The Development of a Stewardship Eco-Theology around the Commandment (Mitzvah) of Shmittah in the Face of Climate Change

The biblical mitzvah of Shmitah (Exodus 23, 10-11, Leviticus 25, 1-6) requires all who till the soil in the land of Israel to cease work once in seven years for an entire year, in order to allow the soil to rest, or “keep the Sabbath". During this year all the inhabitants of the land, including landowners, servants, converts, and even wildlife, can freely enjoy the crops of the earth.

In the last few Shmita cycles there is a development of popular Jewish philosophical writings about the Shmita (e.g., Shneider, 2021; Yisraeli 2021; Lavi 2021; Cherlow 2014; Nagar 2007), which reflect on the mitzvah of Shmitah, its logic and rules, with stewardship and environmental perspectives.

This research is trying to understand this hermeneutic of Shmita in light of the recent knowledge about the environmental crisis and climate change caused by human behavior. We will try to understand the motivation behind these writings and their suggestions for the role of Judaism in promoting more sustainable lifestyles which are faced with the climate crisis. The research augments theoretical knowledge on eco-theological concepts in different religions, and the implementation of sustainable behavior by imbuing environmental meaning in religious idea or law (Tirosh–Samuelson,2003 ; Veldman et al., 2013 ; Jenkins et al., 2018).