There were reports in Eretz Yisrael last week that Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shlomo Amar released a p’sak halacha pertaining to the so-called ‘gush katif’ greens grown under controlled conditions to prevent insect infestation. The rav was quoted as saying that due to health concerns surrounding alarming high traces of pesticides on these vegetables, persons competent in cleaning regular greens properly may use them.
The p’sak led to a subsequent special update from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel that addresses the health concerns surrounding the high levels of pesticides found in some of the products tests.
See Jerusalem Kosher News for the details and a copy of the Chief Rabbinate special update in the original Hebrew text.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
i dont understend the psak.
can someone please explain it.thanks.
stick with pre-washed bodek or poz-tiv
If i understand correctly, Rav Amar was referring to any brand of leafy greens under Rabbinical supervision. What he is saying that inorder for the produce to be bug free they must used sprays that are hazardous to health. So, even if they are checked,they too were sprayed.
2. Like no one ever finds bugs in Bodek. HAHAHAHA!!!!
What’s wrong with buying normal produce & checking it yourself? NOTHING!
I think the claim is that although intially the Gush Katif lettuce relied on the enclosed greenhouse environment to prevent insect infestation, the current method uses insecticides too. Therefore, Rabbi Amar believes it is better to use regular vegetables and clean them carefully. In this country also different kashrus organizations have different opinions as to the best method to use to avoid Issur Tolaim. Some say the ideal is bug-free greenhouse-grown produce, some recommend careful washing by mashgichim, and some recommend industrial cleansing with power washes and soaps.