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 picked during Shemittah and as such have Shemittah sanctity. Since these plants began growing before Shemittah, there is no concern that they were wrongly planted. A person with a garden may thus even ideally plant vegetables before Shemittah, and, if the leaves or stems visibly begin growing before Rosh Hashanah, these foods may be picked and eaten during Shemittah. Note, though, that although these vegetables may be eaten, they are still considered Shemittah produce. They must be declared ownerless, and eaten under conditions of Shemittah sanctity.
Other exceptions to the Sefichin Prohibition include plants growing inside a building, as well as plants growing in a flowerpot or planter without holes under conditions in which no part of the plant (including the overhanging branches and leaves) is directly above the ground. The particulars of this type of planter, including the materials from which it is made, will be discussed in a future article.
Sefichin After Shemittah
Sefichin harvested during Shemittah remains forbidden forever, even after Shemittah is over. This is unfortunately relevant with canned goods and other processed products which have a shelf life of many years. The ongoing concern of sefichin is one of the reasons why Eretz Yisrael’s produce should only be bought with a reliable kashrus certificate, during any year.
The Sages also forbade sefichin harvested in the months following Shemittah, in order to prevent a person from sowing his field toward the end of the Shemittah year so crops will begin to grow as soon as Shemittah is over. However, post-Shemittah sefichin does not remain forbidden forever like sefichin harvested during the Shemittah year. Post-Shemittah sefichin becomes permitted when this type of produce planted after Shemittah becomes available (for a farmer would not plant wrongly at the end of Shemittah when he could legitimately plant after Shemittah, and harvest the foods at the same time). This halachah applies until Chanukah. After Chanukah following Shemittah, all sefichin harvested after Shemittah becomes permitted, even those which had been harvested at the beginning of the post-Shemittah year.
