We are now in the last third of the Shmitta year, and this is the time when the summer fruits, which were harvested and grown this year, ripen. In Shmitta stores, you can see signs announcing which fruits are in the 'Seventh Kedushat', and next to them you can find fruits from abroad that are not kedushat.
Here a phenomenon arises that is worth reflecting on a little: there are God-fearing Jews who stay away from fruits that contain 'seventh sanctity.' Sometimes they prefer to pay more, as long as they don't 'get involved,' as they say, with the laws associated with fruits that contain sanctity.
And you stand there wondering, is this really the right thing to do? To run away from something that is sacred?
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This is an opportunity.
There is no doubt that dealing with fruits that have 'seventh sanctity' requires strict adherence to several things. It is easier to prefer fruits that do not have sanctity. But is a God-fearing Jew supposed to seek what is easier and more convenient, or, conversely, seek sanctity and the right to observe the special Torah commandments for the year of Shemitah?
There is an opinion (of the Ramban) that when a Jew eats the seventh-day fruits, he fulfills the Torah commandment, "And the Sabbath shall be yours to eat." Although the halachic ruling does not agree with this opinion, a Jew who exaggerates in the commandments strives to fulfill even the obligations of opinions that have not been accepted in practice. Even if it is not an actual mitzvah, it is clear that eating the seventh-day fruits is a noble thing.
And as for the need to learn the laws and properly handle fruits and leftovers – on the contrary, this is an opportunity given to us once every seven years to learn and fulfill more commandments in the Torah. Why not instill this in the members of the household, and thereby express our affection for our Torah and its commandments!
Even keeping the Sabbath as it is and strictly observing the strictest of kosher laws involve discomfort and knowledge of 'complicated' laws. And what a God-fearing Jew would happily accept this and see a right for himself to choose the difficulty, provided that he fulfills the Creator's will and draws closer to Him. Why are things different with the seventh fruits? Is it because this commandment is given to us only once every seven years?
And let's think about the growers. Isn't this an absurd situation: orchard owners are obligated to observe Shmita as it is, to manage the trees and harvest according to all the instructions they receive from the court; and then when the fruits go on sale, it turns out that it is precisely God-fearing Jews who refrain from eating them.
Expectation of holiness
It is worth considering another aspect. We all look forward to and pray for the coming of our righteous Messiah and the speedy building of the Temple in our day. One of the things that will return in the redemption is the observance of the laws of impurity and purification, which we do not observe today. This is a little more difficult and complex than the need to be careful with seventh fruits...
The Sabbatical year is an opportunity for us to express our desire for added holiness. By preferring the seventh fruits, we are, as it were, telling God that we desire to observe all the laws of the Torah "according to the commandments of Your will," and that we are ready and expect the laws of impurity and purity to be observed in their entirety, very soon.
