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.
Despite promises by our elected officials to put a stop to the fraudulent Shaimos business, YWN has received reports of Shaimos found on McDonald Avenue and Avenue M / Bay Parkway. The Misaskim organization received a phone call to their hotline from an individual who found the Shaimos scattered all over the street. Misaskim has picked it up and will ensure it’s proper burial according to Halacha.
In April of 2014, after multiple incidents, Senator Simcha Felder told YWN that he will be introducing legislation in the Senate imposing a civil penalty on shaimos truck operators who fail to properly bury the religious items.
It does not appear that any laws were put into place.
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 2013:
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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13 Responses
It should be neither difficult nor expensive to make sure that there are tracking devices on these vehicles. A good detective could provide the guidance.
I recommend that all shaimos trucks supply an invoice to the customer, indicating the price charged and the size of the package taken. Once there is dishonesty in handling the shaimos, there is a legal recourse.
To those busy with mesira, skip it. The same low lifes that treat shaimos with disgrace are not going to accept the guidance of beis din either.
If the crooks aren’t tracked down and their names and the names of the “Heimisha” “Hechsher” they were allegedly under, published in every media outlet, nothing will change! The politicians can give speeches from today till tomorrow but if the COVER UP continues (just like the pre Pesach price gouging) it will just be same old same old! Stop acting like this is some shocking revelation!
Low lives…no Yirat Shamayim
Can we identify by name a list of good ones!
If those who have accredation by ‘ywn’ are advertised (free of charge) as a servicr to the community and as a k’vod Shomayim, certainly it would weed out the rodents who are both preying on our innocence (or stupidity) and avoiding additional chilul.
Today people in Thornhill Ontario were able to bring their Shaimos to one central location @ the BAYT which was sponsored by a few people in the community. Tommorow & Tuesday these same people are sponsoring a shaimos pickup @ Bais Yaakov High School in Toronto . I think there should be a similar system in Flatbush & Borough Park etc. where a few people of the community have a few central locations where shaimos can be bought to where everyone will know that the right thing will be done with it.
I avoid these pop up trucks and bring directly to Rabbi Pinter’s store on 14th Avenue between 44th and 45th Street. He’s been handling shamos year round for a long time.
Why do we need our “elected officials” involved? Haven’t we learned enough what happens when elected officials mish zich with OUR business? I wouldn’t want an elected official ANYWHERE NEAR this. It makes no difference if they are allegedly Shomer Torah u’Mitzvos or not.
Actually, I blame the people who drop off their Shaimos to these trucks, without properly investigating who these drop off are. Where they will be placing them. I have Shaimos that I need to have properly taken care off but would not dare use these trucks as I have no idea who they are, and as we can see from years past, in most cases they take the money and run.
Actually, I blame the people who drop off their Shaimos to these trucks, without properly investigating who these drop off are. Will they be treating the shaimos with proper respect? I have Shaimos that I need to have properly taken care off but would not dare use these trucks as I have no idea who they are, and as we can see from years past, in most cases they dump them and take the money and run.
Maybe these trucks should be eliminated all together and all the people who might bring their shaimos, should be warned NOT to use these trucks, as they have no guarantee, that the Shaimos they bring will not be given the proper Kavod. and that is is on their heads for not using someone reliable.
It is like kashrus, hopefully most of us ask and find out if a eating establishment has a proper hechser. Otherwise in the end, we still have to be careful what enters our mouth.
I don’t know who is not good
But I could tell you that there is trucks in BP and Flatbush with 3 color banners on it and I he puts on the poster his name “Shalom” and his cell and a supervision
This Reb Shalom is a real great Honest erlicha person and you could trust him 101% that it be death like the Halacha requires and I recommend everyone to use him …..
why don’t those involved look in the seferim for names and phone numbers, then call up people and shuls and ask who takes their shamos?
To mark Levin. OK don’t get the officials involved can we call you if such a thing happens again? Do you want to take care of this problem?
If there was a תועדה then stuff like this wouldn’t happen