(Exodus 23:10) commands: "Six years shall you sow your land." Rabbi Eliezer taught that this verse reveals two different agricultural realities, depending on Israel's spiritual state.
When Israel does God's will, they observe one shemitah — one fallow year — in every seven-year cycle. They sow for six years and rest for one, exactly as the Torah prescribes. The land produces abundantly, and the single year of rest is sufficient for its renewal.
But when Israel does not do God's will, they end up observing four shemitah years in every seven-year cycle. How? The land becomes so unproductive due to divine disfavor that they must leave it fallow every other year. They sow one year, then the land must rest. Sow again, rest again. The result: in a seven-year period, they plant only three times and rest four times.
Rabbi Eliezer's teaching transforms the agricultural cycle from a fixed legal schedule into a barometer of Israel's relationship with God. The shemitah is not just a commandment — it is a reflection of national spiritual health. When Israel is righteous, one year of rest suffices because the land cooperates. When Israel strays, the land itself rebels, demanding rest far more frequently than the Torah prescribes.
The same six-year planting cycle appears in both scenarios, but its meaning changes entirely based on whether Israel is living in divine favor or divine displeasure.