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12 Tishrei 5760 - October 11, 2000 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family
Farmers Declaration on Erev Rosh Hashonoh
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

On erev Rosh Hashonoh, many shmitta observant farmers adopted the custom whereby they declare that they are mafkir their fields, lands and produce. The declaration, done at the suggestion of the Nationwide Center for Shmitta Observing Farmers, is one that is made although the hefker situation is afkaata deMalka meaning that it comes from Above and takes effect even when no explicit statement has been made on the part of the farmer.

The source of this custom is a special prayer composed by HaRav Akiva Yosef Shlesinger, author of Lev Ho'ivri. HaRav Shlesinger was one of the first shmitta observers after the renewal of the Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisroel, on the lands of Petach Tikvah in 5642 (1882).

The text of the prayer as it appears in his sefer is: "Blessed is our G-d who has created us for His honor, and has separated us from the errant, and who has kept us alive and sustained us in order to enable us to fulfill the positive commandments and be heedful of the prohibitions regarding abandoning our fields [and to observe this mitzvah] like the other mitzvos that Hashem created. The entire land which I own is all shmitta as He has commanded, and may others behold my conduct and everyone who fears Hashem's word follow suit. This is the dvar hashmitta."

It is also good to say: "I am prepared to fulfill the positive commandments and to be heedful of the prohibitions of shmitta, and Veyehi no'am Hashem oleinu . . ."

 

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