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 third of the eventual size. Produce in which these stages happened before Shemittah is not sanctified, even when eaten (and in the cases of fruits and grains picked from the tree) during Shemittah.
Practically speaking this means that the Shemittah status of vegetables will be an issue from the beginning of the year. Fruits will become an issue as the year goes on (depending on the growing season of each type of fruit), and into the following year. For example, the grape harvest in Eretz Yisrael is during the late spring and summer, so all grapes and wines available at the beginning of the Shemittah year are not Shemittah produce. Grapes will only become an issue in the final months of Shemittah and during the following year when the produce of the Shemittah season becomes available.
Sefichin
The Torah permits any type of Shemittah produce to be eaten, under conditions of Shemittah sanctity. However, the Sages realized that many Jews were violating Shemittah by surreptitiously planting their fields. When the crops sprouted, these people would claim that these foods were aftergrowths, the product of seeds or roots that remained in the ground from the harvest of the previous year. In order to save these people from the severe prohibition of planting during Shemittah, the Sages instituted Gezeiras Sefichin, the Sefichin (Aftergrowth) Prohibition: Crops that begin to grow from the ground during Shemittah may not be eaten. Now people would no longer have the incentive to plant during Shemittah, for the foods that grow will be forbidden in any event.
The Sefichin Prohibition includes all foods that grow directly from the ground that can be eaten within the year of planting. This means that vegetables, grains, and legumes that grow in Eretz Yisrael during Shemittah may not be eaten. These foods may only be bought during Shemittah and afterward when there is a reliable kashrus certificate stating that they are not Shemittah produce. Also, vegetables that grow in the garden during Shemittah may not be eaten. In the next article, we will discuss an exception to the Sefichin Prohibition that is often relevant during the opening months of Shemittah.