There is a well known phrase in Israel that Rabbis and politicians like to use someone gives a wrong answer.
?מה עניין שמיטה להר סיני
So, what is the connection between Shmita to Mount Sinai?
The source for this saying is in this weeks Parsha. The Pasuk says, “HaShem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai saying-“ Rashi quotes Torat Kohanim, asking why Mount Sinai is mentioned specifically in connection with the mitzvah of the Sabbatical Year, Shmittah.
The reply given by Rebbi Akiva is that Shmitta is used here to symbolize all the other mitzvot.
Just as the details of Shmitta, in addition to its broad outlines were given to Moshe on Mount Sinai, so were all the other mitzvot.
We emphasize Mount Sinai to teach us that keeping mitzvot, including the mitzvot that we were commanded to fulfill prior to Matan Torah, are only because we were instructed by HaShem. Also the seven mitzvot of Bnai Noach, the Maimonides says, are only fulfilled if he does them because HaShem commanded him so.
And here the difference lies between the mitzvot er did before receiving the Torah, and after. Before Matan Torah, the commandments were based on logic and common sense. There was no such thing as laws and prohibitions set up by HaShem. As a result of this approach, there were many people who kept Torah, but there own children didn’t follow the footsteps of their father, since it was based on logic and reasons, and when there is a desire, they will come up with a different reason against fulfilling this mitzvah.
If we look deeper, we will see a fascinating fact. Shem and Everr had a huge Yeshiva, with many, many students. We only know about one student, and that’s Yaakov Avinu. Where are all the students to continue their legacy? There was no future for this Yeshiva? The same with the students of Avraham Avinu. He made tens of thousands of students, and yet, we don’t know much about them.
Only from our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov we established a nation of Jewish people.
However, when the mitzvot are fulfilled, not because of the reason, but because it’s the commandment of HaShem, and this is what we teach our children. The legacy will continue. This is why we mention the Sabbatical year with Mount Sinai, to teach us that even when we understand and know the reasons for the mitzvot we cannot keep those mitzvot because of their reasons, but because HaShem asked us to keep them. In a natural way, someone that his livelihood depends on his fields, cannot financially survive without working for a full year, yet HaShem says, don’t work, and I will bless you. This doesn’t make sense, how could a person make a living without working a whole year? Nevertheless, HaShem tells him to do it and he will bless him.