Shmita

 I learned something today.  It's the Hebrew word: shmita.  I found a fabulous article in an issue of last year's Philadelphia magazine.  I now have a new goal.

The sabbath year (shmita; Hebrew: שמיטה, literally "release"), also called the sabbatical year or shǝvi'it (שביעית‎, literally "seventh"), or "Sabbath of The Land", is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah in the Land of Israel and is observed in Judaism.^[1]

During shmita, the land is left to lie fallow and all agricultural activity, including plowing, planting, pruning and harvesting, is forbidden by halakha (Jewish law). Other cultivation techniques (such as watering, fertilizing, weeding, spraying, trimming and mowing) may be performed as a preventive measure only, not to improve the growth of trees or other plants. Additionally, any fruits or herbs which grow of their own accord and where no watch is kept over them are deemed hefker (ownerless) and may be picked by anyone.^[2] A variety of laws also apply to the sale, consumption and disposal of shmita produce. All debts, except those of foreigners, were to be remitted.^[3]

The article went on to talk about how it can apply to people.  I LOVE THIS IDEA.  (Here's a link to the article: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2021/12/24/shmita-year/)

I spend a lot of time thinking I want a break.  Just a break.  Not to quit my job or anything permanent.  Just more than a few days off at a time.  This is a brilliant idea.  I couldn't take a year off but a month is possible.  A month to drive across the country, go gem mining, thrift store shopping, see everything I want to see - it would be awesome.  It would be worth an extra year of working to get a month off every 7 years.  I just looked at google maps to see what a trip would look like.  I think it's actually possible.

Who wants to go on a road trip?