ABSTRACT לקוטי שיחות
Shmitah (Bitul, refrainment) is a concept of Malkhus – world of speech. Establish the Word of G-d & merit to be redeemed. Shmitah-connected to speech, a person’s actions. כל המקיים את דברו רוח חכמים נוחה ממנו. Applied to one who is exempt but pays the obligations of the Shmitah year, & one who owes a debt to a Ger who died and is exempt, but pays the children that converted with him.
ושבתה
Spiritually one descends by placing one’s relationship to G-d into “sleep mode”, yet can be awakened. Failure to observe Shmitah leads to progressively increased problems (the order of the Parshios in Behar). But G-d promises an uplifting (Geulah).
גאולה תהי '
Our job is not to sit on the mountain, but to bring the Torah to the land fulfilling the purpose of making a Dwelling Place for G-d below; even though an imprisoned person can not free themselves, by Bitul and involvement in Torah and Mitzvos one’s movements become one with G-d, who can free the prisoner.
זוהר כבא
Servant’s personal release in his seventh year is connected to the general release of Shmitah, achieving ultimate when they coincide (similar to the תמימות of Sefirah starting on Yom Rishon).
הוא ובניו עמו *
Chidush - a person who sells himself as a slave, the master is obligated to provide food also to his children, since they are part of the slave.
בהר-בחוקותי
In avodah a person starts with bitul of contemplation (yet still feels separate), and then moves on to a bitul of Chakikah (engraved into oneself). Names of Parshios indicate opposites הגבהה וביטול but are really complementary. בהר – the more one feels the greatness of G-d. בחוקותי – the more bitul is possible. Difference between a Shliach (maintains own self) and a servant (a complete nullification).
מה נאכל
Serving G-d is an act of acquiring oneself to His Ownership; one can do good “acquisitions” today, but cannot acquire for the future; one must still struggle. In the laws of acquisition one cannot sell something (produce) that has not yet come into existence, but one can sell an object that does exists with its future produce. In spiritual life (teshuvah), thru Torah & Mitzvos which exists, one mortgages oneself to G-d, one’s future thought, speech and action.
מה נאכל
The avodah of the six (thousand) years of bitul and Mesiras Nefesh brings the seventh (thousand) year of blessing of “produce”. The question of “what should we eat for 3 years” is a question from a Ben Chochom, requesting details and is not a challenge; G-d answers that even though the land is weak, it will provide enough produce for three years.
