In New York City’s Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, a private street called Rockefeller Plaza is situated between the RCA Building and the sunken skating rink. In order to preserve Rockefeller Center’s right of ownership of the street, each year the street is closed to all traffic, even pedestrian, for one day – a Sunday in July is usually chosen as interfering least with tenants and visitors. It is believed by lawyers for Rockefeller Center that this formality is necessary to prevent the public from acquiring a permanent right of way in the street. (Wikipedia).
This shiur contains four parts:
Section I. The Four Mitzvot of the Shemittah Year
Section II. Shemittah in Jewish Thought
Section III. The Special Connection Between Shemittah and Har Sinai
Appendix. Guarding Cannabis Fields During the Shemittah Year
Before we explore the connection between Rockefeller Plaza and Shemittah, first we’ll introduce the basic mitzvoth of Shemittah and its context in Jewish thought.
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