In this week’s episode (third installment in the Shmita series with guest Avi) we study another text from Mishna Sheviit talking about how Shmita, an exemplar of a traditional Jewish attitude towards the land, is also a remittance of all loans. How does a respect for the autonomy and sacredness of the land interact with our economic system? We discuss land as collateral, conflicts between helping the poor and protecting the environment, and instituting our own personal and communal commitments to the environment during the Shmita year. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/615576

In this week’s special Shavuot episode of Honi’s Circle, we study a text from Leviticus and one from Ruth—first, in Leviticus, the commandment in the Torah to set aside a corner of your field for the poor to glean from; second, the story in Ruth, seeing gleaning in action. We speak about how Shavuot is a holiday of recommitment to the Torah, embodying loving-kindness and a system of laws that ask the community to sustain those without resources, and how developing a system to recommit to fighting climate change can keep us in action for years to come. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/642207

In this week’s episode we study a text from Mishna Sheviit about how money functions differently in the Sabbatical year, ie. Shmita. After a conversation about the non-fungibility of money involved in the purchase of Shmita produce, we look at how both Shmita and working to prevent Climate Disaster requires significant change in our personal lives. We also see that to achieve a true Shmita, and to prevent Global Warming, we need involvement on a societal level. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/615587.1