Rosh Hashanah 9 - October 18, 12 Cheshvan

The words “It shall be a jubilee year the fiftieth year”(Vayikra 25:11) are derived by Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Broka to teach that one may have thought we add extra days onto the jubilee year at the end of the year in the same way that we added onto it in the beginning (between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), however, the verse comes to exclude that possibility. The rabbis derive from the verse that the fiftieth year counts as the last year of the seven shmita cycles (year 50), but it does not also count as the first year of the new shmita cycle. This is to go against Rabbi Yehuda who held that it counts as both. The concept suggested previously of extending the sanctity of the jubilee year beyond the fiftieth year is derived by Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael each from one of two places – either from the words “And from plowing and harvesting one should rest” (Shmot 34:21) or from Yom Kippur “on the ninth one should afflict one’s soul” (Vayikra 23:32) and from “from eve to eve.” What does each derive from the verse that the other uses as his proof? A braita brings other drashot from the words “It shall be a jubilee year” that even if not all actions are taken by the people in the jubilee year, it is still considered the jubilee year. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosi each derive differently which actions are referred to in the drasha and which are not, meaning, which are in fact necessary. According to Rabbi Yosi, one cannot have the jubilee year without blowing the shofar, but it can happen without freeing slaves. Two explanations are brought to explain why. On what basis does Rabbi Yehuda explain differently, that slaves must be freed, however, if they work the land or do not blow the shofar, the jubilee year will still happen. A third position of the rabbis is brought that all three actions are necessary. According to them, the words “It shall be a jubilee year” come to include places outside of Israel. The first of Tishrei is the new year also for planting – as regards laws of orla. This is derived from a gzeira shava from the verses. In order to count as a full year of orla, the tree must be planted at least a month before the end of the year.