וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת כְּמוֹ מְסֹרָס, וְכִי תֹּאמְרוּ בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית מַה נֹּאכַל, כִּי הַדְּאָגָה לָהֶם בַּעֲבוּר הַשְּׁמִינִית, כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁתְּחִלַּת שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְהַיּוֹבֵל מִתִּשְׁרֵי, מִפֵּרוֹת הַשִּׁשִּׁית יֹאכְלוּ בַּשְּׁבִיעִית כַּמִּנְהָג בְּכָל הַשָּׁנִים לֶאֱכֹל עַד אַחֲרֵי הַקָּצִיר שֶׁהוּא בְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת, וְגַם אַחֲרֵי כֵן עַד כְּלוֹת מְלֶאכֶת הַתְּבוּאוֹת לִזְרוֹת וּלְהָבֵר. וְעַל כֵּן הַנָּכוֹן בְּפֵרוּשׁ "וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים", בַּעֲבוּר שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל, שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה הַשִּׁשִּׁית לְכָל שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְהַיּוֹבֵל וְהַשָּׁנָה שֶׁאַחֲרֵי הַיּוֹבֵל, כִּי כֻּלָּם יָשָׁן יֹאכֵלוּ. וְהִבְטִיחַ הַכָּתוּב כִּי תִּפְחֲדוּ בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית לֵאמֹר מַה נֹּאכַל, אֲנִי אֲצַוֶּה אֶת בִּרְכָתִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְהִיא תּוֹסֶפֶת בְּרָכָה כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּסְפִּיק גַּם בַּשְּׁמִטָּה וְהַיּוֹבֵל. וְאָמַר "וּזְרַעְתֶּם אֵת הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמִינִת", לוֹמַר שֶׁתִּזְרְעוּ בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמִינִית כְּמִנְהַג הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא תְּמַהֲרוּ לַחֲרֹשׁ וְלִזְרֹעַ וְלֹא לִקְצֹר, כִּי עַד בֹּא תְּבוּאָתָהּ לַבַּיִת בְּעֵת אֹסֶף הַשָּׁנִים בְּחַג הַסֻּכּוֹת תֹּאכְלוּ יָשָׁן. וּבְתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (פרק ד ו), "לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים" - לַשִּׁשִּׁית וְלַשְּׁבִיעִית וּלְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. דָּבָר אַחֵר "לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים" - לַשְּׁבִיעִית וְלַיּוֹבֵל וּלְמוֹצָאֵי יוֹבֵל: AND IF YE SHALL SAY: ‘WHAT SHALL WE EAT THE SEVENTH YEAR?’ The verse is, as it were, inverted, meaning: “and if you shall say in the seventh year, ‘What shall we eat [in the eighth year]?’ for their worry would be about the eighth year. For since the beginning of the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee is in Tishri, then they would eat of the produce of the sixth year during the seventh year, as is the normal way in all other years to eat [of the old produce] until after the reaping [of the new], which is at the time of the Festival of Weeks, and even afterwards until the work of fanning and sifting the produce is finished. Therefore the correct interpretation of the verse, and it shall bring forth produce for the three years180Verse 21. is that on account of the year of Jubilee [which always follows a Sabbatical year, G-d will command His blessing in the sixth year,180Verse 21. meaning] that the sixth year will bring forth [sufficient produce] for the whole of the Sabbatical year, the Jubilee and the year after the Jubilee, and during all these [three years] they will eat of the old crop. Thus Scripture is assuring them that should they fear in the seventh year saying, “What shall we eat?” then I will command My blessing in the sixth year that it shall bring forth produce for the three years following after [the sixth year], this being an additional blessing [to that of every Sabbatical year, when the sixth year brings forth sufficient produce for the seventh and eighth years; and when in addition there is a Jubilee year, it will bring forth enough for three years] so that it should suffice also for the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee. He states, And ye shall sow the eighth year,181Verse 22. meaning to say that you should sow in the eighth year in the customary manner of every year, and you should not hurry to plow and sow, or to reap, for until her produce come in into the house at the time that the harvest [usually] takes place every year, at the Festival of Tabernacles, ye shall eat the old crop. And in the Torath Kohanim [it is stated]:182Torath Kohanim, Behar 4:6. “For the three years180Verse 21. — for the sixth, the seventh, and the year after the seventh. Another interpretation: For the three years — for the Seventh year, the Jubilee, and the year after the Jubilee.”