This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication

now in the public domain. Sabbatical year—every seventh year, during which the
land, according to the law of Moses, had to remain uncultivated (Lev. 25:2–7; comp.
Ex. 23:10, 11, 12; Lev. 26:34, 35).

MEANING:
The sabbath year (Shmita; Hebrew: ‫שמיטה‬, literally "release"), also called the
sabbatical year or shǝvi'it (‫שביעית‬, literally "seventh"), or "Sabbath of The Land", is
the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah (The
Five Books of Moses from the begging of the Bible) in the Land of GOD and
was observed durring centuries in Judaism and Samaritism.

"Sabbath of The Release from Force Work" (Exodus 23:10-23:12)

10 For six years you shall sow your land and shall gather in the crops thereof: 11 But the
seventh year you shall leave it fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat of the fruits
of it; and what is left the wild beasts may eat. You shall do in like manner with your
vineyard and with your olive yard. 12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh
day you shall rest, that your ox and your ass may rest and the son of your handmaid;
and that the stranger in your towns may be refreshed.
This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication
now in the public domain. Sabbatical year—every seventh year, during which the
land, according to the law of Moses, had to remain uncultivated (Lev. 25:2–7; comp.
Ex. 23:10, 11, 12; Lev. 26:34, 35).

"Sabbath of The Release from Force Work" (Deuteronom 15:1-14)

1 AT the end of every seven years you shall make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the
release: every creditor shall release any debt which his neighbor owes him; he shall not
exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the year of the LORD'S
release. 3 Of a foreigner you may exact it again; but that which you have with your brother
(kindred) you shall release, 4 So that there will be no poor among you; for the LORD your
God shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an
inheritance to possess.
This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication
now in the public domain. Sabbatical year—every seventh year, during which the
land, according to the law of Moses, had to remain uncultivated (Lev. 25:2–7; comp.
Ex. 23:10, 11, 12; Lev. 26:34, 35).

How GOD established it: (Genesis 2:2-2:3)

2 And on the sixth day God, finished his works which he had made; and he rested on the
seventh day from all his works which he had made.
3 So God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because in it he had rested from all his
works which God created and made.
THE CENTRAL IDEAS OF SABBATH:

1.COMPLETION
2.REST
3.BLESSING
4.SANCTIFICATION

These CORE IDEAS are carried into the SHMITA (7-year cycle), if man obeys it.
IF HE OBEYS – BLESSINGS ESCALATE.
IF HE DISOBEYS – JUDGMENTS ESCALATE.

Based on: www.slideshare.net/acyulo/last-shmita

The principle expanded:

FROM THE
SABBATH
(seventh day),

TO THE SHMITAH
(seventh year).

Based on: www.slideshare.net/acyulo/last-shmita

Biblical basis:

● 1 AND the LORD spoke to Moses on mount Sinai, saying, 2 Speak to the
children of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land which I give you
for an inheritance, then shall the land keep a sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years
you shall sow your fields and six years you shall prune your vineyards and six
years you shall gather in your produce; 4 But the seventh year shall be a
sabbath of rest to the land, and it shall be to you a sabbath for the LORD; you
shall neither sow your fields nor prune your vineyards. 5 That which grows of
itself of your harvest you shall not reap, neither gather the grapes of your
undressed vine; for it is the year of rest to the land. 6 And the sabbath of the land
shall be food for you, for yourself and for your servants and for your maids and
for your hired laborers and for the stranger that sojourns with you 7 And for your
cattle and for the beasts that are in your land shall all its increase be for food to
you.
Leviticus 25:1-25:7
● 20 And if you shall say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? For we shall not
sow, nor gather in the produce thereof; 21 Then I will send my blessings upon
you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. 22 And you shall
sow in the eighth year, and eat yet of old produce until the ninth year; until the
new produce comes in, you shall eat of the old produce.
Leviticus 25:20-25:22
THE ANOINTINGS OF SHMITA:

1. Release of creditor: 1 AT the end of every seven years you shall make a
release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release any
debt which his neighbor owes him; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his
brother; because it is called the year of the LORD'S release.
– Deuteronom 15:1-15:2;
2. This aspect of Shemitah observance is known as shmitah “kesafim”,
“release of money [debts].”
2. Release of the land:
3 Six years you shall sow your fields and six years you shall prune your vineyards and
six years you shall gather in your produce; 4 But the seventh year shall be a sabbath of
rest to the land, and it shall be to you a sabbath for the LORD; you shall neither sow your
fields nor prune your vineyards. 5 That which grows of itself of your harvest you shall
not reap, neither gather the grapes of your undressed vine; for it is the year of rest to the
land. 6 And the sabbath of the land shall be food for you, for yourself and for your
servants and for your maids and for your hired laborers and for the stranger that sojourns
with you. – Leviticus 25:3-25:6;
During the “shemitah”, the residents of the Land of GOD most completely desist from
cultivatig their fields. They also relinguish personal ownership of their fields; whatever
produce grows on its own is consideted communal propety, free for anyone to take.
This aspect of the “shemitah” is known as “shmitah karka”, “release of the year”.
3. RELEASE OF ABUNDANCE:
And if you shall say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? For we shall not
sow, nor gather in the produce thereof; – Leviticus 25:20
Yet, those who put their trust in GOD were richly rewarded:
● 21 Then I [, GOD,] will send my blessings upon you in the sixth year, and it

shall bring forth fruit for three years. 22 And you shall sow in the eighth year,
and eat yet of old produce until the ninth year; until the new produce comes in,
you shall eat of the old produce. – Leviticus 25:21-24:22
The principle expanded further:

FROM SABBATH
(seventh day),

TO THE SHMITAH of SHEMITAS

(seventh of sevens) OR

TO JUBILEE.

Based on: www.slideshare.net/acyulo/last-shmita

THE JUBILEE

The biblical basis is in Leviticus 25:8-25:13 and aplied wordwide in Daniel 9:24-9:27
that has precedent in Genesis 41:53-54.
● 8 And you shall count seven sabbaths of years to you, seven times seven years; and the

space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall
cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the
day of atonement shall you sound the trumpet throughout all your land. 10 And you shall
hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the
inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee to you; and you shall return every man to his
own possession, and you shall return every man to his family. 11 A jubilee shall that
fiftieth year be to you; you shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself in it, nor
gather the grapes from the undressed vine. 12 For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy to you;
you shall eat the produce out of the field. 13 In this year of jubilee you shall return
every man to his own possession. – Leviticus 25:8-25:13
JUBILEE

From Yobbel - Trumpet

Expanded meaning:

1.RELEASE OF ALL DEBDS – For Free;

2.RETURN OF ALL LANDS – For Free;
3.RESTAURATION
4.REJOICEING

Based on: www.slideshare.net/acyulo/last-shmita

THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SHEMITA CYCLE IN BIBLICAL TIMELINE:

● Was “shemitah” in year 28-29 CE when Johanon the Baptiser was around 30 years old
the son of a boetusian priests with petition against King Herod how Josephus the
historian has written.
● Was “juvel” in year 29-30 CE when Yeshua bar Joseph also called Jesus of Nazareth did
whent to the sinagodge after was baptised by Johanon the Baptiser.
● If we calculate from 28-29 CE adding 42 years (49-7=42) we find year 70-71 CE and the
comandement not to work the land should start to be observed in the summer of year 69-
70 CE that is 3830 in the hebrew calendar.
● Strating from the time of Second Temple we find out that “juvel” was year 1931-1932;
1980-1981 and shemitah was in 1909-1910; 1916-1917; 1923-1924; 1930-1931; 1937-
1938; 1944-1945; 1951-1952, 1958-1959, 1965-1966, 1972-1973, 1979-1980; 1986-
1987; 1993-1994; 2000-2001; 2007-2008; 2014-2015; 2021-2022; 2028-2029; an juvel
again is in 2029-2030.
 ‫שמיטה ”‪Returning to “shemitah‬‬

‫וּבשנה השביעת שבּת שבתון יהיה לארץ שבּת לה' שדך לא‬
‫תזרע וכרמך לא תזמר‪:‬‬
‫את ספיח קצירך לא תקצור ואת ענבי נזירך לא תבצור שנת‬
‫שבתון יהיה לארץ‪:‬‬
‫והיתה שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה לך ולעבדך ולאמתך‬
‫ולשכירך ולתושבך הגרים עמך‪:‬‬
‫‪-- Leviticus 25:4, 25:5, 25:6; http://www.gov.il/he/departments/general/shmita3‬‬
 ‫שדך לא תזרע‬
This refers to not being allowed to
place a seed in the ground,
planting a tree, and grafting a
branch.
 ‫וכרמך לא תזמר‬
•
This refers to pruning. You are not allowed to
prune (cutting) your vineyard, or branches off
a tree to make it produce a better supply.
 ‫את ספיח קצירך לא תקצור ואת ענבי נזירך לא תבצור‬
•
This refers to harvesting ‫ שמיטה‬products. We
actually able to eat and harvest products
during ‫שמיטה‬, we just can’t take a normal
(smaller) amount and can’t pick (harvest) it the
normal way. (we use abnormal tools)
 ‫בחרישׁ ובקציר תשבת‬

•
This pasuk forbids plowing to prepare the field for
planting. Certain activities are prohibited by the
rabanon unless it’s to preserve a plant (stop it from
getting ruined) and not to make it improve growth.
 Credit 

Special thanks to user Acyulo at

slideshare.net, Moshe Varon, Yacov Ingber
and Eli Zieger, to Mrs. Burns, and to Rabbi
Friendlich and Rabbi Gross.

This version by Bodin C. Florin

(around 2022)