It is one of the most interesting religious commandments in Judaism, which generations of farmers have kept, with the aim of sustaining and benefitting the earth, and a commandment that was renewed with the Jews’ return to the Land of Israel and the creation of the Jewish state. The commandment of Shmita is that every seventh year the farmer must “leave be” his land, let it rest and replenish its nutrients and fertility, allowing for the rehabilitation of the ecological system from human influence.
With the first wave of diaspora Jewish immigration to Israel in the 19th century, after hundreds of years in exile, the conflict began regarding whether or not to fulfill the commandment of Shmita. With the years, the conflict has sharpened, with religious nationalist rabbis easing the burden and allowing solutions that would still follow Jewish law, such as leasing the land for a year to a non-Jew, who would continue growing the agricultural produce.
