Shemittot (שמיטות): Remission

Seventh or Sabbatical Year

Shemittot is the plural of Shmita (שמיטה), which literally translates to “remission” or resting the land. They are also cosmic cycles of history as described in Jewish kabbalistic traditions.

Transcending just agricultural law it represents a profound metaphysical cycle, often interpreted as a “Cosmic Shemittah”. It signifies a 7,000-year epoch where the world exists for 6,000 years, followed by a 1,000-year period of “desolation” or rest—a “Sabbath” for creation—before a new cycle begins.

Concepts of Shemittah:

• Cosmic Cycles: Based on Sefer HaTemunah, Kabbalah posits that the universe operates in cycles of 7,000 years, and we are currently in the sixth cycle.
• The 50th Year/Jubilee: The seven cycles of 7,000 years, totaling 49,000 years, are viewed as a cosmic Jubilee cycle, after which the cosmos returns to a primal state, tohu v’vohu (chaos).
• Spiritual Release & Return: It is a time for the world to return to its Divine source, releasing personal ownership and acknowledging that God is the owner of the land and all creation.
• Messianic Age: Just as the weekly Shabbat is a foretaste of the Messianic age, the agricultural Shemittah acts as a microcosmic “Sabbath” of the land, signaling an age of spiritual focus.
• Metaphysical “Shaking”: Shemittah can also be interpreted as “shaking” or “collapse,” referencing the breaking of old structures to make way for higher spiritual consciousness.