Fall 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For over nineteen hundred years, the Jewish people have longed to return to Eretz Yisroel. It is only in Eretz Yisroel that we can realize our full potential as a nation. It is only in Eretz Yisroel that the Torah’s blueprint for life can be completely fulfilled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the\nmillennia, the most important dimension of this longing was the yearning to\nonce again be able to fulfill the mitzvos hatluyos ba\u2019aretz <\/em>(agricultural\nlaws), the commandments that can be observed only in Eretz Yisroel. With Hashem’s\nhelp, many of us in this past generation have realized part of this two\nthousand year old dream. Yet, this realization has presented us with new\nchallenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a\ndoubt, one of the greatest mitzvah challenges of all times is the fulfillment\nof the mitzvah of Shemita<\/em>, the year of Sabbatical rest for the Land of\nIsrael. The Midrash perceives this multifaceted commandment as being so\nchallenging and difficult that he who meets the challenge of Shemita <\/em>in\nall its details is called, in the words of the Midrash, an angel. True,\nobserving the mitzvah may be spiritual, but the details involved are down to\nearth and fairly complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What follows\nare some practical Shemita<\/em> insights that will allow us to gain a greater\nunderstanding and appreciation of this beautiful mitzvah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The halachos of\nShemita<\/em> can be divided into three major categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n (1)\nProhibitions regarding working the land<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2)\nA proper definition of peiros shevi\u2019is<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (3)\nHalachos <\/em>regarding the handling of peiros shevi\u2019is<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nlaws regarding the land are extremely complicated and not very relevant to\npeople who do not own land in Eretz Yisroel, so it will be dealt with very\nbriefly. In general, all work intended to enhance the land, to prepare the land\nfor producing a yield, or to enhance vegetation is forbidden. Therefore, one\nmay notplow the land, plant seeds or saplings, or even prune trees\nbecause these activities promote growth and are considered forbidden work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some\nother forbidden activities include watering, fertilizing, weeding and other\nessential fieldwork. If the purpose of the work is to protect what has already\ngrown prior to Shemita <\/em>so it should not get ruined, or if trees are in\ndanger of dying, certain activities are generally permitted to protect them. Since\nthese laws are very complicated, a posek<\/em> (a Torah authority familiar\nwith these laws) should be consulted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flower\npots at home in Eretz Yisroel present their own problems. Therefore, a posek\n<\/em>should be consulted for instruction on proper Shemita <\/em>plant care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In\norder to facilitate an understanding of what fruits and vegetables are\npermitted or forbidden, we must clearly define the four W’s<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which<\/em><\/strong> Produce? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare essentially three categories of produce that we deal with: (a) vegetables;\n(b) grains and legumes; and (c) fruit grown on trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When<\/em><\/strong> Was The Produce Grown? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n New\nfruit trees cannot be planted 44 days or less before Rosh Hashanaof a Shemita<\/em>\nyear. Seeds cannot be planted within three days before Rosh Hashanaor during\nthe entire Shemita <\/em>year. [The halachos<\/em> regarding the produce\nincluded in this prohibition and the produce to which the laws of shevi\u2019is<\/em>\napply will be dealt with in section (3).]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who<\/em><\/strong> Owns The Land? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nheter mechira <\/em>was formulated and instituted by many very prominent rabbonim\n<\/em>(including the Gadol Hador<\/em>, Harav Yitzchok Elchanan Spector) in the\nyear 1887. There was a great deal of controversy among other prominent rabbonim\n<\/em>surrounding the heter<\/em>, the foremost of whom was the Netziv (HaravNaftoli Zvi Yehuda Berlin) of Volozhin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most\nof the controversy centered around the problem regarding the Torah prohibition\nof selling any part of Eretz Yisroel to non-Jews. Those who proposed the heter\n<\/em>claimed that the situation in Eretz Yisroel was so precarious that not\nworking the land for an entire year would put the entire Jewish settlement in\ndanger, thus warranting this drastic measure. Others claimed that the\nprohibition of selling the land was worse than the prohibition of working the\nland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since\nthen, every Shemita <\/em>there have been rabbonim <\/em>who have sold the land.\nHarav Avraham Yitzchok Kook institutionalized the sale (although he, too,\nagreed it was to be done only under grave duress). Since its inception, the\nChief Rabbinate of Israel has sold the land every Shemita<\/em>. However,\nthere are presently many rabbonim <\/em>who question whether the current\nsituation in Israel warrants this type of sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore,\nthere is another more serious problem the consumer faces. The produce that is\nsold in the regular stores during the year of Shemita <\/em>predominantly\ncomes from non-religious kibbutzim <\/em>and moshavim<\/em>, who would never\nagree to sell their land. This is compounded by the fact that the non-religious\nkibbutzim <\/em>do not observe those prohibitions which HaravKook\ninstituted, and HaravKook never permitted their current practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Certainly,\na tourist who is not knowledgeable concerning the dinim <\/em>of Shemita <\/em>should\nbuy produce only from stores that do not rely upon the heter mechira<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where<\/em><\/strong> The Produce Was Grown? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nlaws of Shemita <\/em>apply only to produce grown within the boundaries of Eretz\nYisroel<\/em>, which are defined as those areas which were occupied by the people\nof Israel in the period of the Bayis Sheini<\/em>. These are not the same\nboundaries of the State of Israel that exist today. To which boundaries this\ndoes extend is a matter of great controversy. Some authorities state that\nanything grown south of Ashkelon is outside of the boundaries of Eretz Yisroel.\nOthers extend the boundaries well into the Negev desert until Eilat. In the\nnorth, the Golan Heights is questionable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare numerous laws regarding the consumption, sale, and disposal of peiros<\/em>\nshevi\u2019is<\/em>. The most important are highlighted below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\ncustom is that any vegetables grown from a plant which germinated before Rosh Hashanamay be eaten. Therefore, all vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, etc.) that one\nbuys immediately after Rosh Hashana, while the laws of shevi\u2019is <\/em>apply to\nthem, may still be eaten. Charts are available in Eretz Yisrael providing dates\nfor each fruit, legume, and vegetable regarding when the different halachos<\/em>\napply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Produce\ngrown in a non-Jewish field, which may or may not be considered peiros<\/em>shevi\u2019is<\/em>, are not sefichin<\/em>. Produce planted during Shemita\n<\/em>in Jewish fields have the prohibition of sefichin<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because\nof these potential complications, a system of Shemita <\/em>produce\ndistribution has been organized in order to ensure a steady supply of produce\nfor the urban population in a proper halachic <\/em>manner. The distribution\nof this produce is administered by the local Beis Din <\/em>of each city,\ncommonly known as the Otzar Beis Din<\/em>. Fees are permitted to be charged\nby the Otzar Beis Din <\/em>to offset the cost of maintaining the warehouse,\npicking the produce, and doing permissible work in the orchards to maintain the\nfruit, but not for the fruit itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Shemita\n<\/em>lasts for a full year, peiros shevi\u2019is <\/em>are sold during the following\nyear and beyond. Therefore, this mitzvahextends far beyond the seventh\nyear of Sabbatical rest. We suggest that before buying wine from Eretz Yisroel,\neven with a good hechsher<\/em>, one should read the label carefully. If the\nlabel states Otzar Beis Din<\/em>, one should consult their rav <\/em>as to\nhow to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unquestionably,\nShemita<\/em> is a mitzvahof great mesirus nefesh<\/em>. However, if\nwe look at the accomplishment of the mitzvahas the fulfillment of our\nmerit to keep Eretz Yisroel, this will be a source of blessing and spiritual\nenhancement for us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fall 2021<\/p>\n For over nineteen hundred years, the Jewish people have longed to return to Eretz Yisroel. It is only in Eretz Yisroel that we can realize our full potential as a nation. It is only in Eretz Yisroel that the Torah’s blueprint for life can be completely fulfilled. <\/p>\n For the Without a\n
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\nmillennia, the most important dimension of this longing was the yearning to
\nonce again be able to fulfill the mitzvos hatluyos ba\u2019aretz (agricultural
\nlaws), the commandments that can be observed only in Eretz Yisroel. With Hashem’s
\nhelp, many of us in this past generation have realized part of this two
\nthousand year old dream. Yet, this realization has presented us with new
\nchallenges.<\/p>\n
\ndoubt, one of the greatest mitzvah challenges of all times is the fulfillment
\nof the mitzvah of Shemita, the year of Sabbatical rest for the Land of
\nIsrael. The Midrash perceives this multifaceted commandment as being so
\nchallenging and difficult that he who meets the challenge […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[185,207,27],"tags":[229,271,217],"class_list":["post-7726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kashrus-kurrents-2021","category-fall-kashrus-kurrents-2021","category-kashrus-kurrents","tag-kashrus-kurrents","tag-kedushas-sheviis","tag-shemita"],"yoast_head":"\n