Podcasts about shemita

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this second bonus episode of Elul Unbound, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash continue their exploration of the power of threes.This Elul bonus episode is the second of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2024 (our 22nd-25th Elul episodes overall). Check out Elul Unbound by visiting www.judaismunbound.com/elul.To check out our previous Elul bonus episodes, released through Elul Unbounds of the past six years, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2024 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our first Elul Unbound Shabbat gathering of 2024 (Friday, September 6th), where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with friends, by clicking here.

arashat Re'eh concludes with the command to celebrate the festival of Sukkot. The Torah instructs: "You shall rejoice on your festival… For seven days, you shall celebrate for Hashem your G-d…for Hashem your G-d will bless you with all your grain, and in all your endeavors; and you shall only be joyous" (16:14-15). Twice in these verses the Torah appears to command us to rejoice on Sukkot. It first commands, "Ve'samahta Be'hagecha" ("You shall rejoice on your festival"), and then says, "Ve'hayita Ach Samei'ah" ("you shall only be joyous"). What is the meaning of this dual imperative? Rashi brings two interpretations of these verse. First, he suggests, the Torah adds "Ve'hayita Ach Same'ah" not as a command, but rather as a promise. If we properly fulfill the Misva of Simha (rejoicing) on Sukkot, then we will be assured to experience genuine happiness and joy throughout the coming year. Secondly, Rashi cites the Gemara's understanding of the phrase "Ve'hayita Ach Same'ah," as extending this obligation to the eighth day, the day of Shemini Aseret. The Torah first introduces the Misva to rejoice during the seven days of Sukkot, and then adds that we must joyously celebrate also on the eighth day. Rav Meir Simha of Dvinsk, in his Meshech Hochma, suggests a different explanation of "Ve'hayita Ach Same'ah." He notes that in the first verse, the Torah commands celebrating the year's crop, which is gathered into the warehouses around the time of Sukkot – "You shall rejoice…for Hashem your G-d will bless you with all your grain…" The celebration of Sukkot is integrally linked to the harvest, to the farmer's joy upon completing that year's agricultural cycle, having just now brought all his produce into storage for the winter. However, Rav Meir Simha notes, there are some years when no produce is collected. Every seven years, farmers must observe Shemita, refraining from agricultural work for an entire year, and granting all people free access to their fields. At the end of the Shemita year, the farmer does not harvest anything, because he had not worked the fields, and anything that grew was taken by other people. Rav Meir Simha thus suggests that the additional command "Ve'hayita Ach Same'ah" refers to Sukkot after the Shemita year. The Torah emphasizes that even during this year, when there is no harvest to be thankful for, the farmer must still observe a festive Yom Tob, and celebrate his relationship with Hashem. Baruch Hashem, most of us have "filled warehouses" for which to be grateful to Hashem. The vast majority of us have an income, a home, and the ability to purchase all that we need, and much more. But the Torah here teaches us that even when our "warehouses" are not "filled," even in times of financial uncertainty, we can and must still retain our joy. We must be able to celebrate our relationship with Hashem, and the privilege we have to serve Him, under all conditions, even in times of hardship. No matter what we are going through, we can find comfort and joy in the knowledge that we are Hashem's beloved children, and that He has chosen us as His servants. The command "Ve'hayita Ach Same'ah" calls upon us to experience joy in our connection to Hashem at all times and under all circumstances, even during life's more challenging moments.

The Power to Create Time : Counting the Omer & the Various Dimensions of Time /Weeks/Months/Years/ Shemita/Yovel. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ravpinsonpodcast/support

Join us in Jerusalem for Ohr Samayach's Inaugural Yarchei Kallah event from July 1st to 4th, 2024! Featuring HaRav Yitzchak Breitowitz shlit"a & HaRav Asher Weiss shlit"a  Click here for more information.   Dont miss this one of a kind experience!   Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at  https://ohr.edu/donate/qa   Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu   Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel​ whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today!   Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a   Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7   Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos   00:00 - What is the difference between my suffering being a Kapara (atonement) or a result of my own mistakes?   05:00 - The Torah mentions many miraculous things occurring as a result of keeping mitzvos (Shemita and Sotah). Do we have historical or archaeological evidence that these things happened?   11:30 - We know that it is forbidden to ‘put a stumbling block before the blind'. Would this also apply to giving someone food of a lower standard of kashrut than you would personally eat?   16:20 - What is the significance and effect of mourner's kaddish?   22:00 - Can women say kaddish?   24:20 - Can a convert say kaddish for a non-Jewish parent?   26:10 - There seems to be a contradiction in how the Torah views money. On the one hand, the Torah says that one who has possessions will have worry; on the other hand, money is celebrated when it is given as a donation to the yeshiva.   31:40 - If I could know for certain that I could be a successful business person   34:50 - There is a torah prohibition against Beged Isha. A man wearing a woman's item of clothing. This has been extended to plucking hairs or dying hairs. However, we have a principle that what is deemed ‘woman's behaviour' changes with the era in history. Could this permit plucking hairs and the like?   38:00 - Is Beged Isha the reason why religious women do not wear pants?   39:00 - What percentage of men need to practice a behaviour in order to for it be permissible in regard to the prohibition of Beged Isha?   40:40 - What is the significance of Ana BoKoach and why do we say it during Sefiras HaOmer?   44:00 - How do we relate to stories of Gedolim that are beyond us?   51:00 - Banned Books and Boruch Epstein   58:00 - Why did Volozhin yeshiva close?   1:00:10 - Men and Women touching is usually forbidden but is mutar in professional settings. Is it fitting to be machmir in such professional settings?   1:02:45 - Sexual Harassment and the modern-day relevance of Halachic boundaries on male-female interactions   01:07:30 - What is the purpose for Aggedata in the Gemara? Is it all literally true?   01:18:40 - What is Geula? Is it physical or spiritual, personal or national?   01:22:00 - Is the son of Cohen and a convert a Cohen?   01:23:30 - Is the child of a woman who converted during pregnancy Jewish by descent or a convert?   01:25:30 - What is the Torah view on Progressive Income Tax?   01:28:45 - Why do they play music before candle-lighting during Sefira?   01:31:00 - Should we be more lenient in Halacha in the interest of achdus(unity)?   01:35:00 - Is it a problem to say hamapil in pajamas? What about talking after hamapil?   You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

Shemita y la llegada de mashiaj.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah (last shiur of the year), Rav Burg explains how Shemita and Yovel rectify the sin of Kayin and Hevel. As one journeys through the story of Kayin and Hevel to Lemech and his wives and four children and finally to Shes and his ultimate descendant Noach it becomes clear that the narrative is about the loss of Tzelem Elokim and the dangers of living in an animal society. Ultimately a society that loses its awareness of its own Godliness will destroy itself. Shemita and Yovel bring us back to true freedom and restore our Godly dignity. Link to sources: www.sefaria.org/sheets/565875

Why does the Torah mention Har Sinai at the beginning of this week's Parsha? What are the multitude of meanings behind the Shemita laws? All this and more on this week's Ponderings on the Parsha1

RAB SALO ALFIE- BEHAR- LA SHEMITA Y LA DIASPORA by FOOD 4 OUR SOUL

The Torah in Parashat Vayelech (Debarim 31:12) commands that the entire nation – men, women and children – must assemble in Jerusalem for a special ceremony, called “Hakhel” (“assemble”), every seven years. This ceremony, which featured the public reading of certain sections of the Torah by the king, would take place after the conclusion of the Shemita year, on the first day of Hol Ha'moed Sukkot. The Gemara in Masechet Kiddushin (34) comments that as Hakhel constitutes a Misvat Aseh She'ha'zman Gerama – an affirmative command which applies at a particular time – it should, in principle, apply only to men. As a general rule, women are exempt from these kinds of Misvot. However, Hakhel marks an exception to this rule, as the Torah explicitly commands assembling the men, women and children. In explaining the reason behind this Misva, the Sefer Ha'hinuch writes that the entire essence of the Jewish Nation lies in the Torah. It is the Torah that distinguishes us from all other peoples. Other nations perform acts of kindness, and have houses of prayer, but the Torah is unique to Am Yisrael. And, it is the Torah that enables us to earn eternal life and the unprecedented delights of the next world. Therefore, the Sefer Ha'hinuch explains, it is worthwhile for the nation to come together at certain times in order to reaffirm its identity, to be reminded that the core essence of Am Yisrael is our commitment to the Torah. Once in seven years, a major assembly is held, and everybody will know that this assembly is being held for the purpose of conducting a public Torah reading. This will leave a profound impression on the people, reminding them of the primary importance of Torah in our lives. This awareness will arouse within the people a fierce desire to learn the Torah, and as a result of this desire, they will commit to learn the Torah intensively, thus becoming worthy of Hashem's blessings. The king would read the Torah at Hakhel in the Ezrat Nashim section of the courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash. He was permitted to read the Torah while sitting, though he was deemed praiseworthy if he stood for the reading. He would read from the beginning of the Book of Debarim through the first paragraph of Shema, in Parashat Va'et'hanan, and then skip to the second paragraph of Shema, in Parashat Ekeb. He would then read from the section of “Aser Te'aser” in Parashat Re'eh through the end of the sections of the blessings and curses. Trumpets would be sounded throughout the city of Jerusalem announcing the event of Hakhel, and a large wooden stage would be erected in the middle of the Ezrat Nashim. The king would step up onto the stage, where he would be visible to the entire crowd, and everyone would assemble around the stage. The Sefer Torah would be passed around the nation's leaders (from the “Hazan Ha'kenesset,” to the “Rosh Ha'kenesset,” to the deputy Kohen Gadol, and then to the Kohen Gadol), until it was finally handed to the king. This was done as an expression of honor for the king. The king opens the Sefer Torah, recites the Berachot, and reads the aforementioned sections. After the reading, he recites seven additional Berachot. A man or woman who was able to attend Hakhel and failed to do so, or a king who refuses to read the Torah at Hakhel, transgresses this affirmative command. The Sefer Ha'hinuch writes that those who neglect this Misva are liable to grave punishment, because Hakhel constitutes a “strong pillar” that upholds our religion, and thus failing to fulfill this Misva threatens the perpetuation of our faith. The Misva of Hakhel, as mentioned, is linked to the Misva of Shemita, as it is conducted during Sukkot after the conclusion of the Shemita year. As such, it applies only when the Misva of Shemita applies, meaning, when the majority of the Jewish Nation resides in the Land of Israel. A number of writers raised the question of why the Sages did not enact any commemoration of the Misva of Hakhel. Many other laws that apply during times of the Bet Ha'mikdash are required even nowadays, at least in some form, in commemoration of the Misva that was observed in the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash. Hakhel is an exception, as the Sages did not require any form of ceremony for us to conduct to commemorate this Misva. The Aderet (Rav Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim, 1845-1905) suggested that the Rabbis instituted commemorations for Misvot that applied during the times of both the first and second Bateh Mikdash. The Misva of Hakhel, however, requires a king, and thus it was not observed in the latter part of the Second Commonwealth, after the Jews lost sovereignty and they did not have a king. Therefore, the Sages did not enact a commemoration of Hakhel. Another explanation is that the custom observed in some communities to remain awake on the last night of Sukkot (Hoshana Rabba) reading the Book of Debarim commemorates Hakhel, the king's reading of Debarim during Sukkot. Yet a third theory is that the custom of “Hatan Torah,” calling a distinguished member of the congregation for the reading of the final section of the Torah on Simhat Torah, commemorates Hakhel. We might add that in a certain sense, the concept of Hakhel is commemorated each and every Shabbat, when Jews congregate in the synagogue and hear the Torah reading and the Rabbi's speech. Like during Hakhel, a large assembly gathers for the purpose of hearing and learning Torah, which reinforces our appreciation of the importance of Torah, and its centrality in our lives. The children see the tumult and excitement, as everyone has come together in the synagogue, and they understand that all this is done for the purpose of learning the Torah. They thus grow up recognizing and appreciating the singular significance of Torah, which is the core essence of Jewish identity.

After the third and sixth years of the seven-year Shemita cycle, a farmer is required to make a proclamation avowing his compliance with the various tithing obligations, as dictated by the Torah in Parashat Ki-Tabo (Debarim 26:13-15). In this declaration, the farmer specifies several laws that he obeyed, including, “Ve'lo Bi'arti Mimenu Be'tameh” (26:14), which means that he did not eat his Ma'aser Sheni in a state of Tum'a (impurity). The Ma'aser Sheni tithe must be brought to Jerusalem and eaten there, and the Torah here informs us that it is forbidden to partake of this produce in a state of Tum'a. The fact that the farmer declares that he did not eat the produce while Tameh (impure), and that he concludes, “I have done in accordance with all that You commanded me,” shows that this is prohibited. This verse thus establishes a Biblical prohibition against eating Ma'aser Sheni produce while impure. This command forbids both eating Ma'aser Sheni while one is himself Tameh, and eating Ma'aser Sheni which has become Tameh, even though he is not Tameh. The Torah prohibition refers only to eating Ma'aser Sheni in Jerusalem, where it is to be consumed. If, for whatever, one ate Ma'aser Sheni outside Jerusalem, while he or the produce was Tameh, he does not transgress this Torah prohibition. Nevertheless, this is forbidden by force of Rabbinic enactment. One who eats Ma'aser Sheni in a state of Tum'a is liable to Malkut; if he does so outside Jerusalem, then he receives Malkut for violating the Rabbis' edict. This command is binding upon both men and women, and applies during the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, when tithing produce is required on the level of Torah law.

The Torah in Parashat Ki-Tabo (Debarim 26:12-15) commands one to make a verbal declaration after “the third year,” avowing his compliance with his various tithing obligations. Each year, a farmer must give a portion of his produce – Teruma – to a Kohen, as well as one-tenth – Ma'aser Rishon – to a Levi. In addition, on the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the seven-year Shemita cycle, he must take another tenth – Ma'aser Sheni – to Jerusalem and eat it there. On the third and sixth years, this tithe is substituted with Ma'aser Ani – a tithe for the poor. (During the Shemita year, all the produce is declared ownerless, and thus no tithing obligations apply.) The Torah here commands that after each year of Ma'aser Ani – meaning, after the third and sixth years – one must make a proclamation avowing his having satisfied these requirements. This verbal proclamation is commonly known as “Vidui Ma'aser” – “the tithing confession.” Normally, the term “Vidui” (“confession”) refers to the confession of sin; in this instance, it denotes avowing having done the right thing. In explaining the reason behind this Misva, the Sefer Ha'hinuch writes that what distinguishes the human being from all other creatures is the faculty of speech. Even animals have some degree of intelligence, but none of them have the power of verbal communication. For this reason, the Sefer Ha'hinuch observes, many people are especially careful about how they speak, even more careful than they are about how they act. Keenly aware of the special importance of this defining human characteristic, they exercise particular caution in regard to their speech. Therefore, the Torah commanded a farmer to verbally affirm his meeting his Terumot and Ma'aserot obligations, as this will ensure his compliance with these laws. The Sefer Ha'hinuch writes that giving Terumot and Ma'aserot is an especially important responsibility, as these donations support those who serve Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash. Thus, in order to help enforce these obligations, the Torah requires farmers to make the Vidui Ma'aser proclamation. One who knows he will have to verbally affirm compliance with these requirements will likely comply with them, in order not to compromise his speech through a false declaration. The Misva of Vidui Ma'aser thus helps ensure that one meets his obligations. One must declare Vidui Ma'aser specifically during the day. It is done in the Bet Ha'mikdash, as the Torah commands making this declaration “Lifneh Hashem Elokecha” – “before Hashem your G-d” (26:13). Nevertheless, the Rambam rules that one who declared Vidui Ma'aser somewhere else, outside the Bet Ha'mikdash, has fulfilled his obligation. As mentioned, one must declare Vidui Ma'aser after the third and sixth years of the seven-year Shemita cycle. Specifically, it is done on the final day of Pesach the following year, meaning, in the fourth year, and in the Shemita year. This Misva is binding only upon men, and only during the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Aderet (Rav Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim, 1843-1905), who served as the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, maintained that the Vidui Ma'aser proclamation should be made even nowadays, when there is no Bet Ha'mikdash. This position was disputed by the Hazon Ish (Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1878-1953).

The danger in Israel is at a very high level, yet its residents are walking the streets calm and cool. If we ask them why they aren't fleeing the country, they will ask us why we aren't going there. Rabbi Menashe Reisman explained this phenomenon with the Sefat Emet in parashat Behar who said that there is a special blessing in the Land that even the common citizen has a very high level of bitachon there. He brings it from the midrash on the pasuk וישבתם לבטח בארצכם – in the Land of Israel the people will dwell in security. With this, he explains that the mitzvah of Shemita is only in Israel, because only there can every farmer have the bitachon to leave their lands fallow for an entire year. Something that seems reckless to the common person is a matter of fact to those who live in the Land. The Bat Ayin extends this tranquility even outside of Israel to those who keep Shabbat properly. He says they can get that same segula of feeling secure at least on the day of Shabbat. Rav Yechezkel Levenstein was living in Israel during a very dangerous time and he wrote a letter to his children who lived in chutz l'aretz . He told them, “the fear and trepidation that everyone is talking about is only outside of Israel. Where we are, baruch Hashem, there is no fear. Especially us living in Yerushalayim . And if you'll ask me what is the cause of this, I would say perhaps it is the blessing in the Torah of וישבתם בארץ לבטח .” Rav Yechezkel Sarna was also living in Israel during that dangerous time and he wrote in his sefer Daliot Yechezkel the following: “Israel is in extremely troubling times now, but everyone here is calm and tranquil.” He admitted that it seemed very strange that all those who lived outside of Israel were living in extreme fear and those living in Israel, where the danger actually existed, were completely calm. The same phenomenon exists today. Gedolei Yisrael even told those in chutz l'aretz to come back to Israel to learn, even though Israel is a makom of sakana and the Rabbis are always so careful when it comes to life. It is a strong question of how they can say this, but the question would only come from someone living outside the Land. Those living in Eretz Yisrael have a completely different perspective. It can't be explained, it's a special segula of the Land. Of course the people in Israel have to be careful and heed all the warning sirens and make the proper hishtadlut to be safe, but we are happy to know that their everyday lives are even calmer than ours. They are enjoying the special beracha of the Land. May Hashem bring us all there with the coming of the Mashiach bekarov . Amen.

Why does the Torah mention Har Sinai at the beginning of this week's Parsha? What are the multitude of meanings behind the Shemita laws? What is the meaning behind the apparent numerical mistake in the beginning of Bechukotai? All this and more on this week's Ponderings on the Parsha

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Day 66 | Jesus' Lost Parents Found | Bible in a Year | Soothing Rain | Female Soft Spoken Bible *** Please Note, Chronological Days will be spaced out due to scheduling conflicts. Thank you for your prayers and I will be praying for you! *** This video contains the Bible in a Year Plan, with the soothing sound of rain falling, as I whisper and softly read, to soothe you 2 sleep, after an invitation to accept Christ as Your Lord and Saviour, encouraged by the Word of God. Then we will delve into Leviticus 24:10 - 25:46 and Luke 2. Afterward, we will end with the Eventide Devotional portion from “God Calling”. God bless you!

Positive mitzvah #64 is to cancel all debts in the shemita year.For questions, email: mitzvotpodcast@gmail.com

A person who is owed money at the end of the Shemita (seventh, or "sabbatical") year may not collect these debts after the Shemita year unless he signs a Prozbol document before Rosh Hashanah. By signing this document, the individual declares that all debts owed to him are transferred to the authority of the Bet Din (Rabbinical court), and this allows him to collect the debts after Rosh Hashanah.Generally speaking, Halacha requires signing the Prozbol document, and does not allow a person to merely announce the transfer of his debts to the Bet Din. It is insufficient for a person to make a verbal declaration to this effect, even if he does so in the presence of witnesses; he must sign the Prozbol document and thereby transfer his loans to the Bet Din. Nevertheless, there is room for leniency in this regard under certain circumstances. Thus, for example, the Shulhan Aruch (Hoshen Mishpat 67:20) rules that Torah scholars are not required to write a Prozbol, and can instead simply declare in front of two witnesses that they transfer their loans to Bet Din. Furthermore, even laymen may make a verbal declaration in lieu of writing a Prozbol under extenuating circumstances. This would include a situation of one who wrote a Prozbol as required, but then lost the document at some point before Rosh Hashanah. Halacha does not require the individual to write a new Prozbol, and instead allows him to simply make a verbal declaration in the presence of two witnesses that he transfers his debts to Bet Din. Likewise, if a person arrives at the synagogue on Erev Rosh Hashanah, just before the onset of the holiday, and realizes that he had not written a Prozbol, it suffices for him to make a verbal declaration. He should approach two other people in the synagogue and declare in their presence that he transfers his loans to Bet Din, and this allows him to collect his debts after Rosh Hashanah, even though he did not write a Prozbol.Summary: Generally speaking, one may not collect outstanding debts after the end of the Shemita year unless he had signed a Prozbol document before Rosh Hashanah. In certain situations, however, one may, instead of signing a Prozbol, verbally declare in the presence of two witnesses that he formally transfers his outstanding debts to Bet Din. This may be done by a Torah scholar, somebody who had signed a Prozbol but lost it before Rosh Hashanah, and somebody who realizes right before Rosh Hashanah that he had not written a Prozbol. Visit www.iTorah.com to download the Prozbol form.

It is forbidden to refuse to grant a loan to a needy person in advance of the Shemita ("sabbatical") year (Debarim 15:9). As the end of the Shemita year automatically cancels outstanding debts, prospective lenders might be hesitant to offer loans as the end of the seventh year approaches. The Torah nevertheless requires capable lenders to grant loans to the poor despite the likelihood that the debt will never be returned due to the cancellation that takes effect after the Shemita year.The Talmud tells that during the time of the great sage Hillel, wealthy Jews were unwilling to lend money to their less fortunate brethren as the Shemita year approached, in violation of this Halacha. In order to rectify the situation, Hillel enacted a provision called a "Prozbul," a shorthand reference to the phrase, "Proz Bol U'muti" – "an enactment for the rich and poor." This provision, which circumvents the law of "Shemitat Kesafim" (the cancellation of debts), assists both the wealthy – by ensuring that their loans are returned – and the poor – by encouraging the wealthy to continue lending even in advance of the Shemita year. The Prozbul is a document signed by the lender declaring that all outstanding debts are transferred to a Bet Din (Rabbinical court). Since the law of "Shemitat Kesafim" affects only private lenders, and not public bodies such as a Bet Din, the loans transferred to the court are unaffected by the end of the Shemita year. The lender may then collect his loans as an agent of the Bet Din.Halacha does not require a person to write and sign the Prozbul document in the presence of the Bet Din. Instead, he may simply declare in the presence of two witnesses that he transfers his loans to the Bet Din, and then have the witnesses sign the document affirming that this declaration was made. (Of course, the lender must also sign the document.) Preferably, the document should specify the Bet Din to which the loans are transferred, and name the three judges comprising the court.A Prozbul may be signed at night; even though Bet Din does not convene at nighttime, the document may be prepared during the night.A Prozbul document is valid even if the lender is a family relative of the witnesses signing it and/or the judges to whom the loans are transferred.The Prozbul document may be signed at any point during the month of Elul. Even though the document does not cover loans granted after it is signed, nevertheless, one may collect loans given after signing the Prozbul. The reason is that unless stipulated otherwise, a borrower does not need to return a loan until after thirty days have passed from the time he received the money. Since the law of "Shemitat Kesafim" applies only to debts that are due before the end of the Shemita year, any loans given after the first of Elul are not affected by this Halacha. Hence, so long as one writes a Prozbul at some point during Elul, he may collect all his debts after Rosh Hashanah without concern.Summary: During the month of Elul of a Shemita year, one who is owed money must sign a Prozbul document, whereby he transfers his loans the Bet Din, which allows him to then collect the loans after Rosh Hashanah. He must make a declaration to this effect in the presence of two witnesses, who then sign the document. The document should preferably specify the name of the Bet Din and the names of its judges. One may sign the document either by day or by night, and it is valid even if the lender is a family relative of the signatories or the judges.Visit www.iTorah.com to download the Prozbol form.

It is forbidden to demand payment after the Shemita year for loans given before the end of Shemita. If the borrower offers to pay the loan, the lender is obligated to say, "Meshamet Ani" ("I cancel"), announcing the debt's annulment.The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Ki-Tavo, writes that this Halacha applies even to borrowed goods. For example, if a person borrows a dozen eggs from a neighbor toward the end of Shemita, and after Rosh Hashanah he approaches the neighbor to pay for the eggs, the neighbor must refuse to accept the payment. The reason, the Ben Ish Hai explains, is that borrowing grocery items is akin to borrowing money: the borrower uses the goods however he likes, with the expectation that he will pay the value of those foods with something else. This situation is identical to a monetary loan, which is given so that the borrower can spend the money and the repay the debt with other money. Therefore, a debt incurred by borrowing goods also falls under the obligation of "Shemitat Kesafim" (the remission of debts after Shemita).In light of this Halacha, the Ben Ish Hai recommends that people specifically make a point of lending goods to their neighbors before Shemita, in order to have the opportunity to fulfill this special Misva. One should approach his neighbor before Rosh Hashanah and offer to lend items such as flour or eggs, and then, when the neighbor comes after Rosh Hashanah to pay, the lender should declare, "Meshamet Ani," and thereby fulfill the Misva of "Shemitat Kesafim."Summary: Just as the end of the Shemita year cancels all loans, it similarly cancels debts incurred by borrowing grocery items such as food. Thus, if a neighbor borrowed eggs, for example, from his neighbor toward the end of the Shemita year, once Rosh Hashanah comes the lender may not demand or accept payment.Visit www.iTorah.com to download the Prozbol form.

The Halacha of "Shemitat Kesafim" cancels debts owed to a person that have not been paid by the end of the Shemita (seventh, or "sabbatical") year. This Halacha applies both in Israel and in the Diaspora, and even nowadays, albeit on the level of Rabbinic enactment (as opposed to Torah law).In presenting this Halacha, the Torah writes that debts are cancelled "Miketz Sheba Shanim" – "at the end of every seven years" (Debarim 15:1), which implies that the annulment takes effect immediately at the conclusion of the Shemita year, with the onset of Rosh Hashanah. Hence, a lender may collect debts throughout the Shemita year; it is only once the year ends that he may not collect his debts."Shemitat Kesafim" applies regardless of whether the lender and borrower signed a contract, or made a verbal agreement. It also makes no difference whether or not the borrower gave the borrower a lien on his property as part of the agreement.If the borrower repaid the loan by giving the lender a check, this does not constitute payment until the check is deposited. Therefore, if the lender did not deposit the check by the end of the Shemita year, the loan is cancelled and he may no longer deposit the check. This applies even to bank checks. Since a check is merely a commitment to pay, rather than payment itself, the borrower is not considered to have repaid the loan until the lender deposits the check.If the borrower had given an item as collateral to the lender, then the lender is considered to have already collected the value of the collateral. For example, if the borrower gave an article valued at $500 as collateral for a $1,000 loan, the lender may demand payment of $500 after the Shemita year, as that amount of the loan was not affected by the law of "Shemitat Kesafim." This is the ruling of the Shulhan Aruch (Hoshen Mishpat, 67:12).Later (ibid. 67:14), the Shulhan Aruch rules (based on the Mishna in Masechet Shebi'it) that the law of "Shemitat Kesafim" does not apply to money owed to a storekeeper for merchandise purchased on credit. If a person has a bill at the local grocery, for example, he must pay that bill even after the Shemita year. The reason is that "Shemitat Kesafim" does not apply to loans that are not due until after the end of the Shemita year. Only debts that the borrower was required to pay before the Shemita year ended are affected by this Halacha. Since shopkeepers commonly allow their customers to buy on credit and pay at some unspecified point in the future, a customer's debt is akin to a loan that is not due until after the Shemita year. Therefore, the debt is not erased at the end of Shemita, and the customer must pay his debt.Of course, people nowadays generally sign a Prozbul document which allows one to collect his debts after Shemita.Summary: The end of the Shemita year cancels all debts, regardless of whether the loan was made verbally or in a written contract, and even if the borrower had paid the lender with a check but the check was not deposited before Rosh Hashanah. If the borrower had given the lender collateral, the lender may collect the value of the collateral after Shemita. This Halacha does not apply to one's credit at stores, which he must pay even after Shemita.Visit www.iTorah.com to download the Prozbol form.

According to Torah law, a person who lent money to somebody before Shemita (the seventh, or "sabbatical," year) may not collect the debt after that year; the year of Shemita eliminates all debts.While many people are quite familiar with the agricultural aspects of Shemita, the prohibition against farming during the Shemita year, fewer people are aware of the monetary implications of the Shemita year. The cancellation of debts applies both in Israel and in the Diaspora, and is not restricted to those who own farmland. All Jews are bound by the prohibition against collecting debts after the Shemita year.It has become customary to write a special document called a "Prozbol" toward the end of the Shemita year in order to allow lenders to collect their debts after Shemita. In Talmudic times, the great sage Hillel observed that many wealthy Jews refused to lend money out of concern that the debt will not be repaid before Shemita, in which case they would lose the money. Hillel therefore enacted the concept of Prozbol, whereby a person signs a document transferring to the Bet Din all the debts owed to him. The law of "Shemitat Kesafim" (the remission of debts) applies only to individuals, and not to public bodies such as Bet Din. Hence, the transferred loan is unaffected by the Shemita year, and one may then act as the agent of Bet Din to collect his debts after Shemita.It is therefore imperative that anybody who had lent money before the Shemita year signs a Prozbol document before Rosh Hashanah, in order that he be allowed to collect his debts after Rosh Hashanah. One who does not sign such a document may not collect his debts after Rosh Hashanah.Summary: Anybody who had lent money before the Shemita year may not collect the debt after the Shemita year unless he signed the Prozbol document before Rosh Hashanah. This applies to all Jews, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.Over the next few days, our Halachot will offer more in depth details as to which types of loans require a Prozbul and which do not.Visit www.iTorah.com to download the Prozbul form.

The Torah law of "Shemitat Kesafim" forbids demanding payment of a debt after the end of the Shemita (seventh, or "sabbatical") year. Once Rosh Hashana begins at the conclusion of a Shemita year, all debts are cancelled, and the Torah forbids creditors from asking debtors to repay the loan ("Lo Yigos Et Re'ehu" – Debarim 15:2). Nowadays, the laws of Shemita apply only on the level of Rabbinic enactment, as opposed to Torah law. (Generally, people today write a special "Prozbul" document which enables a creditor to collect his debts after the Shemita year. This form is available at iTorah.com)What is the reason underlying this prohibition? Why did the Torah establish the mandatory remission of debts once in seven years?The Sefer Ha'hinuch (anonymous work explaining the reasons behind the Misvot), in Siman 477, explains that this obligation serves to develop within a person the quality of "Vatranut," meaning, the willingness to occasionally forego on what is rightfully his. It is proper for an individual to be willing to accept compromises for the sake of peaceful relations with his peers, rather than always insisting on receiving all that he strictly deserves. The Torah sought to help train a person in this regard by commanding him to forego on debts that he otherwise is perfectly entitled to collect.Furthermore, the law of "Shemitat Kesafim" reinforces one's belief that everything he has in truth belongs to the Almighty. The fact that God can command him to relinquish money owed to him serves as a reminder that God exercises absolute control over all his assets, that he not the true owner over that which he considers his property.Another theory explains that the septennial remission of debts helps distance a person from theft. When a person realizes that he is forbidden to take from others even money that is legally owed to him, he will be reminded that he certainly has no right to take that which legally belongs to others.The Akedat Yishak (Rav Yishak Arama, Spain-Italy, 1420-1494) suggested a different explanation, namely, that the Torah seeks to break a person's natural addiction to the pursuit of wealth. In order to remind a person that life is not about accumulating money, the Torah requires him once is seven years to make this great sacrifice of foregoing on money owed to him. This will hopefully weaken a person's natural desire for wealth.A number of scholars raised the question of why the Sages did not institute a Beracha over this Misva. We might have assumed that when the Shemita year ends, a creditor should approach the debtor and recite a Beracha before announcing that the debt is annulled. Why was such a Beracha not instituted?Some Rabbis answered on the basis of a comment of the Rashba (Rabbi Shelomo Ben Aderet of Barcelona, 1235-1310), in a responsum (18), that the Sages instituted Berachot only before Misvot requiring a concrete action. Since the obligation of "Shemitat Kesafim" is not performed through a specific action, it does not warrant a Beracha. Furthermore, one does not recite a Beracha before performing a Misva that depends upon the cooperation of somebody else. Thus, for example, no Beracha is recited over the Misva of giving charity, because if the intended recipient refuses to accept the money, in which case no Misva has been fulfilled, the Beracha will become a "Beracha Le'batala" (Beracha recited in vain). Here, too, since the debtor might insist on repaying the loan, a creditor does not recite a Beracha before announcing the loan's cancellation.Summary: There is a Torah prohibition against collecting outstanding debts after the end of the Shemita year, a law that serves to train a person to be more flexible and compromising, reinforces his awareness of God as the owner over all wealth, and breaks the addiction many people have to wealth. Nowadays, this law applies only on the level of Rabbinic enactment. No Beracha is recited before announcing to a debtor that the loan is annulled.

One year ago, right before the once-every-7-year observance of Shmita began (Shmita is a year-long Jewish observance where land is given a chance to rest and debts are remitted), we spoke with Nigel Savage in a bonus episode. Savage, the founder of Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability, returns to Judaism Unbound to speak with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg about what it might look like to transition out of one 7-year Shmita cycle, and into the next.Register for one or more of our 3-week mini-courses, in the UnYeshiva, by clicking here! To access full shownotes for this episode, click here. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!