Shemittah as the Shabbos of Eretz Yisrael

ושבתה הארץ שבת לה' אחז"ל כשם שנאמר בשבת בראשית.

"And the land shall rest, a Shabbos unto Hashem" — Chazal said, just as it is said regarding the Shabbos of creation.

The shemittah year's rest for the land is compared to the weekly Shabbos of creation, hinting that the two share an inner identity.

כמו דשבת עדות בינו ובין בנ"י ויורד בו נשמה יתירה והוא זכר ליצ"מ שנעשו בני חורין ויכולין לקבל נשמה יתירה שהיא בחי' נחלה בלי מצרים.

Just as Shabbos is a testimony between Him and Bnei Yisrael, and an additional soul (neshamah yeseirah) descends upon it, and it is a remembrance of yetzias Mitzrayim, when they became free men and able to receive the additional soul — which is the aspect of "an inheritance without boundaries (nachalah bli metzarim)."

Shabbos testifies to the bond between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael, brings a neshamah yeseirah, and recalls the Exodus, for only free people can receive this boundless additional soul.

כמו כן א"י נק' נחלה בלי מצרים כמ"ש בנחלת יעקב הארץ אשר אתה שוכב כו' ופרצת ימה וקדמה.

So too Eretz Yisrael is called "an inheritance without boundaries," as it says regarding the inheritance of Yaakov, "the land upon which you are lying… and you shall spread out to the west and to the east."

Yaakov's promised inheritance, which "spreads out" in all directions, shows that Eretz Yisrael too is a "boundless inheritance."

שלפי שזכה בנקודה הפנימיות של א"י שמשם הושתת העולם לכן היא נחלה בלי מצרים ובשמיטה מקבלת הארץ בחי' נשמה יתירה וכתיב אשר הוצאתי אתכם מא"מ לתת לכם את א"כ להיות לכם לאלקים אחז"ל הדר בא"י יש לו אלוה.

For because [Yaakov] merited the inner point (nekudah penimiyus) of Eretz Yisrael, from which the world was founded (the Even Shesiyah), therefore it is "an inheritance without boundaries"; and in the shemittah the land receives the aspect of an additional soul, and it is written, "[I am Hashem your God] who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, to be a God to you" — Chazal said, "one who dwells in Eretz Yisrael has a God."

The land's boundlessness flows from its inner point — the foundation-stone of the world — and in shemittah it receives a "neshamah yeseirah," for dwelling there draws one into a special bond with Hashem.

פי' כמ"ש אנכי ה"א דרשו חז"ל עליך ייחדתי שמי ביותר שבכח איש ישראל לקבל בחי' אלקות.

The meaning is, as it says "I am Hashem your God" — Chazal expounded, "upon you I have especially singled out My Name" — for it is in the power of a Jew to receive the aspect of Godliness.

Hashem attaches His Name uniquely to each Jew, because a Jew has the capacity to receive and contain Divine holiness.

ומסיים אשר הוצאתיך מא"מ להיות בן חורין לקבל בחי' זו שהיא למעלה מן הנהגה הטבעיות.

And it concludes, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt" — to be a free man, to receive this aspect, which is above the natural order of conduct.

The Exodus made Bnei Yisrael free precisely so they could receive this Godliness, which transcends the laws of nature.

ואמר מבית עבדים א"כ ניתן לישראל בית ומקום מיוחד והוא א"י כמ"ש ושמתי מקום לעמי.

And it says "from the house of bondage" — therefore a special "house" and place was given to Yisrael, and that is Eretz Yisrael, as it says, "and I will appoint a place for My people."

Just as Egypt was a "house of bondage," Bnei Yisrael were given their own designated "house" — Eretz Yisrael — as the place fit for their holiness.

ותלה הכ' הכל ביצ"מ ובא"י שמיוחד אל הקדושה.

And the verse made everything depend on yetzias Mitzrayim and on Eretz Yisrael, which is designated for holiness.

The pasuk ties the whole matter to both the Exodus and to Eretz Yisrael — the land set apart for kedushah.

וכמו שנגאלו נפשות בנ"י ממצרים כן יצא א"י מתחת יד הכנעני ונעשה נחלת ה' נחלה בלי מצרים.

And just as the souls of Bnei Yisrael were redeemed from Egypt, so Eretz Yisrael went out from under the hand of the Canaanite and became "the inheritance of Hashem," an inheritance without boundaries.

The land underwent its own redemption — freed from the Canaanites just as Bnei Yisrael were freed from Egypt — becoming Hashem's boundless inheritance.

והוא ממש היפוך מארץ מצרים.

And it is the very opposite of the land of Egypt.

Eretz Yisrael stands as the polar opposite of Mitzrayim — freedom and holiness versus bondage and constriction.

דכתי' ארץ טובה ורחבה היא בחי' נחלה בלי מצרים.

For it is written, "a good and spacious land" — this is the aspect of an inheritance without boundaries.

The Torah's description of the land as "spacious" expresses its quality of boundlessness — the spiritual opposite of "Mitzrayim," which connotes narrow straits (metzarim).

לכן תולה הכ' מצות שמיטין בהר סיני שהכל נעשה במאמר אנכי ה"א.

Therefore the verse makes the mitzvah of shemittah depend on Har Sinai, for everything was brought about through the utterance "I am Hashem your God."

This explains the famous link of shemittah to Sinai: the land's holiness, like all else, derives from the first commandment, "I am Hashem your God."

ושמיטה עדות על א"י שנעשה נחלת ה' וע"ז נאמר אשריך ארץ שמלכך בן חורים:

And shemittah is a testimony regarding Eretz Yisrael, that it became the inheritance of Hashem; and about this it is said, "fortunate are you, O land, whose king is a free man (ben chorin)."

Just as Shabbos testifies to the bond between Hashem and His people, shemittah testifies that the land belongs to Hashem — making it a land whose true "king" is utterly free.

Summary: The shemittah rest of the land parallels the weekly Shabbos: just as Shabbos brings Bnei Yisrael a neshamah yeseirah — a "boundless inheritance" possible only for free people redeemed from Egypt — so the land receives an additional soul in shemittah, drawing on the inner point of Eretz Yisrael from which the world was founded. Both yetzias Mitzrayim and Eretz Yisrael are tied to the holiness of "I am Hashem your God": the Exodus freed Bnei Yisrael to receive Godliness above nature, and the land, redeemed from the Canaanite as the very opposite of constricting Egypt, became Hashem's boundless inheritance — which is why shemittah, like Shabbos, is a testimony, given at Sinai.