September 14, 2014 19 Elul, 5774 Blog Truly, it is Saturday night, the 13th of September, but I may not have time to write much tomorrow, for I must go over a long defense brief my attorney has drawn up for a lawsuit in which I am the defendant. Susann will help make sure the Hebrew is correct and, where possible, elegant. [Sunday morning 8:50] Ive eaten breakfast. Susann is waiting the arrivals of a new ozeret (Hebrew for helper -female, and slang or euphemism for house cleaner) and a yardman to clean weeds and brush from our overgrown garden before the start of the shmitta year makes such work problematical. Shmitta is a religious concept that fascinates me. Biblically, it requires that land not be worked to produce crops (and that any self-seeded crops not be harvested but left for the poor), that any Hebrew slaves be set free, and that all debts be canceled. It is no longer observed in general practice. Legal fictions allow the land to be worked, there are no Hebrew slaves (or any other kind) and legal fictions permit long term indebtedness. Some Orthodox Jews insist on buying imported produce (these laws only apply in the land of Israel, and there only to land owned by Jews), and many, including me and my family, apply the agricultural shmitta to our ornamental gardens. Shmitta as regards to money may be impossible in a society in which thirty year mortgages and other bills of long term indebtedness are common, but I think there is a better society hidden in these laws. Without mortgages, most housing would be inherited or would be rented; every seventh year would be a year off, for everyone, with pay (from some source) and with agriculture stopped, food would become simple and healthy, even if gourmet touches grew rare. Much thought and planning would be needed, and shmitta would have to be introduced gradually. This and similar actions, which minimize economic difference and move us closer to lives of actual, rather than merely ritual or ceremonial observance of Divine Law, seem like Judaism to me. Meanwhile, I see to it that the rose bushes and other perennial shrubs are sharply cut back before the start of the shmitta year. A woman has meanwhile arrived to assist Susann in maintaining the house. In Israeli terms, it is a large house (225 square meters plus about 60 square meters of tiled patios and terraces and roof, on a plot of 550 square meters) for the two of us, a big dog and a cat. When we bought it, Idit and Eitan still lived with us, but they have grown and moved on, connected mainly by telephone and skype. It becomes dirty and unorganized. Susann works translating many hours and relating to me (no simple task) many hours and needs help with this house. We had help for years, but that got too expensive (we hit a dry patch when our only means of transportation was water skis) so the help was jettisoned onto rocky ground (ouch!) and now is to be replaced. I hope this is successful. Shabbat was peaceful and good and delicious, as is usual here. I did manage, with difficulty and help, to get down the seven stairs (and later manage the harder up) and sit at our very fine pecan wood dining table. I shall soon use a blog entry to give a history of that table, of the meals, seminars, lessons and workshops that have taken place around it, sometimes at its full extension. The yard help, due to arrive at eight, has not at 9:50, but somehow, here, that is not surprising. Shavua Tov
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 06:54:15 +0000
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