Shmita Required Seven-Year Debt Forgiveness

According to Jewish tradition, Moses declared that debts should be canceled every seven years as part of the Shmita, or Sabbath year. The practice was established in ancient Israel and required creditors to release certain outstanding debts at the end of the seven-year cycle. Shmita also called for agricultural land to lie fallow during that year, creating a broader system of economic and social renewal. The debt-release provision was intended to prevent long-term poverty and keep financial burdens from accumulating indefinitely.

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