Shemitah feeds the doubters in all of us

Rabbi Aharon Rose

This promise doesn’t make sense. First, G-d alleviates our fear that Shemitah will result in starvation, then He acknowledges this fear, and addresses it a second time.

What’s the difference between believing in G-d, and trusting in G-d? I might believe in G-d, but, the Talmud suggests, my belief might be such that before I break into a home, I pray that G-d blesses my theft with success. “Belief” is a theoretical idea in my head, “there is a G-d”. If I trust in G-d, the awareness has moved from my head to my heart, and to my behaviour, I rely on G-d, because if good things are going to happen, G-d will enable/make them happen. The journey of this awareness from my head to my heart (and actions) is my job. It’s hard, but I have a lifetime to do it.

Trust, as Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the third rebbe of Chabad (1789-1866) taught, means tracht gut vet zein gut (if you think good – because G-d will make it good – it will be good). Not that it will be good in some spiritual way, but in a practical way you can see, and not in some vague time in future, but now. And, the more convinced you are of this reality because you trust in G-d, the clearer and sooner that good will be obvious.

So, why does G-d tell us not to worry about food during Shemitah, then mention that we might worry about it, but that we shouldn’t worry about it because there will be plenty?

G-d is talking to two types of Jews. The first group trusts in G-d. It doesn’t ask if there will be food during Shemitah – of course G-d will provide us with food! The second group believes, but doesn’t trust. It asks, so G-d reassures it.

G-d looks after both groups, but differently. The first group trusts in G-d completely, so it will see a blessing of quality where a little food will be satisfactory. The second group doesn’t trust so much. It asks what it will eat, and G-d tells it that there will be a blessing, but a blessing of quantity (“produce for three years”). This involves much more work, but the blessing still exists. Those who trust in G-d completely don’t need to see three times the amount of food to calm their fears because they know G-d can do anything. G-d blesses both groups according to what they need in order not to worry.

Every Jew believes because we have a soul that is part of G-d. Our job is to turn belief into trust. The results/rewards will be obvious.