Bringing the Torah's 'Sabbath of the land' to Jewish American farmers
(RNS) — The tradition of shmita, a Jewish answer to how to fight climate change, is spreading beyond Israel.
Stay updated with breaking news from Bruce Spierer. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
(RNS) — The tradition of shmita, a Jewish answer to how to fight climate change, is spreading beyond Israel.
But first, I want to put these prizes in context, beginning with a word about shabbat, shmita’s temporal Jewish sibling. The world needs shabbat right now. We need boundaries. We need rest. We need time when we switch off electronics. We need at least one day that we don’t buy stuff. We need at least one day that we spend with family and friends. After a boundary-less year of covid, our need for some kind of structured shabbat has never been greater. And so, then, to shmita. The word means something like “letting go.” It’s part of the Torah. You could argue that it’s a somewhat o...