The Shemittah Year

The Sabbath year (shmita Hebrew: literally "release") also called the sabbatical year or sheviit (Hebrew: literally "seventh") is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle and it's every seven years after that. As soon as the Jews settled in the Holy Land, they began to count and observe seven-year cycles. Every cycle would culminate in a Sabbatical year, known as "Shemitah," literally: to release. The year following the destruction of the second Holy Temple was the first year of the seven-year Sabbatical cycle. In the Jewish calendar, counting from Creation, this was year 3829, 68-69 CE in the secular calendar. By counting sevens from then, we see that the next shemitah year will be the year 5775 after Creation, which runs from Sept. 25, 2014 through Sept. 13, 2015. Those who put their trust in G d were richly rewarded: G-d, will command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it will yield produce for three years. And you will sow in the eighth year, while still eating from the old crops. Until the ninth year, until the arrival of its crop, you will eat the old crop! -- Leviticus 25:21-22. As well as giving the people an opportunity to put their faith in G-d and see it fulfilled, the yearlong abstention from farming also allowed them to collectively take a breather and focus on higher, more spiritual pursuits -- as the people packed the synagogues and study halls. Even today, when the vast majority of Jews are not involved in the farming industry, the lessons of Shemitah are very germane. During this holy year we are expected to concentrate more on our spiritual mission in life, and a little less on our material pursuits. More on why we are needed, less on what we need. More on faith in G d, less on faith in our own talents and wiles The first cycle started after the fourteen years of conquering and dividing the land -- the fifteenth year after they crossed the Jordan River (1258 BCE). While the Torah ordinarily counts months starting from Nissan (in the spring), the years of this cycle -- and the Shemitah, too -- begin with Rosh Hashanah, at the start of the autumn month of Tishrei. When all the twelve tribes lived in Israel, in their ancestral estates, the year following seven complete Shemitah cycles – the fiftieth year – was observed as Yovel, the Jubilee year. During Yovel, too, the land was not worked, as during Shemitah. In addition, during the Yovel year all slaves were freed and all fields and houses sold during the past fifty years were returned to their original owners. Unlike Shemitah, however, the Yovel year is no longer observed. the next Jubilee year the Hebrews say they are eagerly await the day when G d will bring their entire nation back to our homeland—including the ten “lost” tribes—and they will again resume observing the Jubilee year, as well as so many other mitzvot which they are incapable of performing until that awaited day.

9/11

Isaiah 9 [10] The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores’ are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. I’m off on a rabbit trail – Here is the outline of The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn; on how history repeats itself: He talks about 9 Harbinger (forerunners): 1. The Breach – the enemy let in causes the removal of G-d’s hedge). Removed in 732 B.C. Politics to the economy to foreign affairs and idols, a nation outside the will of G-d, any notion of national security or invincibility is an illusion. Wake up call! Foreign policy forming strategic alliances. The attack was a warning of a harbinger of judgment. America was instruments to give refuge to the world’s poor and needy, and hope to its appraised. Stand against tyranny, against the dark movements of the modern world. September 11 a judgment from ruling G-d out, abolished prayer and Scripture in its public schools, removed the Ten Commandments from public view. Same when calamity came to ancient Israel; both the righteous and the unrighteous were touched by it. Both perished alike (How can the church think they got a free pass out?). The judgment was upon the nation, both in the private realm of individuals and the public realm of the nation. 2. The terrorist – Nimrod, 9th century B.E. the Assyrians were militaristic and made terror into a science, they had arrogant hearts sinking the land. The Assyrians were a Semitic people speaking Arabic. 9/11 terrorist used words and speech pattern that mirrored the Assyrians in 732 B.E. 9/11 attack was to draw America into military conflict, a global battle against terrorism, encompassing a war in Afghanistan and another in Iraq. Assyria is the same land as Iraq. When a nation turned from G-d, it looses its protective covering for it goes into spiritual slumber, silencing the alarm Isa. 9:10 happen in both times. 3. The bricks – a visible sign of the calamity and of the fact that the nation’s existence now rested on shaky ground. Collapse of buildings, the collapse of a kingdom and then of a civilization = Ground Zero. The world trade center was a symbol of America’s economic power – proud, majestic, and towering. No nations is in vulnerable or exempt its power crashing down. In the first few days and weeks after 9/11, it seemed as if there might be a true national turning, a changing of course, an awakening – even a spiritual revival, that never came for there was no repentance, they did not recognize the deeper meaning. 4. The tower- There leaders vow, ‘We will rebuilt! Bigger, taller and stronger,’ this is the first sign of defiance. A new icon – the Freedom Tower. 5. The Gazit stone (hewn stone), carved out of mountain rock. After the attack, the nations vows to rebuild, not with clay bricks but stone. The gazit stone is, in reality, a symbol of a nation’s rejection of G-d’s calling. The stone is a sign of future calamity linking to the proclaiming of the vow. Misplaced confidence in itt own power to emerge stronger than before. The laying down of the gazit stone was one more link in a chain of judgment. 6. The Sycamore tree (fig mulberry tree). Cutting it down is a sign of warning – uprooting of a kingdom. In the ignoring of the warning becomes a prophecy of judgment. The English Sycamore was a translation of the harbinger. 7. The Erez tree (Cedar) is stronger than the sycamore and was a act of defiance. The cedar was exotic, straight, majestic and towering (over 100 feet). The cedar would stand strong against any future attack. The cedar is like a cone-bearing evergreen that is stronger then the first tree of hope. The second tree became a symbol of national resurgence, confidence and hope – embodies the nation’s defiance. 2003 trees was placed at ground zero. 8. The Utterance – Samaria was the nation’s capital city, the seat of government. For a vow to matter, it has to be spoken by the leaders: it had to be the nation’s official respond. The two targets of 9/11 were New York City and Washington. A vow only matters if it represents the will or voice of the nation; it’s the nation’s response to G-d. And only the leaders can speak for the nation as a whole and set forth its future course. The nation’s leaders pronouncing judgment on their nation! The utterance would join the Assyrian invasion to 9/11. By the summer of 2004 every object mentionable in the ancient prophecy had manifested at ground zero. The utterance would joint the Assyrian invasion to 9/11 and America’s post 9/11 defiance. The most prominent of American leaders had now proclaimed the ancient vow – one of the most obscure verses in the Bible and of the most warning. 9. The Prophecy of Isaiah – prophecy of judgment on the nation’s defiance and arrogance, and a warning a sign foretelling its future. The Senator majority was prophesying by virtue of the office as a instrument to represent the nations future course. America choose the same course as that of ancient Israel, enact the same strategy and walk the same footsteps. Now judgment can be set aside ----IF MY PEOPLE-----