If we have the courage to open our hearts to the Mussar of Shmita we see that all lives emanate equally from the One. They

“In choosing a way to mark Shmita, inspired by the Hakhel ceremony in this week’s parsha, we will be honoring our heritage and rededicating ourselves

Shmita is not only about the seventh year, shmita is a cycle preceded by 6 other years. It invites us to inventory ourselves, our choices

 With one hand we acquire the eggs or the fledglings (or the crops) but with the other we let the mother go (or leave something

Moses appointed police officers over the tribes but did not mention any judges. One might think, if we cannot have judges, at the least our society

“When Moses stands in front of the tribes of Israel before they enter the holy land he gives a choice to follow the path of

Sometimes we have to tread lightly, even on holy land, so that we can recall the ultimate Source of food, wealth, and our own lives. 

That is Shmita. Stop plowing, stop planting, stop weeding, stop watering, stop harvesting in our normal ways (or the modern-day parallel to these things) and

הִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרֵ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃ “Behold, I’m bidden to bless:  And God has blessed; I cannot / will not reverse it.” (Numbers 23:20) What’s a

“But Shmita teaches us that we are only guests here on the Land, and it teaches us that we are always planning for at least

“As the climate crisis worsens, the ground opening up and swallowing Korach’s band does not feel as far-fetched as it once may have. The earth

“Now if you should say to yourselves: What are we to eat in the seventh year? For we may not sow, we may not gather