Jul 25, 2022

Shemitta Kashrut Alert in UK



All kashrut alerts are serious, and nothing I am going to say should detract from the kashrut alert itself..

I admit, my initial thought when I first saw this alert was that this sounds like a BDS announcement. Anyone else other than a kashrut organization saying this would see a Jewish campaign worldwide against BDS and against the antisemites behind it. Maybe it just needs to be worded slightly differently, I dont know. To my ears it just sounds too similar to other announcements we have seen that are anti-Israel.

Regardless of that, when they say the potatoes are, and grapefruit will be, shemitta produce, I dont know if they mean hetter mechira produce or if they mean actual shemitta produce grown and sold in violation of the laws. Heed the alert but maybe if you get more information and rely on hetter mechira, this possibly would not require a full boycott. I am trying to find out, but for now I do not know.

UPDATE:
I asked KLBD for clarification on the shemitta issue. The following is their response:

The heter mechira is designed to assist farmers and residents of the Land of Israel through an extremely difficult time, whereas for those living outside of Israel there is far less need to rely on this halachic loophole, which has been strongly challenged in the halachic literature. Thus, the traditional practice of the London Beth Din, the main European Batei Din and the American kashrut authorities is NOT to rely on the heter mechira.





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1 comment:

  1. This only shows how ridiculous it is to live outside Israel, when you can practice the mitzva of Shmita without aiding the enemies of Israel in the BDS movement.

    ReplyDelete