Shmittah
/ʃəˈmɪt.ə/noun
The Jewish sabbatical year, observed every seventh year when agricultural land rests and certain debts are released.
Did you know?In Deuteronomy, shmittah is linked to releasing debts, while Leviticus describes the seventh-year land rest; both reflect a sacred rhythm of economic and ecological reset.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
שְׁמִטָּה (šĕmiṭṭāh)
“Release, remission, or relinquishment”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
שָׁמַט (šāmaṭ)
“To let drop, release, or relinquish”
Second Temple Period
Hebrew
שביעית (shevi'it)
“The seventh year, another designation for the sabbatical agricultural cycle”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
שְׁמִטָּה (shemiṭṭāh)
“The legal release of debts and observance of the seventh year”
Modern English
English
shmita / shemita / shemitah / shmittah
“The Jewish sabbatical year, especially its agricultural and debt-release practices”