

Parashat Behar opens with the mitzvah of Shemita (the Sabbatical Year).  Just as the Shabbat of the week is a day of rest, the Shemita year is a year of rest. The Sefat Emet explains the purpose of the Shemita year based on its root sh-b-t:

ספר ויקרא פרק כה פסוק ב 

דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַהָשֵׁם:

“Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Shabbat to Hashem” (Vayikra 25:2).

Hashem gives us the Land of Israel to inform us that the land belongs to Hashem. Hashem gave the land to Avraham forever and kept giving it to him. This is the mitzvah of Shemita, that Hashem keeps giving us the land anew. Every Shemita the gift of the land renews itself. As it states, “And let G-d give you [from the dew of the heavens and the fat of the land]” (Bereishit 27:28). [the “and” is interpreted to mean:] let G-d give you and give you once again. Therefore, “When you come to the land that I am giving you…” (Vayikra 25:2), the word נֹתֵן/noten – ‘give’ is in the present tense. The Children of Israel are ready to receive this gift, as it states, “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land belongs to Me, for you are strangers and [temporary] residents with Me” (Vayikra 25:23). This is the praise of the Children of Israel being aware that we are temporary residents. We understand that the land belongs to Hashem, and we attach ourselves perpetually to His gifting power. This is the meaning of the repeated “to give” the land:

ספר נחמיה פרק ט פסוק ח וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ וְכָרוֹת עִמּוֹ הַבְּרִית לָתֵת אֶת אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִתִּי הָאֱמֹרִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהַגִּרְגָּשִׁי לָתֵת לְזַרְעוֹ וַתָּקֶם אֶת דְּבָרֶיךָ כִּי צַדִּיק אָתָּה:

“You found his heart faithful before You, and You made the covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites…to give to his seed, and You kept Your words, for You are righteous” (Nechemiya 9:8). That the land should be given to the Children of Israel repeatedly. Every Shemita “the land will return to Hashem” (Sefat Emet, Parashat Behar, Year 5648). 

The root of both the words Shabbat and Shemita is ‘rest’ or ‘let go’ and ‘return.’ Thus, when we let go of our ownership of the Land, Hashem returns it to us multifold through His perpetual gifting power.  

Acknowledging Hashem’s Ownership of the Land Makes it Ours 

I’m blown away by this concept of continuously relinquishing ownership to be able to receive Hashem’s perpetual gift. What an epiphany to realize that the more we let go of control and ownership the more it becomes ours. This reminds me of the well-known Talmudic statement, Rabbi Levi raised a contradiction: It is written: “The earth and all it contains is Hashem’s (Tehillim 24:1), and it is written elsewhere: “The heavens are Hashem’s but the earth He has given over to humanity (Tehillim 115:16). The former verse refers to the situation before a blessing is recited (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 35a). Whenever we recite a blessing before eating, we recognize Hashem’s ownership. For example, when we praise Hashem for the apple we want to eat, we recognize that He is the King and the Creator of the fruits of the tree. This verbal acknowledgment that everything belongs to G-d imbues us with ownership of whatever we plan to enjoy, conversely, if we fail to recognize Hashem’s ownership, then, as Rabbi Chanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who derives benefit from this world without a blessing, is considered as if he stole from G-d (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 35b). Just as Hashem relinquishes His ownership when we recognize it, I often experience similarly that my desire to give is enhanced when the recipient is undemanding and acknowledges that it is my choice whether to give her what she wants or not. In contrast, I have lately had many uncomfortable encounters with people claiming ownership of what they think they deserve without recognizing that it is up to the giver to decide whether to give or not to give. Who wants to give to someone who comes across with claims of their rights, without even being willing to hear another perspective?  

Shabbat and Shemita – The Source of Renewed Blessing 

According to the Sefat Emet, Shabbat is not only about rest but also about ‘returning,’ another meaning for the same Hebrew root ש-ב-ת. Similarly, during the Shabbat of the Land (Shemita) the land returns to G-d while we rest from working it. The purpose of this return is so that the land will be given to us anew when the Shemita year concludes. Ohr Hachayim explains how every Shabbat imbues Creation with new life. Just as this is true for the Shabbat of Creation [the weekly Shabbat], so it is true for Shemita. All the blessings are dependent on Shemita. Only the Children of Israel are prepared to receive this influence. Likewise, it states about Shemita וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה “[the produce of] the Shabbat of the land shall be yours to eat” (Vayikra 25:6). This hints that all main influences are through שביתה/shevitah – ‘resting’ or ‘returning.’ Resting from work establishes the world (Sefat Emet, Parashat Behar, Year 5648). When we discern the land as a G-d-given-gift we learn not only to appreciate the land but also to open ourselves to attach to the gifting power and be blessed again and again. The more we learn to regard the land as a gift the more it will become a constantly renewed gift.  If we perceive every sunrise, every blade of grass, and every breath that we take, as a gift, then they become gifts that we receive every minute and every second of the day. It isn’t easy to maintain this attitude of appreciation. It is much easier to take everything for granted. Stepping back and doing without helps us gain gratitude. By abstaining from work every seventh year, or every seventh day, we may feel deprived of something central to our lives. But it is exactly by taking it away from ourselves, that we appreciate what we had, and we are therefore able to receive the gift again. The dynamic relationship of movement back and forth, in immersing ourselves in our work and in our withdrawing from our work, in our giving and receiving keeps the relationship alive and vibrant and prevents it from becoming stale (Based on Rabbi Dov Linzer, A Dynamic Faith of Gratitude).

  Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Behar –

Some Tips for How to Learn to Appreciate through Abstinence  

When was the last time you set aside ten minutes to reflect on how grateful you are, for the things you have today that you only used to dream about? For most of us, the answer is “never.” It’s a simple but powerful exercise to break you out of taking everything for granted. All you do is: 

• Set Aside Ten Minutes to Do This Exercise with Something in Your Own Life That Has Meaning to You -- Sit down and think deliberately about what you have now that you take for granted. This is particularly effective when you practice it concerning an area of your life that you’re contemplating upgrading.

• Practice Deliberate Deprivation – Have you ever cut something out of your life temporarily? Maybe you went on a fast, cut out sugar, stopped drinking coffee, or cut computer time. You likely noticed that once you had that item again, whatever it was, you appreciated it a million times more than before. It’s easy to take our daily routines for granted. Shake up your routine and you’ll increase your appreciation.

• Go on a Camping Trip – is a perfect reset. If you’re feeling like you’re taking things for granted, there’s nothing like spending a week or so in a tent to make you fond of indoor plumbing, electricity, and air conditioning.  When we get home, everything that was ordinary when we left feels more special. Our beds are more comfortable, we appreciate our roof (and how it keeps out rain!), and our kitchen as well.

• Take a Smartphone Break – If you think you need a new smartphone, put it away for a week or two. Afterward, you’ll have a new sense of appreciation for your old phone.

• Embark on a “No Spend Month” – If you are spending too much on things you don’t need?  Take a month of the extras and spend only on your basic bills and food. Nothing else.

• Cut off Sugar from Your diet for Two Weeks – Eating too much sugar, salt, or processed foods desensitizes our sense of taste. Try cutting them out for a while to reset your taste buds.

Prayer for Appreciating the Holiness of the Land by Keeping the Mitzvot of The Sabbatical Year

Parashat Behar

Prayer for Appreciating the Holiness of the Land by Keeping the Mitzvot of The Sabbatical Year

Hashem, please guide me to express my love of the Land,

which You have granted us with the wings of Your Hand!

During the Shabbat Year, please help my hand withstand

the temptation to work the land, breaking Your command.

 

Every seven years the land deserves to rest.

Yet, for me, this is one of the greatest tests.

Although I trust Your laws to be the very best, 

in my garden, it is hard to feel like a guest.

 

Let me recognize that only You are the Master here!

The entire land belongs to You whether far or near.

Please strengthen me Hashem during the Shemita Year,

to overcome my deep desire for all the weeds to clear!

 

Do not allow me, my custodian rights to abuse,

by letting various seeds in the holy land diffuse!

Now is the time to firmly refuse

the desire to constantly produce.

 

From exhaustion the land must be healed,

recharging her powers that were concealed.

Yet even when we avoid planting the field,

We may be blessed to discover crops revealed.

 

Whatever was planted before Shemita we may eat:

Apples, pears, cherries and strawberries, what a treat!

Let the fruits’ holiness to my palate taste sweet! 

Help me Hashem to every part of them complete!

 

Let me eat the seeds rather than make them grow!

For on the Shabbat Year, we mustn’t accidentally sow.

I know, letting the hoe go, allows only You to bestow.

As above let Your blessings flow for the land below to glow!

Based on Vayikra Chapter 25: verse 2-7:

ספר ויקרא פרק כה

(ב) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַהָשֵׁם:

(ג) שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת תְּבוּאָתָהּ:

(ד) וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַהָשֵׁם שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר:

(ה) אֵת סְפִיחַ קְצִירְךָ לֹא תִקְצוֹר וְאֶת עִנְּבֵי נְזִירֶךָ לֹא תִבְצֹר שְׁנַת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ:

(ו) וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה לְךָ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ וְלַאֲמָתֶךָ וְלִשְׂכִירְךָ וּלְתוֹשָׁבְךָ הַגָּרִים עִמָּךְ:

(ז) וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ וְלַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצֶךָ תִּהְיֶה כָל תְּבוּאָתָהּ לֶאֱכֹל:

“Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Shabbat to Hashem. You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce. Yet in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest a Shabbat to Hashem; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest, and you shall not pick the grapes you had set aside [for yourself], [for] it shall be a year of rest for the land. And [the produce of] the Shabbat of the land shall be yours to eat for you, for your male and female slaves, and for your hired worker and resident who live with you, and all its produce may be eaten [also] by your domestic animals and by the beasts that are in your land” (Vayikra 25:2-7).