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Beit Midrash
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In the weekly Shabbat, the person is the main focus of the cessation of work. In contrast, during the seventh year, the focus is on the land. Admittedly, the Torah commands the individual to refrain from agricultural activities, but most agricultural activities are forbidden only Rabbinically even at times when shemitta applies based on Torah law.
The p’sukim also stress that during this year of "rest for the land," all of those who live in the land, including non-land-owners, foreigners, and animals who inhabit it, are to benefit from the land’s fruit. (The specific halachot that relate to this are beyond our scope.)
On the weekly Shabbat, sanctity of the day itself impacts our behavior on the day, so that our work desecrates the day. What is the parallel application regarding the seventh year’s sanctity? The Ramban says that it creates a mitzva to eat the produce that grew on its own during the year. Several other great authorities (possibly including Rav A.Y. Kook – see Shabbat Haaretz, appendix 21) follow this approach.
Based on this approach, we can continue the thought and say that because that which grows in the seventh year is holy, it is a mitzva to eat it. We can even say that since the Land is especially dedicated to Hashem, eating its produce is like "eating from Hashem’s table." This is a term that comes up in the gemara regarding eating the parts of korbanot that are permitted for man (see some applications in Beitza 21a).
If the produce becomes holy due to the similarity between Shabbat and the shemitta year, we understand why our parasha stresses the eating more than the prohibitions on a person’s work. There is also a similar stress concerning the fruit that grows during the yovel (jubilee) year (see Vayikra 25:12).
The technical solution, which is still a national necessity concerning the broadest base of Israeli society, is to sell the land to non-Jews for the seventh year. This is a situation of b’dieved and a specially needed extraordinary ruling. It is definitely not considered fulfilling the mitzva of a Shabbat of the land. Without any doubt, those who are "careful" to buy only from that which grew in non-Jewish fields is in no way fulfilling the mitzva but is paving a "shemitta-bypass road," and giving up on the Shabbat of the Land.
In this post-shemitta year, we now have the opportunity to be past the challenges of cultivating the land and yet we still have a few months in which the fruit that have grown on existing trees have the sanctity of shemitta and can be eaten as a mitzva according to the Ramban.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
