Ah, lovely, lovely shmita. I’ve been waiting for you and now that you are here, I’m reveling in the stress relief you bring, the change of perspective you offer and the savings in electricity from turning off my computer.
In case you don’t know (I didn’t before I wikipediaed it), shmita is the Hebrew term for sabbatical.
“You may plant your land for six years and gather its crops. But during the seventh year, you must leave it alone and withdraw from it. The needy among you will then be able to eat just as you do, and whatever is left over can be eaten by wild animals. This also applies to your vineyard and your olive grove.” (Exodus 23:10-11)
I have taken a hiatus from blogging. Shuttered the internet windows of Accidentally Jewish. Let dust gather in the corners of Jewish Fringe. Went as long as I could without writing at TalkShop. What can I tell you, it has been lovely.
Giving myself permission to stop writing and to just live for awhile, without recording everything, has been lovely. I’m sure I’ll go back to blogging when this is all over, but I might be a different sort of blogger.
Check out that Wikipedia entry if you haven’t. Sabbaticals are to be celebrated. CELEBRATED! Joyful occasions when we let the earth rest and we rest with it.
I guess this brief post is just to say, I’m taking a shmita and I’ll see you when it’s over.
