The road leading to Moshav Porat reveals the moshav's religious character. Dozens of wooden signs in praise of shemiras Shabbos are spread across the path and blend pastorally with the view of the unworked fields. The normal serenity of the moshav was stirred with the arrival of the guests, area Rabbanim, and farmers that gathered in anticipation of the Rosh Yeshiva's arrival.

The home of shomer Sheviis farmer, Meir Golan was set up to accommodate the guests. The platform of a wagon harnessed to a tractor was converted to a stage of honor, and gave a dimension of authenticity to the event, a visit to foster identification with the shomrei Shemittah, in the center of its observance.

At the entrance to the square, long lines of children from Talmud Torah "Netivot Moshe" formed, among them children of shomrei Shemittah farmers, who stood and waved colorful flags in honor of the Rosh Yeshiva, Shlit"a, who made the effort to come and show his admiration for the shomrei Shemittah.

The farmers filled the seats and rabbanim were already seated on the stage, as a convoy of cars bringing Reb M.Y. Lefkowitz, Shlit"a, entered the square. With all eyes turning towards the Rav as he stepped out of his car, the crowd burst into song in honor of Torah.

Farmers were moved to tears from the honor imparted to them by the Gedolei Torah who came in their honor. The flag-waving children were encouraged to see their parents as the objects of such esteem for undertaking the observance of Shmittah. At the same time they were lovingly inspired by the sight of the gadol haTorah walking the Moshav grounds.

With the Rav's ascent to the stage, he turned his attention to the artwork of one of the Talmud Torah children who had created a masterpiece on issurim and heterim in working the field during Shmittah.

After opening words in which the master of ceremonies lauded Moshav Porat as a moshav where the absolute majority are Shmittah observers, and was therefore an appropriate venue to host this exalted occasion- the Rav, Shlit"a was invited to address the audience.

The Rav addressed the point that the farmers are "baalei emunah", as Chaza"l say "Emunat- this is Seder Zra'im (mishnayos)". Tosefos explains that the eyes of the planters look to the Heavens for their crops to yield produce. In reference to the year of Shemittah, Chaza"l said that the seventh year is one of the three Shabbosos about which the Torah states, "then the land will atone for its Shabbosos."

At this point the Rav turned to the farmers: "You, giborei koach who are gathered here, holy men, with your actions you are publicizing to all corners of the Land that 'Li kol haAretz'- ('the whole land is Mine.') Those who desecrate Shemittah are destroying Eretz Yisrael, as it is written, that golus Bavel came because they did not keep Shemittah."

Later on in his address he brought down the words of the Rava'd in his introduction to the sefer "Baalei Hanefesh", - "Most mitzvos that Hashem commanded man, were so that man would know that there is a Ruler upon him. After land was given to man, as it says, 'kol shasa tachas raglav'- the Creator commanded upon us mitzvos so that we will know and remember that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is the Ruler of the creation." If we take a look at the myriad troubles in our times, we must realize that it because we have forgotten that there is a Ruler over man. This is midah keneged midah so that we will know and remember Hashem.

In a choked up voice the Rav then said: "Those farmers who observe Shemittah and don't ask 'What will we eat?' are proving to the nation and to the world that there is a Ruler over man, and THEY are sustaining the world!" In his closing words the Rav blessed the farmers that they be zocheh to see bracha from their material efforts along with spiritual growth in their fulfillment of all parts of Torah, chinuch of their sons and daughters in the ways of our fathers, and it should be a zchus for all Klal Yisrael to see the ultimate yeshua with the coming of Mashiach Tzidkenu. The farmers and guests responded with a resounding "Amen".

With the close of the Rav's address, the master of ceremonies invited the Av Beis Din of Komemiyus, Hagaon Harav Menachem Mendel Mendelsohn, Shlit"a to address the crowd. With great emotion, he brought down the words of his father, Harav Binyomin, ZT"L, who reinstated Shmittah observance in Eretz Yisrael, that we have a minhag to cover the challos during Kiddush of Friday night. This is so that they will not be shamed that the mitzvah is not being done with them. From this we learn that the performance of a mitzvah is an honor for the object it is performed with, whereas an aveira is a disgrace to it. Who will cover the shame of Eretz Hakodesh at the time that farming tools are plowing it in the seventh year and are desecrating its holiness?! About you, dear Shemittah-observing farmers, does the Torah state "Those who honor Me, I will honor, and those who scorn me I will scorn". You are redeeming the Land from its shame! Gedolei Torah expressed here their jealousy of you that you are zocheh to be among those that announce, in the words of the Ba'al "Hachinuch", that Hashem is the "Master of the masters of the Land".

After Rav Mendelsohn, Shlit"a, Harav Hagaon Asher Zemel, Shlit"a, rav of the Sharon settlements, addressed the audience and described the revolution that occurred in moshavim in the Sharon- how a moshav, which in the past desecrated Yom Kippur, today hosts shiurei Torah. We have arrived at the times of "Not hungry for bread, and not thirsty for water, but only to hear the words of Hashem". Here he pointed out the connection that was created between the farmers and the rabbanim in the zechus of the mitzvah of Shemittah, and that this in itself is included in the bracha of "And I command my bracha". Following Harav Zemel, Harav Hagaon Yehoshua Rosenberg, Shlit"a, rav of Kiryat Nordau in Netanya addressed the audience with words of inspiration. Also attending the event were Rav Moshe Mintz, Rosh Kollel of "Halichos Ha'Aretz"; Rav Akiva Yitzchaki from Moshav Porat; Harav Yisrael Yitzchok Mendelsohn, from the rabbanim of Keren Hasheviis; the heads of Keren Hasheviis; Rav Baruch Chazan from Kfar Yonah; and farmer Meir Golan.

Children from Talmud Torah Netivot Moshe and Chorev from the Sharon greeting the Rosh Yeshiva on his arrival to encourage the "giborei koach" farmers. The "giborei koach"- farmers listening to words of chizuk from the Rosh Yeshiva, Shlit"a. An unworked tractor during Shemittah! The Rabbanim on the wagon of a tractor in an unworked greenhouse on Mr. Aryeh Golan's farm in Porat The Rosh Yeshiva, Shlit"a with the "giborei koach"- the farmers from the Sharon area. To his right- Rav Yehoshua Rosenberg. To his left- Av Beis Din Komemiyus (r2l) - Rav Moshe Mintz, Rosh Kollel "Halichot Ha'Aretz" in Ashdod; Rav Akiva Yitzchaki from Moshav Porat; Harav Hagaon Rav Yisrael Yitzchok Mendelsohn, from the rabbanim of Keren Hasheviis; Hagaon Rav M.M. Mendelsohn, Av Beis Din Komemiyus; Rosh Yeshiva Hagaon Rav M.Y. Lefkowitz, Shlit"a, speaking; Rav Yehoshua Rosenberg, Rav of Kiryat Nordau in Netanya; Rav Asher Zemel, rav of the Sharon settlements; Rav B.Z. Kugler, chairman of Keren Hasheviis; Rav Boruch Chazan from Kfar Yonah