Certain rabbis claim that the Jubilee year is commanded by the Torah only when the majority of Jews are based in the Land of Israel . Thus, when they are dispersed around the world, "shmita", like certain other laws, would not be required by the Torah. According to these rabbis, the Great Sanhedrin enacted their own law that while in the Land of Israel Jews must continue to observe "shmita" so its observance will not be forgotten (prior to the entire Jewish people's eventual return to the land of Israel).