But the seventh year thou shalt let it alone, and suffer it to rest, that the poor of thy people may eat, and whatsoever shall be left, let the beasts of the field eat it: so shalt thou do with thy vineyard and thy oliveyard.
וְהַשְּׁבִיעִ֞ת תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּ וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ אֶבְיֹנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְיִתְרָ֕ם תֹּאכַ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְכַרְמְךָ֖ לְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Do we understand that the Law instructs us in holiness, selflessness, righteousness, and compassion? Do we not? It commands that every seventh year, the land should remain fallow, allowing the impoverished to freely partake in the bounty that God has provided, for the earth itself has nurtured the harvest for those in need.
The seventh year is designated as ‘the Sabbath of the Lord’ according to Leviticus 25:2. This passage clearly mentions that the land is not to be cultivated during that year, nor are grapes to be tended in the vineyard (vv. 3-7). It is important to clarify this point because some interpreters suggest that tillage occurred, allowing the produce to be left for the impoverished, while the remainder would feed the animals of the field. This divine institution of the Sabbath holds profound and far-reaching significance. Its true purpose, as affirmed by esteemed scholars, is to grant the land a rest, to acknowledge it as belonging to Jehovah, and to recognize the rights of the poor to access this land, as permitted by the true owner, the Lord, the Sovereign of Israel.
Furthermore, the concepts of Sabbath, the seventh day, and the year carry a sacred and enigmatic significance tied to the worship of Jehovah. The people are educated through examples and memories of actions. The practice of allowing the land to restore itself during the seventh year served as a reminder of the essential principle of monotheism that set Israel apart from surrounding nations. It is also worth noting that in a land as bountiful as Palestine, a harvest reaped without planting (like the fallen fruit observed in our steppe regions) could have been substantial. The same applies to unharvested vines. From an economic standpoint, it was challenging at that time to conceive a more effective strategy for letting the soil and vineyards rest. Nature, alongside divine blessings, would reward this year of natural growth abundantly.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS