Shemitah and Personal Renewal: How Rest Unlocks Your Next-Level Self

I recently saw a friend at a wedding. To say the least, it was a real joy to see her and catch up—especially at such a happy occasion. As we spoke about life and our kids, she began sharing updates about her career. She’s a therapist, and I immediately remembered how, five years ago, she had just begun returning to work. Her youngest was finally in school for a full seven hours, and she was excited to reignite a part of herself that had been dormant—her professional skills and passion for helping others.

Back then, I could sense her longing to grow that side of her life again. She was full of hope and motivation. So when she told me now, after six years in the field, that she was completely fed up and planning to take a break—maybe even a long one—I was surprised, but I also deeply understood.

She wasn’t interested in talking about her next career move. She just felt done. Burnt out. She needed a pause.

As she spoke, I found myself reassuring her: what you’re feeling is not only okay—it’s actually completely normal. And as I said it, something clicked in my own mind. I thought of the concept of the Sabbatical Year—Shemitah—that we learn about in this week’s Torah portion, Behar. Just like the land is worked for six years and then commanded to rest in the seventh, we too are wired for a cycle of Shemitah and personal renewal- a divine rhythm that helps us return to ourselves. 

Reading Parshat Behar brought me an “aha” moment. Our conversation came back to me with full clarity. This is exactly what the Torah teaches: work the land for six years—but in the seventh, step back, let it rest, and trust that something deeper is unfolding.

But here’s the question that began to stir in me:

In a world that never stops working just to keep up—how do we create the space to truly upgrade? To reset, renew, and bring out our best self?

The Torah Blueprint: What Is Shemitah Really About?

Parshat Behar begins with the commandment of rest for the land:

“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years you may sow your fields and prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord.’” (Leviticus 25:2–4)

The Torah then expands this pattern: from the weekly Shabbat, to the seven-year Shemitah, to the seven cycles of Shemitah culminating in the 50th year, the Yovel (Jubilee). Time, according to Torah, is framed in sevens—a sacred rhythm designed for renewal.

This rhythm isn’t just agricultural. It’s universal. The Torah is revealing something profound: growth is not linear—it’s cyclical.

We see this in the Jewish calendar too. Each festival elevates us, then we return to steady work, and the cycle repeats. The dips aren’t regressions—they’re part of the flow. A healthy, divine rhythm of rise, rest, and rise again.

Performance Culture vs. Soulful Living

Our modern world, however, presents a challenge. It’s not built for work-rest rhythms—it’s built for constant output.

To survive, we hustle. Even our social lives are infected with FOMO. Phones are always on. The day I forget mine at home, I find myself panicking—how will I do carpool pickup without listening to a podcast? As if the world might fall apart.

Social media trains us to be “on” 24/7—watching, responding, comparing. It teaches our children a skewed idea of success—instant fame and endless material demands. And when it comes to work? Emails are expected at all hours. If you don’t respond promptly—even on weekends—someone follows up.

This constant demand to perform leads to burnout, disconnection, and a fading of our inner self. We lose sight of what inspires us, what drives us, and the true joys of life: family, friendship, giving, and receiving.

While the world tells us to push harder, Torah tells us to pause deeper.

Shemitah and Personal Renewal as a Strategic Reset

To pause deeply requires letting go and trusting in a Divine rhythm. Just like the farmer had to trust that the land would still provide after a year of rest, we are asked to trust that stopping—truly stopping—will serve us, not harm us.

This week’s parsha teaches: the land needs Shemitah. It becomes more fertile after it rests. It yields better quality and greater abundance. And we need it too. Shemitah and personal renewal are not luxuries, they are spiritual necessities.

Even when we love our careers, rest is essential to realign with our purpose. The pause isn’t laziness—it’s sacred strategy. It makes the work that follows more intentional, more grateful, and more aligned.

Rest allows us to miss what we’re doing, to see it with new eyes, and to re-engage with a renewed sense of appreciation. Just as the soil regains nutrients, we regain clarity, direction, and spiritual alignment.

This is how we meet our 2.0 selves.

What Does Your Personal Shemitah Look Like?

Knowing that Shemitah aligns us with a divine rhythm meant to make us more fruitful, it becomes clear how vital it is to integrate this concept into our lives.

Maybe it’s taking a sabbatical from work to study, travel, or create. Maybe it’s designating one tech-free day each week. For the observant Jew, Shabbat already offers a weekly Shemitah—a pause from the digital world, work demands, and endless noise.

But even for those who already keep Shabbat, we can deepen it. We can let go of self-imposed expectations—those shaped by society, not Torah. We can take moments during the week to align ourselves through journaling, praying, walking in nature, learning, or simply breathe with gratitude.

Last year, I was blessed to attend a women’s workshop in nature. It was designed to help us reconnect with our true selves by peeling away layers of trauma and habits that no longer served us. Being removed from my daily responsibilities—my children, my phone, my lists—allowed me to remember who I am at my core, and realign with the goals that matter most to me.

That, too, is Shemitah.

It doesn’t have to be a full year. It can be moments—daily, weekly, yearly—but we must claim them.

Ask yourself:

What area of my life is calling for rest so that renewal can begin?

The Divine Invitation to Rest

My friend probably reached her breaking point not because she failed—but because she succeeded. She gave so much of herself for years. And even if she observes Shabbat, even if she takes vacations and devotes herself fully to her family, there comes a time when the “land” of our soul needs rest. Needs realignment.

Her decision to pause wasn’t a weakness. It was wisdom. A quiet return to rhythm. A living expression of what the Torah teaches us through Shemitah: that rest is not a disruption of life—it’s a deep part of it.

And maybe that’s the invitation for all of us.

To step out of the race long enough to remember why we’re running.

To give ourselves permission to let go, so that something deeper can take root.

Shemitah is not just an ancient agricultural law. It’s a roadmap for how we grow, heal, and return to our truest selves. Hashem, the Creator of rhythms, embedded rest into the very fabric of creation—not to slow us down, but to help us realign and rise.

It’s a gift—a sacred one. A gift that allows us to realign with our divine purpose through the rhythm of Shemitah and personal renewal, and from that grounded space, nurture every part of our existence.