Commandment Profile:

+134) To abandon the produce of the Sabbatical year
Application to gentiles: Forbidden to follow Mandated punishment for violation: Death from Heaven for following this commandment Brief description: To forsake ownership of any crops that grow during the whole of each seventh year, leaving them unguarded for others to take and eat. This commandment only applies to Jewish-owned land in Israel; gentiles who observe any type of Sabbath by refraining from work are subject to death penalty from Heaven (see commandment +154), and that presumably includes abstaining from agriculture in order to observe a Sabbatical year. Category: Inapplicable Commandments Biblical source(s) (Rambam): Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:5 Biblical source (Sefer HaChinuch): Ex. 23:11 Number in Sefer HaChinuch: 84 Sources explaining relevance to gentiles: (See bibliography) Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Shemitah 4:29; 8:8 Gentiles are not commanded in shevisas haaretz, and Jews should even encourage them to work their own land in Israel during the shemittah year. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Melachim 10:9 Jews must actively prevent or discourage gentiles from establishing a “rest” or similar religious innovations that do not apply to them under the Noahide Laws. Mishnah, Shevi’is 4:3, 5:9, & Bartenura on both Encouraging gentiles to work their own land in Israel during the shemittah is for darkei shalom (implying this is more obligation than permission, to help prevent gentiles from establishing any religious rest). Talmud Bavli, Gittin 62a Encouraging gentiles to work their own land in Israel during the shemittah is for darkei shalom; R. Yehudah and R. Sheishes are cited as doing so (thus setting an example for other Jews to imitate, to help prevent gentiles from establishing any religious rest). Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Megillah V’Chanukah 4:14 “Ways of pleasantness and peace” (darkei shalom) refers to Torah’s purpose of transforming the physical world — i.e., bringing shalom (thus it is an obligation to do things for darkei shalom). Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Melachim 10:12 “darkei shalom” refers to the ways of Torah (i.e., to demonstrate the goodness of Torah to gentiles). Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Shemitah 5:13 Jews should not feed gentiles the crops of the shemitah year (thus gentiles should not eat shemitah crops of Jewish land?). Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Melachim 10:9 A gentile who “rests” on Shabbos or any other day is liable to death (by Heaven). Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 58b A gentile who “rests” on Shabbos or any other day is liable to death (not enforced as part of the Seven Noahide Laws). Rashi, Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 58b (“afilu sheni b’shabbos…”) Not just the Shabbos day itself, but any menuchah b’almah is prohibited to gentiles (partly in the context of working the land to produce food). Bereishis 8:22 Six seasons of the year are mentioned in the prohibition on resting (implying seasons of rest, and not just individual days).