JEWISH TRADITION SABBATICAL YEAR

An Orthodox Jewish farmer is observing the Shemitah Year of Remission or Sabbatical Year on Thursday July 12 2007 in Chof Ashkelon, Israel. Promulgated in the Torah, is a practice of contemporary Orthodox Judaism with Biblical roots. It has two dimensions: 1. It is a year during which farm-land in the Land of Israel has to remain uncultivated known in Hebrew as shemitat karka'ot and 2. It is a year at the end of which debts owed to individuals are forgiven (i.e. remitted) known in Hebrew as shemitat kesafim. The latter dimension applies throughout the world, even outside the Land of Israel. The Shemitah occurs every seven years, and the next Shmita year will be 5768 (2007-8). Photo by Rafael Ben-Ari/Chameleons Eye