Morenu: Shmita

Study Program for Rabbinic Ordination, without Authorization to Issue Halachic Rulings.
Under the guidance of the heads of the Kollel, Rabbi Moshe Ehrenreich ZTL, and Rabbi Yosef Carmel.
Writing and recorded lectures: Rabbi Bezalel Daniel
Consultation and editing: Rabbi Yitzhak Steinberg
The program consists of self-study lesson units, including source sheets and recorded lectures, covering the following topics: an introduction to the laws of Shemittah; Gardening During Shmita; The Sanctity of Shmita Produce; The Ownerless Status of Shmita Produce and Trading in It

Introduction to the Laws of Shmita (Units 1-4)

Unit 1, Lesson 1 – Why is it important to discuss why we keep Shmita?

Unit 1, Lesson 2 – Must the land rest on Shmita?

Unit 2, Lesson 1 – Tosefet Shviit are Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael talking about the same thing

Unit 2, Lesson 2 – What is Tosefet Shviit, and how does that affect whether transgressing it is punishable

Unit 2, Lesson 3 – Resolving the nature of Tosefet Shviit

Unit 2, Lesson 4 – Is there Tosefet Shviit at the end of Shmita as well?

Unit 3, Lesson 1 – Why can’t we plant trees in the month before Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 2 – Planting trees the month before Shmita Rambam’s opinion

Unit 3, Lesson 3 – Can flowers and barren trees be planted right before Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 4 – Preparing for Shmita – A Practical Guide

Unit 3, Lesson 5 – Plowing and Planting pre Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 6 – Defining the Restrictions Pre Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 7 – How does cancelation of ‘Tosefet Shvi’it’ inform us about why we learn Torah?

Unit 4, Lesson 1 – Did Eretz Israel lose its Kedusha

Unit 4, Lesson 2 – The significance of tribal representation in keeping Yovel

Unit 4, Lesson 3 – Do the Gmaras indicate if Shmita is De’Oraita

Unit 4, Lesson 4 – Rashi’s academic reading of the Shmita Deoraita question

Unit 4, Lesson 5 – Does Rava agree that Shmita is Derabanan nowadays

Unit 4, Lesson 6 – Some Rishonim say we do not need to keep Shmita at all nowadays!

Unit 4, Lesson 7 – Does Ezra’s swearing to keep Shmita affect out obligation?

Unit 4, Lesson 8 – Rambam’s opinion is there Shmita nowadays

Unit 4, Lesson 9 – Beit Yosef and Kesef Mishne argue whether the Rambam says Shmita is De’Oraita nowadays

Unit 4, Lesson 10 – Is Shmita De’oraita, or many more options – an overview

Gardening During Shmita (Units 5-6)

Unit 5, Lesson 1 – Chazal’s interesting expansion of prohibitions on Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 2 – Where the Torah told Chazal to invent exapansions to the prohibitions of Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 3 – Is any gardening that doesn’t actively promote growth allowed on Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 4 – Keeping plants alive is fundamentally part of Shmita, not opposed to it

Unit 5, Lesson 5 – Saving the fruit during Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 6 – Keeping the garden nice during Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 1 – Psik Reisha on Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 2 – “Shinui” as it applies to Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 3 – The subtle world of Pruning on Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 4 – Plowing on and through Shmita!

Unit 6, Lesson 5 – Watering Plants on Shmita

Unit 7, Lesson 2 – Rambam on Shmita: Pick Your Fair Share!

Unit 7, Lesson 1 – How can we eat Shmita fruit if we are not allowed to pick it?

Unit 7, Lesson 2 – Rambam on Shmita: Pick Your Fair Share!

Unit 7, Lesson 3 – Rash on Shmita: We Will Turn a Blind Eye from Picking Be’Shinui

Unit 7, Lesson 4 – Rashi: We Won’t Disqualify Your Fruit for Keeping It From Us

Unit 7, Lesson 5 – Ramban: Chazal disqualified fruit that was not put to public use on Shmita

Unit 7, Lesson 6 – Rabenu Tam: If the Shmita fruit is guarded or collected normally it is disqualified

Unit 7, Lesson 7 – Bottom line how can fruit be picked on Shmita

Unit 8, Lesson 1 – Is there a Mitzvah to eat Shmita fruit

Unit 8, Lesson 2 – How much Shmita fruit are you allowed to harm

Unit 8, Lesson 3 – Must we eat rotting fruit on Shmita

Unit 8, Lesson 4 – Utilizing Shmita fruit the prevalent use

Unit 8, Lesson 5 – What prevalent use of Shmita fruit is allowed

Unit 8, Lesson 6 – Wasting the Shmita ness of the fruit

Unit 8, Lesson 7 – Disqualifying Shmita fruit from certain segments of society

Unit 9, Lesson 1 – Alternative uses of Shmita fruit – background

Unit 9, Lesson 2 – Why is it vital to destroy as you enjoy the Shmita fruit

Unit 9, Lesson 3 – Why is it vital to destroy as you enjoy the Shmita fruit

Unit 9, Lesson 4 – Why is it vital to destroy as you enjoy the Shmita fruit

Unit 10, Lesson 1 – Holy Shmita Peels and Pits

Unit 10, Lesson 2 – Sifting Holy Shmita Flour

Unit 10, Lesson 3 – Shmita Animal Food for non-existent animlas

Unit 10, Lesson 4 – Eating Shmita fruit out of the garbage? and the Shmita bin

Unit 10, Lesson 5 – Shmita Fruit Dilution

Unit 11, Lesson 1 – Are the fields themselves hefker on Shmita

Unit 11, Lesson 2 – Is Shmita fruit automatically hefker irrefutable proof for both positions from the same source?

Unit 11, Lesson 3 – Is Shmita fruit automatically hefker – Rambam’s take

Unit 11, Lesson 4 – Maasrot on Shmita?

Unit 11, Lesson 5 – Is fruit that may have not grown on shmita hefker?

Unit 11, Lesson 6 – Gratitude for eating Shmita fruit?

Unit 12, Lesson 1 – Selling Shmita fruit to buy sushi?

Unit 12, Lesson 2 – Can I sell just a bit of Shmita Fruit?

Unit 12, Lesson 3 – May I buy Shmita fruit?

Unit 12, Lesson 4 – Shmita money that’s part of a larger sale

Unit 12, Lesson 5 – Buying Shmita fruit on credit

Unit 13, Lesson 1 – Why does selling Shmita fruit not affect its Kedusha

Unit 13, Lesson 2 – Why does selling Shmita fruit make what is given in exchange holy?

Unit 13, Lesson 3 – Trading Shmita money without trasfer of Kdusha

Unit 13, Lesson 4 – Paying for services with Shmita money

Unit 13, Lesson 5 – Trading Shmita fruit picked by Goyim

Unit 13, Lesson 6 – Feeding Goyim Shmita fruit

Rabbi Bezalel Daniel

Writing and recorded lectures

Rabbi Yitzhak Steinberg

Consultation and editing

Morenu: Shmita

Introduction to the Laws of Shmita (Units 1-4)

Unit 1, Lesson 1 – Why is it important to discuss why we keep Shmita?

Unit 1, Lesson 2 – Must the land rest on Shmita?

Unit 2, Lesson 1 – Tosefet Shviit are Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael talking about the same thing

Unit 2, Lesson 2 – What is Tosefet Shviit, and how does that affect whether transgressing it is punishable

Unit 2, Lesson 3 – Resolving the nature of Tosefet Shviit

Unit 2, Lesson 4 – Is there Tosefet Shviit at the end of Shmita as well?

Unit 3, Lesson 1 – Why can’t we plant trees in the month before Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 2 – Planting trees the month before Shmita Rambam’s opinion

Unit 3, Lesson 3 – Can flowers and barren trees be planted right before Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 4 – Preparing for Shmita – A Practical Guide

Unit 3, Lesson 5 – Plowing and Planting pre Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 6 – Defining the Restrictions Pre Shmita

Unit 3, Lesson 7 – How does cancelation of ‘Tosefet Shvi’it’ inform us about why we learn Torah?

Unit 4, Lesson 1 – Did Eretz Israel lose its Kedusha

Unit 4, Lesson 2 – The significance of tribal representation in keeping Yovel

Unit 4, Lesson 3 – Do the Gmaras indicate if Shmita is De’Oraita

Unit 4, Lesson 4 – Rashi’s academic reading of the Shmita Deoraita question

Unit 4, Lesson 5 – Does Rava agree that Shmita is Derabanan nowadays

Unit 4, Lesson 6 – Some Rishonim say we do not need to keep Shmita at all nowadays!

Unit 4, Lesson 7 – Does Ezra’s swearing to keep Shmita affect out obligation?

Unit 4, Lesson 8 – Rambam’s opinion is there Shmita nowadays

Unit 4, Lesson 9 – Beit Yosef and Kesef Mishne argue whether the Rambam says Shmita is De’Oraita nowadays

Unit 4, Lesson 10 – Is Shmita De’oraita, or many more options – an overview

Gardening During Shmita (Units 5-6)

Unit 5, Lesson 1 – Chazal’s interesting expansion of prohibitions on Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 2 – Where the Torah told Chazal to invent exapansions to the prohibitions of Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 3 – Is any gardening that doesn’t actively promote growth allowed on Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 4 – Keeping plants alive is fundamentally part of Shmita, not opposed to it

Unit 5, Lesson 5 – Saving the fruit during Shmita

Unit 5, Lesson 6 – Keeping the garden nice during Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 1 – Psik Reisha on Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 2 – “Shinui” as it applies to Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 3 – The subtle world of Pruning on Shmita

Unit 6, Lesson 4 – Plowing on and through Shmita!

Unit 6, Lesson 5 – Watering Plants on Shmita

Unit 7, Lesson 2 – Rambam on Shmita: Pick Your Fair Share!

The Sanctity of Shmita Produce (Units 7-10)

Unit 7, Lesson 1 – How can we eat Shmita fruit if we are not allowed to pick it?

Unit 7, Lesson 2 – Rambam on Shmita: Pick Your Fair Share!

Unit 7, Lesson 3 – Rash on Shmita: We Will Turn a Blind Eye from Picking Be’Shinui

Unit 7, Lesson 4 – Rashi: We Won’t Disqualify Your Fruit for Keeping It From Us

Unit 7, Lesson 5 – Ramban: Chazal disqualified fruit that was not put to public use on Shmita

Unit 7, Lesson 6 – Rabenu Tam: If the Shmita fruit is guarded or collected normally it is disqualified

Unit 7, Lesson 7 – Bottom line how can fruit be picked on Shmita

Unit 8, Lesson 1 – Is there a Mitzvah to eat Shmita fruit

Unit 8, Lesson 2 – How much Shmita fruit are you allowed to harm

Unit 8, Lesson 3 – Must we eat rotting fruit on Shmita

Unit 8, Lesson 4 – Utilizing Shmita fruit the prevalent use

Unit 8, Lesson 5 – What prevalent use of Shmita fruit is allowed

Unit 8, Lesson 6 – Wasting the Shmita ness of the fruit

Unit 8, Lesson 7 – Disqualifying Shmita fruit from certain segments of society

Unit 9, Lesson 1 – Alternative uses of Shmita fruit – background

Unit 9, Lesson 2 – Why is it vital to destroy as you enjoy the Shmita fruit

Unit 9, Lesson 3 – Why is it vital to destroy as you enjoy the Shmita fruit

Unit 9, Lesson 4 – Why is it vital to destroy as you enjoy the Shmita fruit

Unit 10, Lesson 1 – Holy Shmita Peels and Pits

Unit 10, Lesson 2 – Sifting Holy Shmita Flour

Unit 10, Lesson 3 – Shmita Animal Food for non-existent animlas

Unit 10, Lesson 4 – Eating Shmita fruit out of the garbage? and the Shmita bin

Unit 10, Lesson 5 – Shmita Fruit Dilution

The Ownerless Status of Shmita Produce and Trading in It (Units 11-13)

Unit 11, Lesson 1 – Are the fields themselves hefker on Shmita

Unit 11, Lesson 2 – Is Shmita fruit automatically hefker irrefutable proof for both positions from the same source?

Unit 11, Lesson 3 – Is Shmita fruit automatically hefker – Rambam’s take

Unit 11, Lesson 4 – Maasrot on Shmita?

Unit 11, Lesson 5 – Is fruit that may have not grown on shmita hefker?

Unit 11, Lesson 6 – Gratitude for eating Shmita fruit?

Unit 12, Lesson 1 – Selling Shmita fruit to buy sushi?

Unit 12, Lesson 2 – Can I sell just a bit of Shmita Fruit?

Unit 12, Lesson 3 – May I buy Shmita fruit?

Unit 12, Lesson 4 – Shmita money that’s part of a larger sale

Unit 12, Lesson 5 – Buying Shmita fruit on credit

Unit 13, Lesson 1 – Why does selling Shmita fruit not affect its Kedusha

Unit 13, Lesson 2 – Why does selling Shmita fruit make what is given in exchange holy?

Unit 13, Lesson 3 – Trading Shmita money without trasfer of Kdusha

Unit 13, Lesson 4 – Paying for services with Shmita money

Unit 13, Lesson 5 – Trading Shmita fruit picked by Goyim

Unit 13, Lesson 6 – Feeding Goyim Shmita fruit