Difference between revisions of "Duration of the Pre-Shemittah Blessing of the Produce/2"
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<opinion>Every Shemittah | <opinion>Every Shemittah | ||
− | <p>The Sabbatical year begins in Nissan, during the harvest season.  As such, during every Shemittah cycle, | + | <p>The Sabbatical year begins in Nissan, during the harvest season.  As such, during every Shemittah cycle, any crops planted even n the sixth year are not harvested, requiring the fifth year to make enough food to last for the entire sixth, seventh and eighth  years.</p> |
− | <mekorot>Karaite opinion | + | <mekorot>Karaite opinion cited by <multilink><a href="IbnEzraVayikra25-20-22" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraVayikra25-20-22" data-aht="source">Vayikra 25:20-22</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink></mekorot> |
<point><b>New Year</b> – According to the Karaites, there is only one New Year,<fn><a href="MishnaRoshHaShanah1-1" data-aht="source">Mishna Rosh HaShanah 1:1</a> which emphasizes how there are four different new years might be reacting to this position.</fn> in Nissan, as proven from the verse "הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחׇדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה".  As such, both Shemittah and Yovel begin then.  <multilink><a href="IbnEzraVayikra25-9" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraVayikra25-9" data-aht="source">Vayikra 25:9</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink> questions this approach from several verses:<br/> | <point><b>New Year</b> – According to the Karaites, there is only one New Year,<fn><a href="MishnaRoshHaShanah1-1" data-aht="source">Mishna Rosh HaShanah 1:1</a> which emphasizes how there are four different new years might be reacting to this position.</fn> in Nissan, as proven from the verse "הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחׇדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה".  As such, both Shemittah and Yovel begin then.  <multilink><a href="IbnEzraVayikra25-9" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraVayikra25-9" data-aht="source">Vayikra 25:9</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink> questions this approach from several verses:<br/> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | <li>He points out that Sukkot is referred to as coming "בְּצֵאת הַשָּׁנָה",‎<fn>See <a href="Shemot23-16" data-aht="source">Shemot 23:16</a> and <a href="Shemot34-22" data-aht="source">Shemot 34:22</a>.</fn>‎ suggesting that Tishrei (and not | + | <li>He points out that Sukkot is referred to as coming "בְּצֵאת הַשָּׁנָה",‎<fn>See <a href="Shemot23-16" data-aht="source">Shemot 23:16</a> and <a href="Shemot34-22" data-aht="source">Shemot 34:22</a>.</fn>‎ suggesting that Tishrei (and not Nissan) marks the change from one year to the next. The Karaites might respond that the verse refers to the end of an agricultural year, but not a ritual one. </li> |
<li>Ibn Ezra further notes that the shofar blast that marks the Jubilee year is blown after Yom Kippur, suggesting that the year begins in Tishrei.</li> | <li>Ibn Ezra further notes that the shofar blast that marks the Jubilee year is blown after Yom Kippur, suggesting that the year begins in Tishrei.</li> | ||
<li>Finally, he points to the order of the nation's words "הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף" to prove that in the Sabbatical year planting precedes sowing, in contrast to the claims of the Karaites.</li> | <li>Finally, he points to the order of the nation's words "הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף" to prove that in the Sabbatical year planting precedes sowing, in contrast to the claims of the Karaites.</li> | ||
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
− | <point><b>"מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת"</b> – Asking about scarcity of food in the seventh year is logical according to this approach.  Already from the beginning of the seventh year the people have nothing to eat since they never had a chance to  harvest any food planted in the sixth year.<fn>According to other approaches, food planted in the sixth year is harvested before the Shemittah cycle, but since this approach sets Shemittah in Nissan, during the harvest season, there is no opportunity to gather food planted in th second half of the sixth year.</fn> It is even possible that | + | <point><b>"מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת"</b> – Asking about scarcity of food in the seventh year is logical according to this approach.  Already from the beginning of the seventh year the people have nothing to eat since they never had a chance to  harvest any food planted in the sixth year.<fn>According to other approaches, food planted in the sixth year is harvested before the Shemittah cycle, but since this approach sets Shemittah in Nissan, during the harvest season, there is no opportunity to gather food planted in th second half of the sixth year.</fn> It is even possible that the nation would not plant crops in the sixth year knowing that it would be prohibited to reap them.<fn>One might claim that the people's question should have really been, "what will we eat in the seventh and eighth years." This approach might answer that the second year is assumed, even though only the imminent worry is verbalized.</fn></point> |
− | <point><b>"לֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ"</b> – The Karaites point to the word "תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ" (referring to planted rather than wild grains) as support that the Shemittah year begins at harvest time.  Only according to this position can the people speak of not being able to gather from the planted crops of previous season.  According to everyone else no one had sown in the first half of the year, so the verse should have instead used the term "ספיח," which refers to that which grows on its own in the wild.</point> | + | <point><b>"לֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ"</b> – The Karaites point to the word "תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ" (referring to planted rather than wild grains) as support that the Shemittah year begins at harvest time.  Only according to this position can the people speak of not being able to gather from the planted crops of previous season.  According to everyone else no one had sown in the first half of the year, so the verse should have instead used the term "ספיח," which refers to that which grows on its own in the wild.<fn>Ibn Ezra responds that the word "תבואה" also includes that which grows on its own in the wild.  Alternatively the people could be using that term since they also mentioned not being able to plant.</fn></point> |
− | <point><b>"וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית"</b> – According to this position, although it is food from the fifth year which will sustain the nation, Hashem refers to | + | <point><b>"וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית"</b> – According to this position, although it is food from the fifth year which will sustain the nation, Hashem refers to this as a blessing of the sixth year since it is first in the sixth year that the food is gathered.</point> |
<point><b>"וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים"</b> – <p>Since there are two years in which there is no harvesting, food must last for three years. Moreover, the language of "שְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים" with a definite article makes sense since the verse refers not just to 36 months but to three full years of the Shemittah cycle.</p></point> | <point><b>"וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים"</b> – <p>Since there are two years in which there is no harvesting, food must last for three years. Moreover, the language of "שְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים" with a definite article makes sense since the verse refers not just to 36 months but to three full years of the Shemittah cycle.</p></point> | ||
<point><b>"וּזְרַעְתֶּם אֵת הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמִינִת"</b> – This verse presents no problem for this position, as crops are planted in the second half of the eighth year.</point> | <point><b>"וּזְרַעְתֶּם אֵת הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמִינִת"</b> – This verse presents no problem for this position, as crops are planted in the second half of the eighth year.</point> |
Version as of 11:50, 19 May 2016
Pre-Shemittah Blessing of the Produce
Exegetical Approaches
Three Full Years
Hashem promises that the produce from the sixth year will feed the nation for three full years. This position subdivides regarding the situation spoken of in the verses:
Shemittah Followed by Yovel
The verses speak of a case in which Shemittah is followed by the Jubilee Year. Since there are then two consecutive years in which sowing is prohibited, Hashem promises that the food planted in the sixth year will sustain the people for three entire years.
- Ramban and Abarbanel suggest to rearrange the order of the verse (לסרס המקרא) so that it reads, "And if you say in the seventh year, "what shall we eat [in the eighth year]".
- Abarbanel alternatively suggests to repunctuate the verse, putting a pause after the words, "מַה נֹּאכַל" rather than after "בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת".4 As such, the verse reads, "If you say, 'What shall we eat? [After all] in the seventh year we may not sow or harvest!?'"
- R. Wessely, instead, suggests that the people are asking, "how will we eat [in peace] in the seventh year knowing that we won't be sowing or gathering [for the next year]?
- This position might assert that the Jubilee year is not counted among the years of the Shemittah cycle, and thus, the eighth year of the verse refers to the year after Yovel.
- Abarbanel, instead, suggests that the phrase is attached to the previous verse and means that due to the blessing, it will be as if you planted in the eighth year.
- R"Y Bekhor Shor, Ramban,5 and R. Wessely claim that in reality the verses are addressing both the regular scenario and the more exceptional Yovel year. The phrase "וּזְרַעְתֶּם אֵת הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמִינִת" goes back to a normal cycle in which sowing is permitted in the eighth year.6
Every Shemittah
The Sabbatical year begins in Nissan, during the harvest season. As such, during every Shemittah cycle, any crops planted even n the sixth year are not harvested, requiring the fifth year to make enough food to last for the entire sixth, seventh and eighth years.
- He points out that Sukkot is referred to as coming "בְּצֵאת הַשָּׁנָה",8 suggesting that Tishrei (and not Nissan) marks the change from one year to the next. The Karaites might respond that the verse refers to the end of an agricultural year, but not a ritual one.
- Ibn Ezra further notes that the shofar blast that marks the Jubilee year is blown after Yom Kippur, suggesting that the year begins in Tishrei.
- Finally, he points to the order of the nation's words "הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף" to prove that in the Sabbatical year planting precedes sowing, in contrast to the claims of the Karaites.
Since there are two years in which there is no harvesting, food must last for three years. Moreover, the language of "שְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים" with a definite article makes sense since the verse refers not just to 36 months but to three full years of the Shemittah cycle.
Parts of Three Years
Hashem blesses the nation that the crops planted in the beginning of the sixth year will suffice to nourish them across parts of three years of the Shemittah cycle: during the second half of the sixth year, the entire seventh year, and the first half of the eighth year.
- Rashi explains that even though some crops can be eaten earlier, until Sukkot of the ninth year there is still some produce that has not yet been brought into the house.16
- Netziv, instead, suggests that the verse is saying that even though it is not necessary, enough crops will grow to last until the ninth year.17
- Ralbag, in contrast, claims that this part of the verse refers to a year in which Yovel follows Shemittah, in which case the old grains must sustain the nation through the ninth year.18 Abarbanel questions this splitting of the verses, writing, "איך יפרשהו לשעורין חלק לשמטה וחלק ביובל?"
Two Plus One
Hashem promises that the produce from the sixth year will provide food for two years, and material to sow for the third year.