Shmita is one of the most radical ideas in Judaism. Known broadly as the ancient Jewish Sabbatical year, Shmita seeks to bring about changes to the human experience. The challenges it poses to our economy and society are complex.
Contrary to popular belief that Shmita was – and can be – a utopian year, I suggest that Shmita was a year of pre-planned crisis, of complication and rigor – explaining why all generations evaded it in various ways. Furthermore, Shmita is an educational mechanism to counteract human over-optimism. It reminds us of a simple yet essential truth: crises are a part of life. Instead of repeatedly imagining a crises-free world, leading to disappointment repeatedly, it would be better for us to purposefully integrate crisis-like cycles into our framework of living and to prepare accordingly.
I recently released a book, Seven: Shmita Inspired Social and Economic Ideas. This first of its kind publication interprets the ancient tradition of Shmita in relation to contemporary issues. Although the Covid-19 crisis has unique characteristics, it is not fundamentally different from a long sequence of crises in human history. In pivotal moments such as this one right now, there is great value in reflecting back at the cultural, historical, and religious considerations that influenced every nation, from which they derived the capacity to forecast ahead beyond the current crisis, to be stronger and more resilient.
On the personal level, Shmita is an invitation for self-renewal and a controlled transition between stages in life; at the community level, it is a call to adopt the moral challenge of communal existence over isolation; at the social and national level, it requires us to act responsibly and to think of future generations. During the Omer, my shared intention is for us to bravely consider this spacious invitation before us.
