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Rabbi Dovid Heber: How Can Shmitta Occur in a Leap Year?

By Rabbi Dovid Heber

Posted on 08/28/21

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The Gemara in Sanhedrin (12a) states, “Ain me’abrin es hashanah lo b’Shviis – A leap year should not be a year of Shmittah. Rashi explains that this is because to do so would mean a longer year (i.e., an extra month) of not working the fields, etc. if so, how can this coming year, 5782, be both a leap year and Shmittah?


The answer is as follows:


The Teshuvos Sridei Aish (1:39) explains that in our calendar Shemittah can occur in a leap year for the following reason.  The Rambam (Hilchos Kiddush Hachodesh 4:15-16) explains that we would not add an extra Adar during Shemittah to allow extra time before Pesach to fix the roads and bridges (one of the reasons for a leap year when the calendar was determined with witnesses of the new moon testifying to the Sanhedrin). This is an example of when the Gemara applies the rule of Ain me’abrin es hashanah lo b’Sheviis.


However, another reason for a leap year is because if we did not add an extra month to postpone Pesach, this Yom Tov would occur in the winter. For example, this coming year, if there would not be an additional Adar, Pesach would occur on or around March 17 – which is still the winter. This cannot happen, as the Torah states that Pesach must be b’chodesh ha’aviv (the spring). This is the reason used to establish leap years in our current calendar, which is al pi cheshbon, by calculation. To avoid Pesach occurring during the winter, the rule of Ain me’abrin es hashanah lo b’Sheviis does not apply, and therefore, in our current calendar, Shemittah can occur during a leap year, as is the case this coming year, 5782.


The last time this happened was in 5768/2007-2008. The next time will be in 5803/2042-43. During a span of 133 years (19 x 7), there are 7 leap years that are Shemittah. For a further discussion, see Sefer Shaarei Zemanim, siman 9.



Rabbi Dovid Heber is Rav of KAYTT and a Kashrus Administrator at Star-K. The above is based on an article that first appeared in Yated. Rabbi Heber’s new book, “The Intriguing World of Jewish Time: Fascinating Zmanim and Calendar Calculations,” is now available at Jewish bookstores or at www.israelbookshoppublications.com.


 


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