Written in September 2014, just before the start of the most recent Shmita year, this informative article explains “seven things you should know about Israel’s sabbatical year,” including how the sabbatical year was observed in the past, what halachic loopholes were innovated in order to support Israeli farmers in modern times, how Shmita is observed in contemporary Israel by different sectors of society, and how it affects Israel’s fields, supermarkets and politics today.