Slavery
The Sabbath year, also known as the Shemitah year, occurs every seventh year in the agricultural cycle of ancient Israel, as prescribed in the Torah.
Specifically, the Shemitah year is detailed in Leviticus 25:1-7.
The purpose of the Shemitah is to allow the land to rest and to remind the Israelites of their dependence on God.
The calculation of the Shemitah year is based on a seven-year agricultural cycle that has been observed historically by Jewish communities.
The current system for determining the Shemitah year is based on the Jewish calendar, which is a lunisolar calendar.
In ancient Israel, the Shemitah was observed as part of the covenantal laws given to the Israelites.
After the Babylonian Exile, the observance of Shemitah continued, though its practice and enforcement varied over time, especially during periods when the Jewish people were not sovereign in their land.
In contemporary Israel, the Shemitah year is still observed by many religious farmers.
There are various halachic (Jewish legal) mechanisms, such as the "Heter Mechira," which allows land to be symbolically sold to a non-Jew for the duration of the Shemitah year to permit agricultural activities to continue under certain conditions.
To provide a specific example, the most recent Shemitah year was from September 7, 2021, to September 26, 2022.
The next Shemitah year will begin in the Jewish year 5789, which corresponds to September 2028 in the Gregorian calendar.