"Gain and loss are not controlled by man but are in the hand of the Creator alone"  No one can help you or harm you other than H'shem, always remember you are in good hands.  371 9 Cleaning the Floor The floor of the house or patio may be washed during as usual during Shemittah even when the water spills into the yard below, when the person washing it only means to clean the floor, and is not interested in watering the plants or grass. Some authorities say that this intention should be made more apparent by adding soap to the water. Since soap does not help the plants grow, this demonstrates that they are cleaning, and not taking care of the plants.  Note, this discussion is dealing with a case in which the water flows into the person’s own yard, or in a yard shared by the building’s residents. All agree that soap need not be added when the water flows into a neighbor’s yard, for in this case the person washing the floor derives no benefit from the plants’ enhanced growth...

Say you had a watch that broke, and you had two choices where to go to have it fixed.  One is a very handy watchmaker with a good name and a fancy shop.  The other is the creator of the watch himself.  The watchmaker may succeed or not. The maker of the watch, on the other hand, knows exactly what the watch needs and how to fix it.  H'shem created you; he knows what you need and what you lack.  Do not make the mistake of looking elsewhere to put your trust.  371 8 Pruning/Caring for Plants One of the Torah melachos forbidden during Shemittah is pruning a grapevine. This involves cutting away excess shoots at the beginning of the season in order to concentrate the nourishment being provided by the ground toward particular branches, allowing them to produce better fruits. Rabbinic melachos similar to pruning are anything done to help an already existent plant grow better. This includes watering, pruning other types of trees, trimming or thinning out branches,...

 The Creator of the world never "neglects, is all-knowing and invincible".  When one reviews this over in his mind he can face any challenge in life as he knows it is H'shem who is guiding and protecting him through it all.   369/371 7  Children Playing in the Yard Holes may not be dug in preparation for planting. But, there is no issue with children digging holes or smoothing dirt as part of their play. The fact that children are playing is a sufficient demonstration that playing, and not gardening, is what is on their minds. Similarly, children may play with hoses and sprinklers during Shemittah, as usual, without concern that the ground is being made softer and easier to plant (in violation of the melachah of plowing), or the grass or other plants that are there are benefitting from the water (in violation of the melachah of helping crops grow). The fact that children are having a water fight or the like is itself a demonstration that planting or caring for p...

Only H'shem possesses every characteristic deserving of full trust.  For example, look at the numerous acts of compassion H'shem showers you with on a continual basis.  There is no one that wants to see you succeed more than Him.  pg 369 6   Charishah – Preparing the Ground to Plant We will now turn to discuss the melachos of Shemittah and their application in the home, yard, and garden. One of the Torah melachos is charishah, plowing.   The prohibition against plowing during Shemittah includes doing anything in the yard or garden that makes the ground ready to plant. This includes, for example, plowing, digging holes, spreading fertilizer, watering the ground to soften it, smoothing the ground, and pulling weeds to create space to plant. None of this may be done in the yard or garden in order to prepare for planting, even at the very end of the year, when the actual planting will be done after Shemittah is over. Maris Ha’ayin During Shemittah the land may not b...

What does "Obligated to trust in Him" mean?   You must be calm in your heart and your outward reactions.  Give over your life to His direction, by accepting His decisions and choosing to serve Him at all times. "Judge Him favorably" that all his decisions for you are for the best and your ultimate good 5 Sefichin II We learned that foods that grow directly from the ground during Shemittah that can be eaten within the year of planting (for example vegetables, grains, and legumes), may not be eaten. (This is in contrast to Shemittah fruits, which under most circumstances may be eaten, under conditions of Shemittah sanctity.) The Sages instituted the Sefichin Prohibition in order to prevent people from wrongly planting during Shemittah, and afterward telling others that these foods grew by themselves. The Sefichin Prohibition does not include plants that began growing (their leaves or stem was visible above the ground) before Shemittah began, even though they will be p...

If one were to find someone that possessed all  "7 qualities of trust," they would be "worthy" of one's trust.  It is clear that  there is no individual, only the Creator of the world, that fulfills all seven qualities, and when one recognizes this fact, we are "Obligated to put.. trust in Him" 369 4-What is Considered Shemittah Produce Another aspect of Shemittah is that Shemittah produce is sanctified. Vegetables and most other crops that grow directly from the ground are considered Shemittah produce when these items are picked from the ground during Shemittah. Fruits that grow from a tree are different; most fruits are considered Shemittah produce when a critical stage of their growth is called chanatah (an early stage of development, which many explain is when the bud is discernable after the flower falls off) happens during the Shemittah year. And, the Shemittah status of grains, olives, and grapes is determined by the point when it reaches a thi...

 How easy it is for us to trust in One that is " absolutely generous and kind to the deserving and undeserving. His generosity is perpetual and kindness continuous unfailing and uninterrupted". pg 369  3:When Melachos Are Permitted Rabbinically-forbidden agricultural melachos may in many cases be done during Shemittah when their purpose is not to help the plants grow better, but to protect them from ruin. Plants may as such be watered in the amounts necessary to keep them from drying out. Note, though, that this is almost inevitably less often, and in lesser amounts, than they are normally watered. Weeds may be pulled out only when they pose a danger to the surrounding plants. (A halachic authority should be consulted regarding pulling out weeds in an area that is not otherwise planted.) And, pesticides may be applied in order to protect the fruits or plants from ruin. Before caring for plants during Shemittah, however, a gardener who understands the principles of Shemittah, ...

 The only way one would truly trust another is if he knew him since birth and is confident he will be by his side his entire life.  When this exclusive relationship is strengthened by countless acts of support and kindness, his trust in him will grow, confident he will always be taken care of.  How much more so when he becomes aware that no one else in the world is as powerful, has more connections, can help him or harm him. and is the only one he can call on and rely on.   pg 369 Clearing the Way Torah-prohibited melachos (which are always forbidden during Shemittah) and the activities forbidden by the Sages, is that Rabbinic melachos are only prohibited when they are being done to cultivate plants, and not for other reasons. For example, trimming a tree’s branches helps it grow fuller and healthier, and may not be done during Shemittah. But the branches may be trimmed (assuming that no fruits are growing on them) if they are blocking a sidewalk or path, or cov...

In addition to the first two conditions for putting trust in someone, the following two characteristics must be present 3. The one he trusts must have the ability to accomplish what he set out to do for the one who trusts in him 4. He knows what serves the one who trusts him wants both inwardly and outworld at all times,  367                                                          Melachos  The Torah does not allow primary agricultural tasks (plowing, planting, pruning, and harvesting), called melachos, to be done during Shemittah. And, to create an atmosphere of total rest in the Land, the Sages included other activities within the Shemittah farming and gardening prohibitions, restricting any way of caring for plants or trees. Torah-prohibited melachos may never be done during Shemittah or with Shemittah produce. Rabbinically forbid...