It is a person's responsibility to acknowledge that having done nothing to deserve it H'shem raised him,  as a gift and a favor.   377 21 The Biur Deadline III We learned that at the end of a food’s growing season, someone who still has some of this food must perform the mitzvah of biur, ridding, by rendering it hefker. Each type of food has its own biur deadline. Several of them are clearly enumerated in the Gemara; the biur deadline for dried figs is Chanukah, for dates is Purim, for grapes is Pesach, and for olives is Shavuos, all in the year following Shemittah. The biur dates for other types of foods depends on the specifics of the growing season. Kashrus organizations in Eretz Yisrael publicize detailed charts with the specific biur times for each type of produce.   The Biur Deadline IV Shemittah food for which biur was not performed may not be eaten, and must be destroyed. (This halachah is often relevant with processed foods and drink with a long shelf ...

 When one realizes that H'shem alone can help him, he will stop waiting for others to save him and  put his full trust in H'shem.  375 20 The Biur Deadline I During Shemittah Hashem has rendered Eretz Yisrael’s produce ownerless, and He permits us to take small amounts to use for personal use. This permission extends for as long as a type of food is readily available in the fields for all to take. If a person still has a large amount of this food in his possession after this date, when this species is no longer readily available to all, they must perform the mitzvah of biur, literally “ridding,” by taking the foods that they have into a public place and declaring it hefker, ownerless, in front of three people.   The Biur Deadline II Biur must be performed before the biur deadline for this type of food, which we will discuss in a future article. Once this halachah has been fulfilled, the person who just declared this food hefker may now retake the food, for he is no w...

 When one realizes that only H'shem can help him, he will stop hoping, fearing, and trusting in anything other than Him 375 19 Exceptions to Demei Shevi’is I We learned that when Shemittah produce is sold or exchanged for another item, the Shemittah sanctity “travels,” and the item traded for the produce – termed demei Shevi’is, Shemittah payment monies, also becomes Shemittah-sanctified. (Note, that the original item also remains Shemittah-sanctified.) However, the kedushah only imbues the second item in a scenario of direct exchange, which is when the money or other item is given at the same time as the Shemittah food. When Shemittah foods are given on credit, that they will be paid for later, the eventual repayment does not become sanctified demei shevi’is. The repayment is considered paying a debt, not a direct payment for the Shemittah produce. A neighbor who buys a small amount of Shemittah food from another neighbor should therefore arrange that she not pay for the food imme...

 If one puts his trust in many, he expects them all to be of help. If he recognizes that one is more powerful than the rest, he will come to rely on him, as well as the others. Yet if he realizes that no one can help him or harm him other than One, he will turn his heart and trust entirely onto him.  375 18 Selling Shemittah Foods Shemittah foods may not be used for business. Not all sales, however, are considered “business,” which is when someone buys and sells large amounts of merchandise in order to make a profit. Leftover foods, in contrast, may be sold, and similarly, one person may buy small amounts of food from another, which is common by neighbors.   In the event that Shemittah foods are sold, their price is not set based on the regular way in which foods are sold, which is by the number of pieces, the weight, or the volume. Instead, the price is estimated. Shemittah foods may also not be sold in a store like regular produce, but in an empty outdoor area, or from ...

 "No one can benefit or hurt either himself or anyone else except with the permission of the Creator."375 Why fear when you know the one who loves you the most is in complete control.  Smile now because you know it will work out in the end.   17 Non-Food Products Other than food, many other products made from plants grown in Eretz Yisrael also have Shemittah sanctity. These include plants grown for animal food, for lamp-lighting oil, to make natural dyes or cleansing agents, as well as fragrant flowers and spices. These uses are considered human benefit as well. Unscented flowers do not have Shemittah sanctity. They may be discarded in the usual manner after use. (Nevertheless, some point out that one should ideally not buy items which were wrongly cultivated and/or guarded in violation of the laws of Shemittah. Many flower merchants for this reason obtain a hechsher on the unscented flowers which they selling, attesting that they were grown in accordance with the la...