It’s amazing what can be taken for granted.
Most of the year has passed me by and I haven’t once written about it being a שמיטה (shmittah) year. Living in the greater Jerusalem area, not owning a garden or any trees, and mainly associating with kosher people, I’ve just not had to worry about it much.
Isn’t that just the Jewish life in Israel though? What it ought to be? Living the traditions we’ve been passing down for thousands of years like they’re just… normal?
And isn’t it funny that I started writing this post yesterday and today we walked past a tree with baby plums hanging over a fence… And we plucked one off and it was the first time I’ve ever ‘stolen’ fruit in a shmittah year… I am sure there are all kinds of halachot making that experience unkosher, but at least it tasted nice.
If you are looking for something to study over Shavuot next week, or were considering planting a garden… here’s a little Shmittah Gardening Guide, before it’s too late.
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actually the whole point of shemita fruit is that you can “steal” from other people’s trees because it’s not really theirs! you did EXACTLY what you’re supposed to do in a shemita year. you get a mitzvah leaf to put on the mitzvah tree (haha. remember when you used to get those in kindergarten?) props!!