Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 25:6/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ה:ו׳

אוְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר (ויקרא כ"ה:ד') "שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ" אָמַר שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַשְּׁבִיתָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה וְתִחְיוּ בָּהּ כֻּלְּכֶם, אַתָּה וְעַבְדְּךָ וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְהַחַיָּה, שֶׁתִּחְיוּ כֻּלְּכֶם מֵאֲשֶׁר תּוֹצִיא הָאָרֶץ מֵעַצְמָהּ בִּשְׁבִיתָתָהּ, אוֹ שֶׁהַשָּׁנָה תִּקָּרֵא "שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ" כַּאֲשֶׁר יִקָּרֵא הַיּוֹם שַׁבַּת ה' וְשַׁבָּת סְתָם, וְהַטַּעַם עַל תְּבוּאַת הַשַּׁבָּת, כִּי הַשַּׁבָּת לֹא תֵּאָכֵל:

1AND ‘SHABBATH HA’ARETZ’ (THE SABBATH-PRODUCE OF THE LAND) SHALL BE FOR FOOD FOR YOU. Because He said it shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the Land,¹¹¹ He states [here] that the rest mentioned shall be for food for you to maintain all of you — you and your servant, and the cattle and the beast — so that you should all support yourselves from that which the land will bring forth by itself whilst it is resting. Or [it may be that] the year itself is called shabbath ha’aretz, just as the [seventh] day is called “the Sabbath of the Eternal,”¹¹². or just “Sabbath;” and the reference thereof is to the produce of the Sabbath [year], for the Sabbath [year] itself is not something to be eaten.