Despite pleas to harvest the wheat the celebrants explained that it was Independence Day and the harvest must wait. HKBH sent lightening storms and unprecedented Iyar rainfall and now it is realized the wheat for Pesach 5775 matzos has been ruined.
When the forecasters began predicting the unprecedented storms and accompanying rainfall, rabbonim and their shluchim urged to expedite the wheat harvest. Bnei Brak Mora D’asra HaGaon HaRav Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau Shlita called to expeditiously harvest the wheat before the rains come. Satmar echoed the rav’s words. However, for some, they were unsuccessful for the farmers explained they must ask their rabbonim if they are permitted to work to cut the wheat on Independence Day.
The avreichim first believed that the farmers were toying with them but to their chagrin, they soon learned the farmers were most serious. They soon found out the rabbonim prohibited them from harvesting on the yomtov and therefore, the rains came and the wheat was ruined.
The avreichim telling the story added that the farmers told them their rav explained that wheat harvested on Independence Day would be prohibited and if used to make matzos, the matzos would be prohibited as well.
The avreichim reportedly responded, no joke, “L’Tiferres Medinas Yisrael”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
20 Responses
It’s not good journalism to quote an isolated incident without any verification of who these alleged people are. A baba mayse isn’t news, and if this really did happen, it’s clearly a small (who was it? one farmer?), isolated, and extreme opinion.
Guess if there were bochurim available for National Service, they could have done that work and harvested the wheat for the farmers….
It would make more sense for non-zionist hareidim to avoid hiring zionists. We are in a de facto war with them.
THere are plenty of Arab farmers, who are also non-zionist.
each year between pesach and Shavuot while the wheat ripends it rains the “malkosh” if the the rains come on a weekend we do not harvest on Shabbat it is a question of emunah
the fact is that they did not harvest on independace day we must realize that the forecast for rain was already known and what was already harvested is ok a solution will be found to find other wheat we must remember the farmers receive a bonus for the shemura wheat and they willingly took a loss not to harvest
I highly doubt the legitimacy of this story. People may be religious Zionist but they aren’t idiotic. And neither is their rabbi. The other people are exaggerating.
This is mamesh amaratzus.
Can anyone explain to me why rain ruined standing wheat that is still attached to the ground?
PThis post is incredibly offensive.
Let’s blame frum farmers for listening to their rabbanim. Because only hareidi daas torah mattera.
Let’s show ZERO hakaros hatov to the farmers who grow your wheat or their celebration of the Medina that has paid your kollel bills for decades, protected you from terrorism, and subsidized your groceries.
Let’s take a step back. If you want a specific kind of wheat, you could grow it yourself. But if you want to count on others, and if you want to claim to stand for the Torah, you have to work with the system that works for everyone else.
What will these Farmers and Rabbonim answer HKB”H when they will be asked as to why they aren’t keeping Shmittah?
I wonder if the farmers will be willing to rely of these “Rabbis” in the future.
Pardon my ignorance, but does this mean that next Pesach those living in Eretz Yisroel will need to get the wheat to bake matzohs from outside of the country?
I don’t buy it. For something which is an obvious hefsed mirubeh, you are allowed to work on Chol Hamoed, and kal vechomer on Yom Ha’atzmaut, despite the importance of the day. Either something is missing from the article, or the farmers were from the Kibbutz Hadati movement which has some strange outlooks that are too crazy for mainstream Dati Leumi community. I can’t imagine Harav Druckman or Harav Ariel ever prohibiting them from harvesting the wheat.
Why is the wheat ruined? After a few days it will be dry again. Then it can be harvested dry. It cannot become chametz when it is still attached to the ground.
Great story but did anyone Chk with farmers. And wasn’t Independence Day after pesaich. This wheat should have been harvested much earlier
I’m shocked to be reading this — and davka the week we lain about Shemitta! I would submit that we should commend Frum farmers who, knowing full well that they stood to lose Parnassa and the fruits of their labor, nonetheless took the trouble to ask a Shaila, and obeyed the response, at GREAT personal cost. Isn’t that EXACTLY what Shemitta is about, sacrificing your gashmiusdik agricultural profits for a greater cause? It’s immaterial whether or not you think that 5 Iyar is a Yomtov — these farmers are to be admired. Don’t worry, Hashem will see to it that the heimishe oilam will have plenty of Matza next Pesach. Besides, seems to me that wheat is not harvested in one day — most of the wheat would likely have been lost anyway.
If Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted the grain to survive, would it not have survived?
i do not get the adherence to MADE UP laws for Independence Day AND HEY IT WAS NIDCHE !!!! (it was PUSHED OFF a day this year)
@thinkingcap and blubluh
There is a certain chumra that holds that ripe wheat that is still attached to the ground can become chometz from rain. So that’s why they wanted to cut it before the storm….
Throw out the chumrah & excessive piety and get a life.
To a kuperman
The Torah specifically enjoins that one buy and sell with his jewish brother when possible and not a goy. Oh sorry, I forgot that you don’t consider the non frum zionists your brothers.