With Tu Bshvat upon us, many have the custom of eating all sorts of dried fruits to celebrate the day.

Rav Yitzchak Yakobovitz, rav of the Southern Sharon region, raised an important halachic concern people should be careful about.

Usually when a rav talks about halachic issues of eating dried fruits (and even many fresh fruits) the concern under discussion is how to check it for bugs properly, if that is even possible. Rav Yakobovitz's concern is something else entirely.

Rav Yakobovitz started off his discussion saying people should dedicate their "Tu Bshvat Seder" this year to the success of Am Yisrael, to the return of the hostages and to the success of the IDF soldiers and other security forces. 

Rav Yakobovitz said the custom to eat dried fruit began because at times it was difficult to find ample supply of fresh fruits during the exile in some places during the winter months. When buying dried fruits, one must pay careful attention whence the fruits hail. Many of the dried fruits in our markets are actually imported and a high percentage are imported from Turkey (or Turkiyy) - good people have accustomed themselves to not eating dried fruits from Turkey - because they are Turkish! The Turks have joined with our enemies, and are also assisting Iran by funneling their pistachio nuts to the West.

The rav also mentioned that dried dates and dried apricot need to be checked well for bugs.

source: Arutz7

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