D15-3: How The Rabbis Resolved A Major Scriptural Discrepancy Concerning ‘The Laws Of Release’

“At the end of every seven years you are to have a sh’mittah.  Here is how the sh’mittah is to be done: every creditor is to give up what he has loaned to his fellow member of the community — he is not to force his neighbor or relative to repay it, because Adonai’s time of remission has been proclaimed.”-Deuteronomy 15:1-2

In my last post (which you can read here), it would appear that we have indeed encountered an apparent discrepancy between the laws of release (SH’MITTAH in Hebrew) as they’re detailed in Leviticus versus how they’re presented in Deuteronomy and Exodus.

Leviticus says that the Laws of Release are to take place every 50 years.

However, in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy we’re presented with a complete debt release that is to take place every seven years.

We’ve got a 50-year cycle versus a 7-year cycle.

So what gives?

Well, the truth is the ancient Sages and the Rabbis have had a field day trying to reconcile what is presented in Leviticus (the 50-year cycle) versus what is presented in Exodus and Deuteronomy (a 7-year cycle).

Here’s how they’ve tried to harmonize the discrepancy.

What they’ll say is that instead of the 7-year cycle of release being a complete cancellation of debt…

…it was rather a postponement of paying off the debt.

Got it?

In other words, whatever regular payments were being made to pay down a debt did not have to be made during the 7th year but once the 7th year was up, the debtor had to start making payments again.

However, after the series of seven of the 7-year Sabbatical cycles (49 years) came around, in the following Jubilee Year (the 50th year), all debts were to be completely cancelled forever and for all time.

What was the logic behind this reasoning?

Simple.

The laws of the Sabbatical year state that the ground can be worked for six consecutive years.

However, in the seventh year, the ground is not to be touched so it can rest and rejuvenate.

Understand that Israel at this time was a farming society.

So working the ground for crops was pretty much the only way a peasant Hebrew of limited means would be able to make any money.

However, if he isn’t working the ground during the 7th Sabbatical year because he’s forbidden from doing so per the Law, then his cash flow during that time is essentially zero.

Hence, the Rabbis decided that all regular debt payments should cease during the Sabbatical year.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Think about if by law you were forbidden from working for an entire year which means you wouldn’t have any money coming in during that time.

Now think about if you still had to make your regular credit card, student loan payments or home mortgage payments or whatever.

It would be pretty darn tough, wouldn’t it?

Someone who had wisely socked away one-sixth of his income during the six years of work would be okay during the Sabbatical year.

But a low income person who needs every penny to stay alive and cannot save would just go into more debt during the Sabbatical year.

The impact these laws become clearer when viewed from the perspective of both the lender and borrower.

Let’s say you’re a fairly well-off person and you decide to loan money to someone.

However, you’re also aware that the Law says at a predesignated time in the future, the entire loan must be COMPLETELY forgiven and the debt cleared from the account AND…

…it doesn’t matter how much money you lent the person.

Obviously, as the lender you would much prefer a 50-year forgiveness cycle as opposed to a 7-year cycle.

On the other hand, a borrower would obviously much prefer that debts were forgiven every 7 years as opposed to every 50.

The difference between 7 years and 50 years is HUGE!

So I can totally understand why there was a lot of heated debate in determining just exactly what the Scripture meant and how to best reconcile the apparent discrepancies.