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I was in Shop Rite this morning, picking up some veggies my wife needed. One of them was carrots. In the store, they only had one brand of carrots, called Dorot Farm. I saw on the bag that it said “Product of Israel”. I thought to myself, “Wow, I can even support Israel while buying carrots!” I bought them and took them home.
While driving home, it occurred to me – I’d forgotten about terumos and maasros! It’s from Israel, so they need to be taken off, and I had no idea if they were or not! At a red light, I quickly looked at the bag. Not a word on it about terumos and maasros.
When I got to work, I found the company website. I saw a link on the left that said “Certificates”. I clicked on it, and there it was – a scan of a certificate that terumah and maaser were taken off from the carrots, and they were ok to use!
So if anyone else out there buys these carrots (I don’t know if other Shop Rites are also only carrying this brand), you don’t have to worry – they separated the terumah and maaser already.
Thanks for telling me! I didn’t even think about it when I bought them.
I simply do not use fresh Israeli produce.
Canned Israeli produce with a hekhsher should have had ma’aserot and terumot taken from it, but you have to check for yourself.
“At a red light, I quickly looked at the bag”
This query could have waited until you got home, there is no reason to be doing this while driving even if your just sitting at a light, while you were looking at the carrot bag the light could have changed and the driver of the car behind you might become annoyed.
“I simply do not use fresh Israeli produce.”
That’s sad. Learn the halachos that pertain to demai and don’t boycott Israeli produce.
Some people boycott any produce they didn’t plant.
This year it is important to remember that it is shemittah and fresh produce is being exported from Israel that may very well have kedushas sheviis. It is definitely important to check all vegetable products you buy and even consider getting a shemittah calendar to know when various items become problematic as far as this issue goes. And, most importantly, ask your LOR what you should do with anything you bought that you think might have kedushas sheviis.
As a side note, 3 shemittahs ago, I received a bottle of wine from a Shabbos guest who did not know about products sold with the heter mechirah being problematic for people who do not hold from it. We asked a shailah and were told that there was nothing to do – no pouring it down the sink or drinking it or anything. We basically have a bottle of wine to pass down to our descendants.
As Nechomah pointed out, there is Kedushas Shevi’is which applies to fruits of the current year.
It is important to note that vegetables are subject to the Issur S’fichin, by which vegetables grown in Eretz Yisrael during Shemitta are categorically prohibited for consumption.
Please discuss with your Rav before peeling another carrot.
Nechomah – You may want to check again re: the bottle of wine. As a general matter, for those who do not hold of the Hetter Mechira, the issur on fruits (NOT vegetables – there’s an issue of sfichin there that does not apply to fruits) during the actual year of Shmita is only on the purchase and sale of fruits with Kedushas Shivi’is, and not on their consumption. There is a halacha of Bi’ur that applies after the end of the year, and if that was not done, you may now have an issue – but Hetter Mechira fruits and wine, during the year of Shmita, are Muttar to consume if they’ve been given to you.
Re: carrots – at this time, some of the carrots that are being sold in Israel are still Shishis – from the sixth year – with no Shmita issues. I have, only in the past few weeks, started seeing carrots on the market (via Otzar HaAretz) that are labled as Kedushas Shivi’is, but I’d think that those that were exported likely were picked earlier, given the transit time – so there’s a good chance that the ones sold in ShopRite are not Kedushas Shivi’is. Finally, even if they are, they’re likely not yet sfichin, since in order to be sold now, they’d have to have grown at least one-third before Rosh HaShanah – which would make them Kedushas Shivi’is, but not sfichin. There, the Halacha is no commerce (no Mekach u’Memkar), but not an Issur Hana’a.
an Israeli Yid
This year is shmittah
DON’T BUY THEM!
If it’s already shvi’is (pretty likely since locally they are not being used) then it is almost definitely sfichin and is ASSUR BAHANA’A! No hechser (not even rabbanut) will certify these because shmitta produce is not allowed to leave Eretz Yisroel.
If it’s still shishis then you cannot assume that Terumos and Ma’asros were taken properly even if the company is normally certified because the exported produce is NOT SUPERVISED! The rabbanut policy is that they do not impose any rules on produce that is for export.
They are no longer available. The ones they didn’t sell got spoiled since the OP posted this.
WRONG!
They are available today in Shoprite.
I had Syata Dishmaya. I never look at the orgin of my veggies, but these looked different and I examined the package (at home after I bought it) and the orgin is Israel.
Please be mefarsum this serious shmita issue!
That’s a different batch. The ones in Shoprite at the time of the original post are no longer available.
I’ve heard that peppers and some produce from Costco can be problematic.
I don’t understand. What’s the difference which batch?
They are different carrots.
I don’t understand. What’s the difference which batch?
If you look at the bottom of the opening post, this thread was originally posted two years ago.
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