Thursday, June 11, 2015

When is the Shemitah 2015?

This year Elul 29 on the Biblical
calendar is September 13, 2015,
on the western calendar.
So I'm sure you're wondering, "Just when is the Shemitah?" (Tweet that!)

Every 7th year it falls on the last day of the last month of the year on the Hebrew / Jewish / Biblical calendar. (Tweet that!)

The last month on that calendar is called "Elul" and it corresponds roughly to mid-August to mid-September on our western calendar. (Tweet that!)

(See related article "How the Jewish Calendar Works.")

The last day of Elul is the 29th. So the Shemitah falls on the 29th of Elul every 7th year. (Tweet that!)

At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD's release [Shemitah].  (Deuteronomy15:1-2)

We are currently in that 7th year on the Biblical calendar. Elul 29 corresponds to Sunday, September 13, 2015. (Tweet that!)

Please return for the next post when we'll take a closer look at just what this "release of debts" looks like when it happens.

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