A Sabbath For the Land

Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard

This illustration is from Green Bible Stories for Children (Kar Ben Publishing, 2011, written by Tami Lehman-Wilzig), which draws out environmental themes from the Hebrew Bible (Torah). This particular scene depicts the Sabbatical year for the land, or Shmita, which occurs every seven years in Israel. The Torah commands that just as humans and domestic animals engage in work for six days followed by a day of rest on the Sabbath, so too must the land be given a year to rest after six years of being farmed.

In ancient times, this meant the land could not be plowed or planted for that whole year. Cultivated plants that grew on their own could not be pruned, but whatever fruit they yielded could be picked. Wild plants could still be foraged. For a whole year, the people reverted to their pre-agricultural state. In preparation for that year, they learned to store and save crops while they were bountiful. Young readers of this book learned the importance of sustainable agriculture, and were introduced to the idea that the earth is alive and needs to replenish itself, just like living creatures that walk, swim, fly, and slither.

The difference between foraging and harvesting is significant: to forage is to find and receive the gifts of the earth, while to harvest is to reap the rewards of preplanned labor. Yet in both cases, the earth is what yields the sustenance we live on. The tradition of Shmita seems to remind us to keep one foot planted in both lifestyles: to remain humble and trusting before nature, to harness its potential, but not to dominate it too much.

I don’t often have the opportunity to paint landscapes as illustrations, especially for a children’s book. Landscape painting is relaxing, so I, too, felt like I was taking a rest in painting this spread. There was little action to depict – nothing but the land in an overgrown, tranquil, half-wild state, with a few sheep and shepherds. My reference was a photograph of a valley in southern Israel, from a beautiful coffee table book on plants of the Bible that I bought on my first trip there.

Green Bible Stories was a pleasure to illustrate. I loved Tami’s way of presenting her themes to children. There are some pretty cool hands-on projects in the book, too.

The next Sabbatical year in Israel will begin in 2028. May it truly be a year of tranquility and rest.

A good week to all!

D. Yael Bernhard

https://dyaelbernhard.com

Have you seen my other Substack, The Art of Health? In addition to being a visual artist, I’m also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach with a lifelong passion for natural food cooking and herbal medicine. Now in its second year, this illustrated newsletter explores cutting-edge concepts of nutrition. I strive to make relevant information clear and accessible, and to anchor essential health concepts in unique images. Check it out, and if you like it, please subscribe and help spread the word. Your support keeps my work going!