3,798. The Differences Between Shemittah and Yoveil

Hilchos Shemittah v’Yoveil 10:15

When it comes to letting the land rest, yoveil is just like shemittah. Whatever work is prohibited during shemittah is also prohibited during yoveil, while whatever is permitted during shemittah is permitted during yoveil. When a form of labor is punishable by lashes during shemittah, the same is true during yoveil. Similarly, the laws of eating, selling and removing yoveil produce are the same as those of shemittah.

Hilchos Shemittah v’Yoveil 10:16

There is one thing that shemittah has but yoveil doesn’t: debts are canceled in shemittah but not in yoveil. Similarly, yoveil has something that shemittah doesn’t: servants and land are released. This is the law of land transactions, a Torah obligation, as per Leviticus 25:24: “You shall give a redemption to the land.” Yoveil releases land at the start of the year, while shemittah doesn’t cancel debts until the end of year, as we have already discussed.