Shabbat Parashat Bo 5785

Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Excerpts of Letter on Shemitta – #289 – part II

Recipient and Background: Rav Yonatan Binyamin Horowitz, who served as an administrator of kollels and a representative of Agudat Yisrael, who was later a confidante of Rav Kook. We continue the discussion of Shemitta.

Body: To avoid difficult leniencies that include work with the potential of Torah-level violation (done by Jews during Shemitta), we should create a fund to support [Jewish] agricultural workers, as they will have less work for their livelihood, since non-Jews will need to do some of it. The fund can also help poor farmers who generally do all of their own work and now will need to hire non-Jewish workers for actions that are forbidden by the Torah on Shemitta.   

There are also, thank G-d, complete, G-d-fearing people who want to keep the mitzva as it was given and refrain from all work according to the laws of Shemitta. They deserve a special fund or to have a set part for them from within the general fund [that helps people observe Shemitta].

The above relates to this year, but we must also be concerned with the permanent status of Shemitta. If Hashem will have mercy on us and bring Mashiach quickly in our days, and we will not need these steps, we still will not have lost the reward for the mitzva of trying to uphold the sanctity of the Land, in case it will take longer [for Mashiach to come]. In order to be able to set the sanctity of the Land for generations, we must first establish a large institution that will suffice to support all of the owners of fields that grow grains and vegetables etc. that do not have an issue with maintaining commercial relationships. They will be able to cease work during Shemitta if they are supported during the year. The fund must be significant enough to also assist workers. Ideally, such an organization would initiate halachically non-problematic building and industry, who can employ these workers throughout the year of Shemitta.

When the organization will engage an abundance of diligent workers who are involved in this holy work with great vigor, then we can extend the idea so that even in vineyards and orchards, where there is no choice but to sell or rent to a non-Jew, because of the need to continuous commercial connections, it would still be possible to remove the land’s sanctity by renting to a non-Jew along with non-problematic things. Then, non-Jewish workers can work in the fields and Jewish laborers can work on building and in all elements of the economy with which the organization will be involved. This will make up for the lack of work during Shemitta.

If we calmly plan our steps as explained, we can hope to succeed with Hashem’s help. When the calculations of needs and the organization’s resources will indicate that we are capable of completing, at least most of what is missing, we can agree not to use the system of uprooting the land’s sanctity, and Jews will not do any agricultural work. Then, even non-Jews will work only in vineyards and orchards that they have rented, and the “rest of the Land” will practice most of Shemitta’s principles and details on holy soil. This is what we should aim for, and it is not unrealistic. If we cannot succeed in everything in one Shemitta year, we will be happy with what we already achieved and hope that each Shemitta will see the organization getting stronger, bringing praise to Hashem with the sanctity of the Shemitta year in the Holy Land.

Regarding commerce, this year, when we need to uproot the sanctity, using an element of “trickery,” it is proper to also include non-problematic elements to “swallow up” the problematic ones. The contracts should say that the money is not for the fruit but for the work and equipment. When orchards will be rented out to non-Jews, it will be improper to be stringent regarding non-Jewishly owned fruit, as was decided in the times of the Beit Yosef.

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