Article: Kashrus in the Holy Land-Shmita
We may often see a product with a hechsher, but it is important to be vigilant, because some hechsherim rely on leniencies that are not in accordance with mainstream halacha. This is particularly relevant when it comes to shmita.
When visiting Eretz Yisroel during a shmita year, people may be shopping for produce, eating in hotels and restaurants, etc., and may often encounter products which are labeled “kosher”, but the laws of shmita may not have been observed according to mainstream halacha.
There are many methods how to observe shmita properly,
- whether through eating food that has the sanctity of shmita, such as oitzer beis din,
- or eating food which does not have the sanctity of shmita due to the use of particular agricultural methods,
- or food that is produced outside the borders of Eretz Yisroel,
- or grown on land that belongs to non-Jews.
In any case, when buying or eating a product in Eretz Yisroel during shmita, one should not rely on leniencies that are not acceptable according to most poskim, and to ascertain that everything has been done strictly according to halacha.
From Halacha2Go Archives
#125
