Q. If someone has already written a pruzbul and then tutors or babysits before Rosh Hashana, but was not paid at that time, can they still collect after this Shmitah Rosh Hashana?

A. Only unpaid loans are canceled at the end of the Shmita year. A pruzbul is written to avoid the annulment, this is usually done close to the end of the Shmita year. The above applies mainly to loans. Unpaid wages are usually not affected by Shmita unless they were transformed into a loan until paid. (Shulchan Aruch, C. M., 67:15.) If this did take place, a new pruzbul would be needed before Rosh Hashana.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a