Own cultivated land in Eretz Yisroel during Shmita 5782
Own cultivated land in Eretz Yisroel during Shmita 5782
The Ahavas Olam Weingarden Torah Center of the Detroit community is pleased to present a unique opportunity in advance of the coming shmita year, 5782. Ahavas Olam has available for sale, for the duration of shmita, a cultivated section of land in Eretz Yisroel at the Yishuv of Talmon. As dictated by halacha, the entire parcel of land will not be worked during shmita, and any produce of that land will be abandoned and declared ownerless.
All transactions will be finalized prior to September 6, 2021, erev Rosh Hashana of 5782.
Our online contract for your purchase allows you to purchase a unit of land for yourself or as a gift for family and friends in honor of the new year.
You can now personally fulfill the rare mitzvos of shmita by donating $180 to the Torah Center and purchasing a designated 18” x 18” portion of that cultivated land. $1 of the donation will be used to affect a kinyan kesef of the land. The full amount of money minus a perutah can be deducted from maaser.
Our entire project is being conducted under Rabbinic guidance, including the direction of Dayan Avrohom Gutman, Shlita of Lakewood, NJ to ensure the Halachic validity of all transactions. As well, the project has the warm endorsement of the Rosh HaKollel, Rabbi Shmuel Irons, Shlita, of the Kollel Institute Of Greater Detroit .
Which Mitzvos can one potentially fulfill by owning a plot of cultivated land in Eretz Yisroel during the shmita year?
מצות עשה שתשבות הארץ ממלאכתה בשביעית - Allowing the land to rest
מצות ל"ת שלא יעבוד עבודת הארץ בשנה זו - Refraining from working the land
מצות ל"ת שלא יעבוד עבודת האילן בשנה זו - Refraining from working the orchards
מצות ל"ת שלא יקצור הספיח כנגד הקוצרים - Refraining from harvesting the produce of the land
שלא יבצור הנזירים כנגד הבוצרים* - Refraining from harvesting the produce of the orchards*
שישמיט מה שתוציא הארץ - Abandoning (making hefker) all produce of the seventh year
* Note: The parcels of land available to Ahavas Olam do not contain trees, so there will be no fulfillment of this mitzva (#5, above) with the land purchased via Ahavas Olam.
Why a Person Would Buy a Plot of Land in Eretz Yisroel for Shmita
Listen to a comprehensive Shiur by Rav Simcha Klein, shlita, Rabbi of Ahavas Olam Weingarden Torah Center, detailing the merits of purchasing a plot of land in Eretz Yisroel for the Shmita year.
As long as the land is suitable for planting, one fulfills the above mitzvos of shmita with uncultivated land. However, the mitzvah of ‘Abandoning the produce on shmita’, can obviously only be fulfilled with cultivated land[1] . All parcels sold by Ahavas Olam are cultivated.
[1] עי' חוט השני הלכות שביעית (פ"א).
Women are obligated in all mitzvos lo sa’aseh just as men are. According to many opinions women are obligated in the 2 mitzvos aseh of shmita too, even though they are time-bound mitzvos[1].
[1] עי' מנ"ח (מ' פ"ד, ומ' קי"ב), וע"ע בדרך אמונה (פ"א ה"ב) בביאור הלכה שם מש"כ בטעמא דמילתא.
According to Rav Chaim Kanievsky, Shlita, the minimum required shiur is the amount of land necessary to sustain plant growth[1].
[1] עי' בספר לבנימין אמר (עמ' קל"ח) בשמו.
Most poskim are of the opinion that the hefker status of shmita produce happens by itself[1]. Even according to those poskim who maintain that the hefker does not happen by itself, a verbal declaration is not required. Rather, the act of abandoning the field by opening the fence is sufficient, and that act can be done by others[2]. However, according to Rav Moshe Feinstein z”l[3]the owner must still verbally declare in front of three people that the produce of the field is now hefker. Included in our contract is the authorization for Ahavas Olam to do so on the purchaser’s behalf.
[1] עי' מנ"ח (מ' פ"ד) וחזו"א (שביעית יט,כד).
[2] עי' שו"ת להורות נתן (נתן פריו שביעית ס"א).
[3] שו"ת אג"מ (יו"ד ח"ג ס' צ').
The majority of poskim rule that nowadays shmita is only Mi’drabanan[1].
[1] ע' טשו"ע יו"ד (ס' של"א).
According to the Chazon Ish[1] the blessings apply even according to the opinions that shmita today is only Mi’drabanan.
[1] עי' חזו"א (שביעית יח,ד).
There is definitely no obligation. However, the Chofetz Chaim writes in the name of Rav Chaim Vital (maamar Torah Ohr chap. 4) that one should try to fulfill every mitzva that is possible to for him to fulfill, even those that are uncommon. In this way one can achieve complete rectification of the 248 spiritual limbs of his soul, each of which corresponds to one of the 248 mitzvos.
Going out of one’s way to fulfil a mitzva that he is not strictly obligated to do is also an expression of ‘chavivus hamitzva’.[1]This idea is evident in the custom of many people who purchase chometz on erev Pesach in order to burn it and fulfil the mitzva of sreifas chometz erev Pesach[2].
[1] עי' בספר ארחות יושר (למרן הגר"ח קניבסקי שליט"א פרק כ"ז) שהאריך בענין זה בשם הגר"א (מעשה רב אות ק"ב) והחזו"א, וע"ע בלשון החזו"א (חגיגה ס' קכ"ט דף כה,ב).
[2] ראה מנ"ח (מ' ט'), וע"ע במקור חיים (הלכות פסח, בהק' לס' תל"א סק"א). וכן הביא החזון איש (דמאי ב' ז') ראיה מזה.
Rav Yonasan Eibeshutz[1]mentions that in his time people would send messengers to Eretz Yisroel to purchase animals on their behalf in order to fulfill the mitzva of זרוע לחיים וקיבה, וראשית הגז.
[1] עי' כרתי ופלתי (ס' ס"א אות ה').
Ahavas Olam has a copy of the deed and the accompanying legal documents.
Since only a prutah’s worth is needed to affect the kinyan (acquisition) and the rest of the money goes to Ahavas Olam as a donation, the full amount of money minus a perutah can be deducted from maaser.
No. By signing this contract, the purchaser is merely authorizing Gabi Grossbard, President of Ahavas Olam Weingarden Torah Center, or his agent to purchase it on his behalf. The actual purchase from the owner of the land, however, will take place right before Rosh Hashanah in a separate contractual transaction between Gabi Grossbard and the owner.
Included in the contract is the irrevocable authorization for Gabi Grossbard, President of Ahavas Olam Weingarden Torah Center, or his agent to sell back the plot to the original owner at the conclusion of the shmita year.
Four independent modes of kinyan will be used to effect the kinyan between Gabi Grossbard, President of Ahavas Olam Weingarden Torah Center, and the owner of the land - Kesef, Shtar, Chalipin, Odisa.
The entire process is being done according to the instructions of Dayan Avroham Gutman Shlita of Lakewood. [See accompanying letter]
Ahavas Olam has a precise map of the property in Yishuv Talmon with every 18” by 18” parcel of land marked and numbered. Every purchase has a numbered parcel of land assigned to it.
The Ahavas Olam Weingarden Torah Center was founded by Rav Simcha Klein together with a committed group of individuals with the specific purpose of addressing the growing spiritual needs of young Jewish working families in the Greater Detroit area.
Since its inception Ahavas Olam has made great strides in promoting the ideals of Kvias Itim L'Torah in the community, thereby enhancing the lives of so many families.
The Torah Center offers an abundance of learning sedarim & shiurim, and the Rov actively develops a unique personal connection with each participant. Those looking to grow spiritually are drawn to Ahavas Olam – a true Torah Center and sanctuary.
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AHAVAS OLAM WEINGARDEN TORAH CENTER
15620 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield,MI 48075
AHAVAS OLAM WEINGARDEN TORAH CENTER IS A 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT organization.
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.
TAX ID: 20-3302399
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Online sales of Shmita land parcels for 5782 have now closed.
If you are still interested in purchasing a parcel of land, or have any questions about an existing purchase, please Contact Us.