Shemittah as redemption of the land

בענין השמיטה ושבתה הארץ.

Concerning the matter of Shemittah: "and the land shall rest" (Vayikra 25:2).

The Sefas Emes opens on the mitzvah of Shemittah, the sabbatical year in which the land of Eretz Yisrael rests.

כי בנ"י נבראו לתקן העולם והזמן דכתי' אנכי עשיתי ארץ ואדם עלי' בראתי ואין אדם אלא ישראל כמ"ש אדם אתם.

For Bnei Yisrael were created to rectify the world and time, as it is written, "I made the earth and created man upon it" (Yeshayahu 45:12) — and "adam" refers to none but Yisrael, as it says, "You are called adam."

The mission of Bnei Yisrael is to repair both space ("the world") and time. Since "adam" denotes Yisrael, the verse implies Hashem created the earth in order that Yisrael should elevate it.

וכמו שיש גאולה בנפש כמו כן כ' גאולה תתנו לארץ.

And just as there is geulah (redemption) for the soul, so too it is written, "you shall grant redemption (ge'ulah) to the land" (Vayikra 25:24).

The Torah's term "ge'ulah" for the land's release parallels the inner redemption of the soul — both are liberations from a state of concealment.

וכמו שהיו בנ"י מקודם מעורבין בכלל האומות ואח"כ נבחרו כדאיתא במד' בורר וחוזר ובורר שע"ז כתי' הבדלתי אתכם מן העמים.

And just as Bnei Yisrael were at first mingled within the body of the nations and were afterward chosen — as the Midrash says, "[Hashem] sifts and sifts again" — concerning which it is written, "I have separated you from the peoples" (Vayikra 20:24).

Bnei Yisrael themselves underwent a process of "berur": once intermixed among the nations, they were progressively sifted out and set apart as Hashem's chosen.

וביציאת מצרים נגאלו בגשמיות וברוחניות.

And at Yetzias Mitzrayim they were redeemed both physically and spiritually.

The Exodus was a redemption on two planes at once — a bodily liberation from slavery and a spiritual liberation into kedushah.

וכמו כן הי' א"י מקודם תחת השבעה אומות ויצא אח"כ להיות ארץ ישראל והיא גאולה בגשמיות ורוחניות.

And likewise, Eretz Yisrael was at first under the seven nations, and afterward emerged to become "the Land of Israel" — and this is a redemption both physical and spiritual.

The land itself was "redeemed" by the same pattern: lifted out from the seven Canaanite nations to become Eretz Yisrael, a geulah in both the material and the spiritual sense.

וכמו כן בזמן שהזמנים מקודשין היו מעורבין ואח"כ נבררו שבתות ומועדים מכלל הזמנים וכ"ז נתברר ע"י גאולת בנ"י.

And likewise with time: the sanctified times were [at first] intermingled, and afterward Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim were sifted out from the totality of time — and all this was clarified through the redemption of Bnei Yisrael.

The same refinement applies to time: holy times lay hidden within ordinary time until Shabbos and the festivals were separated out as sanctified — a sifting accomplished through the redemption of Bnei Yisrael.

לכן המועדים זכר ליצ"מ כי ע"י יצ"מ יצאו הארתן מכח אל הפועל.

Therefore the festivals are a "remembrance of Yetzias Mitzrayim," for through the Exodus their illumination emerged from potential into actuality.

The Yamim Tovim commemorate the Exodus because it was the Exodus that actualized their latent holiness, bringing the light of these special times into the open.

כי כך הי' בריאת עוה"ז כמ"ש והארץ היתה תהו כו' יהי אור.

For so was the creation of this world, as it is written, "and the earth was tohu (void)…" and then "let there be light."

Creation itself followed this pattern: an initial state of chaos and darkness from which light was drawn forth — the model for all subsequent redemptions.

ודבר זה נוהג בעולם שנה נפש שצריך להתברר ע"י אור תורה.

And this principle operates in [the three dimensions of] olam, shanah, nefesh (world/space, year/time, and soul) — each of which must be clarified through the light of Torah.

Citing the Sefer Yetzirah's triad of space, time, and soul, the Sefas Emes teaches that all three require the same refinement, accomplished by the illuminating light of Torah.

ובנ"י שיצאו ממצרים וניתן להם התורה יש בידם כח החירות ולהביא גאולה לכל המקומות והזמנים כמ"ש וקראתם דרור.

And Bnei Yisrael, who left Mitzrayim and were given the Torah, possess the power of freedom (cheirus) and to bring redemption to all places and times, as it is written, "and you shall proclaim liberty (deror)" (Vayikra 25:10).

Having been freed and given the Torah, Bnei Yisrael carry the power of cheirus that lets them extend redemption into every place and every time — the very theme of the Yovel's proclamation of liberty.

וז"ש כי תבואו כו' ושבתה הארץ שבת לה'.

This is the meaning of "when you come [into the land]… the land shall rest, a Shabbos unto Hashem" (Vayikra 25:2).

The mitzvah of Shemittah is the practical expression of this power: bringing the land itself to a state of "Shabbos unto Hashem."

להעלות הארץ אל הרוחניות והפנימיות.

[Its purpose is] to elevate the land to the spiritual and to the penimiyus (inner dimension).

By resting the land, Bnei Yisrael lift the physical earth toward its spiritual core, revealing the inner point that connects it to Hashem.

וז"ש וכרות עמו הברית לתת כו' לתת.

And this is the meaning of "and [You] made with him the covenant… to give… to give" (Nechemiah 9:8) — [the word] "to give" [appears twice].

The Sefas Emes notes a doubled "lases" (to give) in the verse about Hashem's covenant with Avraham, and asks why two givings are mentioned.

ב' נתינות למה.

Why two givings?

He poses the question directly: what are the two distinct "givings" alluded to in the covenant?

רק א' שהאבות ובנ"י אחריהם נותנים הארץ להש"י.

Rather, one [giving] is that the Avos, and Bnei Yisrael after them, give the land to Hashem.

The first "giving" flows upward: the Avos and their descendants dedicate the land to Hashem, consecrating it as His.

ונתינה שני' שהש"י נותן לנו הארץ.

And the second giving is that Hashem gives us the land.

The second "giving" flows downward: Hashem bestows the land upon Bnei Yisrael as their inheritance — a mutual exchange.

וזה הוא כריתות ברית שבנ"י כל עבודתם בעולם להעיד על הבורא ית"ש ולהעלות הכל אליו.

And this is the meaning of "cutting a covenant" — for the entire avodah of Bnei Yisrael in the world is to bear witness to the Creator, may His Name be blessed, and to elevate everything to Him.

A covenant is a two-way bond. The mission of Bnei Yisrael — to testify to Hashem and raise all of creation back to Him — is the human "side" of this reciprocal bris.

וכמ"ש במכילתא יתרו והייתם לי סגולה כשם שהאשה מסגלת אחר בעלה כו' ע"ש.

As it is said in the Mechilta on Yisro: "and you shall be to Me a treasure (segulah)" — just as a wife stores up treasure for her husband… see there.

The Mechilta likens the covenant to marriage: Bnei Yisrael "treasure up" their devotion for Hashem as a wife does for her husband, an image of mutual belonging.

וכביכול הש"י ג"כ נאמר בו ופניתי אליכם פונה אני מכל עסקי ועוסק בכם.

And, as it were (kivyachol), Hashem too is described thus: "and I will turn (u'fanisi) toward you" — "I turn away from all My affairs and occupy Myself with you."

The mutuality goes both ways: Hashem, so to speak, "turns" entirely toward Bnei Yisrael, setting aside all else to engage with them, just as they devote themselves to Him.

ובכח זה הברית זכו בנ"י לא"י כמ"ש במד' אמור ע"מ ואתה את בריתי תשמור שכל זה ענין א'.

And by the power of this covenant Bnei Yisrael merited Eretz Yisrael, as the Midrash on Emor states, on "and you shall keep My covenant" (Bereishis 17:9) — that all of this is one matter.

The bond of the covenant is what earned Bnei Yisrael the land; the bris (circumcision), the covenant, and the inheritance of the land are all bound up as a single, unified theme.

ויש ברית בגוף להסיר הערלה להתדבק בפנימיות והיא גאולה בנפש.

And there is a covenant in the body — to remove the orlah (foreskin) so as to cleave to the penimiyus — and this is the redemption of the soul.

Bris milah is a bodily covenant: removing the "orlah" strips away the outer covering so that one can cleave to the inner essence — a personal, inner redemption.

וכמו כן גאולה בארץ כמ"ש.

And similarly there is redemption in the land, as stated.

The parallel redemption of the land (through Shemittah and Yovel) mirrors the redemption of the body through bris — both peel away the outer to reveal the inner holiness.

וא"י מסוגל לזה כמ"ש במד' עמד וימודד ארץ כו' ע"ש כמו שבחר הש"י בבנ"י שהתורה מיוחד רק להם.

And Eretz Yisrael is especially suited for this, as the Midrash says on "He stood and measured the earth" (Chavakuk 3:6) — see there — just as Hashem chose Bnei Yisrael, to whom alone the Torah is unique.

The Midrash teaches that Hashem "measured" the lands and apportioned Eretz Yisrael to Yisrael. The land is uniquely fitted for this elevation, just as the Torah was given uniquely to Bnei Yisrael.

כמו כן א"י מיוחד להיות נחלת ה'.

So too Eretz Yisrael is uniquely designated to be the "inheritance of Hashem."

Just as Torah belongs to Bnei Yisrael alone, Eretz Yisrael alone is fit to be called Hashem's portion and inheritance.

וכתי' וישבתם לבטח בארצכם ואמרו בת"כ בארצכם אתם יושבים לבטח וא"א יושבים לבטח חוץ מארצכם.

And it is written, "and you shall dwell securely (la-vetach) in your land" (Vayikra 25:18), and the Toras Kohanim said: "in your land you dwell securely, but you do not dwell securely outside your land."

The Sifra (Toras Kohanim) stresses that true security (betach) is found only within Eretz Yisrael — a security the Sefas Emes will explain is rooted in bitachon, trust in Hashem.

הרמז כי בא"י היו אוכלין ושבעים ומ"מ היו דבקים בהש"י במדת הבטחון שזה עדות השמיטין ויובלות ואין כל הארצות מיוחדים לזה רק א"י וע"ז כתי' שכן ארץ ורעה אמונה:

The hint is that in Eretz Yisrael they ate and were satisfied, and nevertheless they remained cleaving to Hashem through the trait of bitachon (trust) — and this is the testimony of the Shemittos and Yovlos. And not all lands are designated for this, only Eretz Yisrael — and concerning this it is written, "dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness (emunah)" (Tehillim 37:3).

Even amid plenty — eating their fill — Bnei Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael stayed bound to Hashem through bitachon. Shemittah and Yovel are the living proof of that trust, leaving the land fallow in reliance on Hashem. Only Eretz Yisrael is suited to this avodah of "dwelling in the land and feeding on faithfulness."

Summary: Bnei Yisrael were created to rectify world, time, and soul — each of which is refined out of an initial mixture, just as Yisrael themselves were sifted from the nations and the land was redeemed from the seven nations. Empowered by the Exodus and the Torah, they carry the "freedom" to bring geulah to every place and time, of which Shemittah is the prime example: resting the land elevates it to its inner, spiritual core. This rests on a two-way covenant — Bnei Yisrael dedicate the land to Hashem and He gives it to them — and is sustained by bitachon, the trust uniquely lived out in Eretz Yisrael through the Shemittah and Yovel.