Once again, there are Shaimos trucks around the Frum communities, offering their services to bury your shaimos according to halacha. Unfortunately, as YWN has reported numerous times throughout the years, there are people who take advantage of this money-making operation, and are not doing anything close to following Halachic guidelines in how to properly deal with Shaimos. In previous years YWN reported stories of trucks left abandoned after Yom Tov. One story which YWN was first to report, was when an abandoned truck was found in Boro Park, with tons of Shaimos scattered on the nearby train tracks.
YWN has received credible information that there is a truck in Boro Park parked on 13th Avenue near the Shomer Shabbos Shul, which has no Hechsher whatsoever, and is taking peoples Shaimos. Not only that, but he is telling his customers that the Misaskim organization will be burying the Shaimos. This is totally false information, as Misaskim has nothing whatsoever to do with any of the Shaimos trucks in any location. In fact, YWN has a recording of this individual claiming he has a non-existent Hechsher from Kiryas Yoel, as well as his Misaskim claim. He quickly sang a different song after the police were called…..
People should be aware of this incident, and make sure to properly check the Hechsher at the truck they are using.
As a public community service, YWN is reposting part of the following article from last year:
Is Your Shaimos Being Treated Like Garbage CH”V?
We all know the scene: A few weeks before Pesach, rental trucks appear, seemingly on every street corner, with the words “Shaimos L’Genizah” emblazoned on them in varying shapes and styles. These trucks are manned by children or adults, who eyeball your precious bags of Shaimos and quote you a price, based on formulas known only to them. You pay the required fee and you gingerly place your parcel of holy objects, Torah sheets, and the like, into the back of the truck, imagining that they will receive a proper halachic burial and you have done a mitzvah.
While certainly many of these services are run by upstanding individuals, who take their jobs seriously, unfortunately in recent years we have seen some that are not. Last year, for examples, numerous so-called “Shaimos trucks” were found abandoned after Pesach in different neighborhoods. In some cases the contents were found littered in yards and strewn across train tracks.
What can be done to avoid this? What can the G-d fearing public do to ensure that their Shaimos is receiving proper care? For one, say rabbonim, one should insist that the Shaimos operators are under the hashgochah of a reputable Rav or organization. Secondly, it is okay to ask where the Shaimos is being buried and who handles the burial. Finally, seek out a Shaimos dealer who provides year-round service. While this is not a guarantee, common sense dictates that someone who is available throughout the year is less likely to be a “fly-by-night” character than a self-proclaimed Shaimos expert who shows up for only two weeks out of the year.
(Chaim Shapiro – YWN)
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18 Responses
I walked into a store near Shomrei Shabbos on 13th Avenue and the proprietor was crying. He is losing business because no one can find parking. There are FOUR(!!!) shaimos & old clothes trucks parked all the time on just one corner. This is besides at least thirty other trucks taking up valuable parking spaces all over our neighborhood. (Some of them have many tickets under their wipers that will probably never be paid.)
Where are our councilmen and politicians?
Why do they allow legitimate tax-paying shops in their districts to lose business because of these fly-by-night guys who are trying to make a fast buck? Why should Boro Park becaome a place that people from other areas will not visit before Pesach to do their shopping?
Who are these thieves? This is absolutely disgusting. They should not allow any of these trucks and the collections should only be done by shuls or organizations at their own site. In Chicago it is done by agudah and the cRc for a minimal fee just to cover expenses. When you make a profit on doing a mitzvah you are bound to have problems.
You guys know what’s the solution?
Do it you’re self very simple need to work a little bit hard dig a hole in your backyard and buried the shaimos your self. And then your certain it was taking care of and he will save good few bucks.
Thanks YWN For making this Awareness. I do agree that people should be more careful. But not necessarily to use only a year round Shaimos dealer, it’s OK to use Seasonal Shaimos Dealer’s, so to give them Parnasah too. However I do agree people need to make sure it has a Good Hechsher, and should ask questions like where It’s being buried, and who’s handling the burial.
What this local store near Shomer Shabbos and many others around BP neglect to complain about is that they themselves take up more than half the parking on every block with their hired containers in which they expand their businesses at the consumers’ expense.
I blame every single person that bring their items to these trucks. Apparently, it must be profitable, because why is this continuing to happen??? Do not bring your items to these trucks. You are not fulfilling you obligation. you may as well just dump your shamios in the trash, because, that what is happening to it anyway, just that someone is making some money out of it.
Oh, yes, and the truck saying that Misakim will “handle the burial” like a few years ago, Misakim had to come and collect and bury all the Shamios that was strewn all over the place. This was time, valuable resources, & money taken from the Misakim organization to take care and clean up the mess of these thieves.
This is very clear is about competition for attention .. it is a shame for those who are involved in this painful subject. My view is competition trying to make look bad to those who are around just one week before Pesach
What do police have to do with it? As long as he’s parked legally, nothing. Police don’t care whether the truck is a 100% kosher shaimos truck that buries the shaimos 100% k’halacha or if it is a phony that throws it in the garbage r’l.
@ybc
I think only 1% of Boro Park can dig a hole in their backyard……..!!!!!!!!!
VeHamaivan yovan……. 😉
Unfortunately, some of these guys on the trucks are working for “bubkes” for no show “bums”and nebach the guys on the trucks are blamed.
We use Pinters all year, who any time pick up the shaimos for the same price as these fly by nighters do.
About the stores losing business, let them contact the councilmen and have these illigit trucks be towed!!
How much shaimos do people have? I generate modest amounts do to my research activities. I dispose of mine periodically at funerals and when I do not go to a funeral I use a private genizah at a summer camp. But I think many people are disposing of shaimos that are not really shaimos. Maybe the Rabbonim should educate the olam as to what is really shaimos and what is not?
What’s a bigger scandal? Shrimps trucks or bug checking organizations or produce claimed to be bug free?
To #13:
You might be on to something.
The not stop price gouging by a lot of these monopoly “Heimisha” food companies, is a much bigger problem that affects everyone and is being conveniently swept under the carpets because the machers are beholden to them! Higher prices in the name of “Kashrus” is one of the biggest scandals around! Too bad the naïve dummies keep buying their products, allowing them to get away with highway robbery!
Sadly, much of what is considered “Shaimos” are really just papers and advertisements which are dropped off erev Shabbos at nearly every shul and beis medrash. They get mixed together with old seforim, benchers, tehilllim etc. and no one seems to have the time to sort out the real shaimos from this junk. It all gets put in plastic bags and overloads the system.
Is the Yated shaimos?
Shaymos are being accepted for burial at Hecht’s Judaica , Coney Island ave. between ave I and J 718-258-9696
This is why I deposit my shemos at an offical shul or yeshiva run drop off