Currently produce from Israel is being sold in Meijer in the Detroit area, reports the COR of Detroit. Sunset Loose Red Bell Peppers and Sunset Organic Sweet Bell Peppers state “Product of Israel” on the label/ package. These have the status of Shemittah, and should not be purchased. If already purchased, a Rav must be consulted. Additionally, Holyland fresh produce appearing in the Boston area supermarkets are produce of Israel and may have Kedushas Sheviis (or alternately require Terumos and maasros).
Consumers should always take care when buying produce to check the sticker, bag, label or original case for country of origin, especially in this Shemittah year (since Shemittah produce has special kedushah governing its purchase and consumption).
Examples of Israeli produce commonly found in the United States include carrots, tomatoes, citrus fruit, persimmons, pomelos, dates and parsley.
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8 Responses
i heard that costco sells produce from israel too
On a regular non shemittah year, many retailers carry peppers from Israel and it was confirmed (as of about 5 years ago) that the Rabbanut does not require them to have maaser taken off at all.
Doesn’t rabanut sell the lands to goy. Heter mechira
Heter Mechirah has a lot of history and a lot of layers. It’s not something to be automatically relied upon these days. You have to know what your personal poskim hold. Also, this is not limited to this year. The problem continues throughout next year, and further, for bottled or canned products. Americans, it is necessary for everyone to familiarize yourselves with the differences between hechsherim from Israel! Not only that, but on the (perhaps not so?) rare chance that you end up with Israeli produce with kedushas shviis, you need to educate yourselves about the steps for disposing of peels, crumbs, and leftovers!
There was only ONE time that the great rabbonim (rav yosef chaim zonenfeld etc.) of yerushalayim allowed for heter mechira – and that was when there was a pure danger of starvation. And even them, the rabbonim specifically wrote that this heter was for THAT shimtta ONLY. nowadays, there is no danger of starvation
#5
AND that ONE time it was because as Frank (one of Baron Rothschild’s maskil agricutural managers)later admitted that they sold the Rabbanim since”it was possible for shemittah to be kept,but it would have gotten off the new settlement on the wrong footing…”
continue..
To be precise
it would have gotten off the whole new yishuv on the wrong footing…”
QUESTION: May one light the Chanukah lights with oil that is Shviis?
RAV CHAIM: It is forbidden.