Dec 9, 2014
it turns out the Knesset is mehadrin
Did you know that the Knesset has its own rav, and does not just use the services of the chief rabbi of Jerusalem or the chief rabbi of Israel? I did not. But it turns out that the Knesset does have its own dedicated rabbi.
Funnily enough, as part of "Agricultural Day" in the Knesset yesterday, farmers brought fresh produce to the Knesset to sell to MKs and Knesset employees. Sort of a Farmer's Market.
And that's where the Knesset rabbi steps in.
The Knesset rabbi, Rabbi Alex Hochman, did not allow the farmers to bring their produce into the Knesset. The reason Rabbi Hochman gave was because the produce was not "shmitta l'mehadrin". According to the article in NRG, hundreds of kilograms of fruits and vegetables had to be left outside the Knesset.
It should be noted that all the produce had a hechsher from the Rabbanut, so this obviously upset the farmers and plenty of other people.
I am not sure why they could not have some farmers bring mehadrin produce (yevul nochri or otzar beis din vegetables, and fruits are 6th year produce now anyways), while others would bring non-mehadrin produce, and let the buyer beware, just like everywhere else in the country.
I also was not aware that the Knesset is an exclusively mehadrin location. It even sounds funny to suggest that the Knesset is mehadrin, what with all the politicians and ex-cons that work within. But seriously, of the MKs, those makpid on mehadrin are a significant minority (I don't know about the type of population Knesset employees are made up of, along with aides and assistants and all the other supporting staff, but I think it is probably safe to assume it is at least close to proportional to the percentages of MKS), so I am not sure why regular Rabbanut cannot be brought in for everyone else.
Funnily enough, as part of "Agricultural Day" in the Knesset yesterday, farmers brought fresh produce to the Knesset to sell to MKs and Knesset employees. Sort of a Farmer's Market.
And that's where the Knesset rabbi steps in.
The Knesset rabbi, Rabbi Alex Hochman, did not allow the farmers to bring their produce into the Knesset. The reason Rabbi Hochman gave was because the produce was not "shmitta l'mehadrin". According to the article in NRG, hundreds of kilograms of fruits and vegetables had to be left outside the Knesset.
It should be noted that all the produce had a hechsher from the Rabbanut, so this obviously upset the farmers and plenty of other people.
I am not sure why they could not have some farmers bring mehadrin produce (yevul nochri or otzar beis din vegetables, and fruits are 6th year produce now anyways), while others would bring non-mehadrin produce, and let the buyer beware, just like everywhere else in the country.
I also was not aware that the Knesset is an exclusively mehadrin location. It even sounds funny to suggest that the Knesset is mehadrin, what with all the politicians and ex-cons that work within. But seriously, of the MKs, those makpid on mehadrin are a significant minority (I don't know about the type of population Knesset employees are made up of, along with aides and assistants and all the other supporting staff, but I think it is probably safe to assume it is at least close to proportional to the percentages of MKS), so I am not sure why regular Rabbanut cannot be brought in for everyone else.
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Maybe the cafeteria is mehadrin?
ReplyDelete"Funnily enough"
ReplyDeleteIt's not funny at all. It's a nearly perfect example of the stupidity that seems to pervade almost everything that is done by people in positions of authority in Israel. It didn't occur to anybody -- anyone at all, including the organizers of Agricultural Day or the rabbi or anyone -- to make certain in advance that the fruits and vegetables would be accepted? (Leaving aside the absurdity of the rabbi of the Knesset rejecting the hechsher of the state rabbinate!)
So hundreds of kilos of fruits and vegetables had to rot outside the Knesset. What a powerful image!
Left outside does not equal left outside to rot. It isn't unusual in this country for planning to be faulty. People inside every Beit Knesset can't agree on shmitta hashgachah so why should the Rabbi of the Knesset be in agreement with the Rabbanut. Rabbanut enforces minimal standards, mehadrin is the highest standard. Shmitta is Very complex.
ReplyDeleteLeft outside does not equal left outside to rot. It isn't unusual in this country for planning to be faulty. People inside every Beit Knesset can't agree on shmitta hashgachah so why should the Rabbi of the Knesset be in agreement with the Rabbanut. Rabbanut enforces minimal standards, mehadrin is the highest standard. Shmitta is Very complex.
ReplyDelete