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22 Sivan 5761 - June 13, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Gedolei Haposkim Urge Use of Otzar Beis Din Fruit
by A. Cohen

Maranan verabonon, the gedolei haposkim; HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, the pillar of halachic authority, HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner and HaRav Nissim Karelitz, have issued a fervent appeal to Torah-observant Jews as well as to yeshivos and institutions to rally to the aid of the shmittah observant farmers, those "mighty men of valor," and to use the fruits of the Otzar Beis Din headed by HaRav Nissim Karelitz.

Farmers in many settlements throughout the country, including Beis Chilkiya, Chofetz Chaim, Tirat Yehudah, Yesod Hamaaleh, Dalton, Chazorim, Peduyim, Achuz, Tsafaria and others approached ga'avad HaRav Nissim Karelitz even before the onset of shmittah, asking that they be authorized to transfer their fields and vineyards to the Otzar Beis Din. HaRav Karelitz complied with their request, and set up a special beis din for that purpose. He appointed members of his own beis din to this beis din: HaRav Pinchos Schreiber, HaRav Yehudah Sillman, HaRav A. Dvir and HaRav Yosef Efrati, who has been very active among the farmers.

The beis din stipulated a number of conditions for the farmers' acceptance. They must be Torah observant and agree to follow all beis din directives. Farmers accepting the conditions then transferred the authority over their fields and vineyards to the Otzar Beis Din.

The beis din designated the farmers as its proxies with respect to the performance of all permissible work in the fields and vineyards, in accordance with their directives. When these farmers have sheilos, they address them to the beis din, which guides them on an ongoing basis, sending special inspectors to their fields and vineyards to supervise their work. HaRav Yosef Efrati and HaRav Dvir have personally visited many vineyards and fields in order to assess practical halachic issues. They then discussed these issues with the other members of the beis din, which then decided on the appropriate measures.

Now, at the height of the harvest of the summer fruits under their supervision, activity at the Otzar Beis Din is at its height. Its delegates have hired workers to pick the fruits and distribute them in centers throughout the country, among them Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, Modi'in Illit, Zichron Yaakov and Telshe-Stone. The fruit is distributed at special stations only, as directed by the beis din. This form of distribution makes it clear that no commerce is taking place and also precludes the possibility of non-shevi'is observers and non-Jews availing themselves of the fruit.

Distribution stations will soon open in other chareidi centers throughout the country. The money charged for this fruit covers the wages of the delegates of the beis din. The community at large is pleased with the arrangement, which enables it to assist the shevi'is observant farmers in a proper manner, as well as to have the zchus to eat kedushas shevi'is fruit from the Otzar Beis Din.

Maranan verabonon, the gedolei haposkim who are making all-out efforts to help the farmers, have issued letters in which they appeal to the community to help the beis din cover the costs of its delegates.

HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv has written a letter in which he expresses his joy over the rise in the number of farmers who have resolved to keep shevi'is. He praises their special mesirus nefesh and perseverance. He notes that the fields and vineyards are under the supervision of the beis din, headed by the ga'avad, and that the farmers strictly follow beis din directives that ensure that no forbidden work is performed; no prohibition against commerce is violated, and that the distribution is executed within the framework of the Otzar Beis Din.

HaRav Eliashiv also said that the kashrus arrangements are implemented with the utmost hiddur. He calls upon the community and Torah institutions to use the produce distributed by the Otzar Beis Din, stressing that there are those who maintain that eating shevi'is fruits is a mitzvah. He then mentions the efforts of the Ridbaz to reinstate shmittah observance in Eretz Hakodesh by distributing kedushas shevi'is wine for kiddush. In conclusion, HaRav Eliashiv notes that those assisting in the observance of shevi'is will be blessed from the Source of Blessing.

HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, ga'avad of Zichron Meir, joins the appeal and adds, "I join the abovementioned appeal and I heard about the way it is done properly."

HaRav Nissim Karelitz, av beis din of the Otzar Beis Din, testifies in his letter that the "gibborei hakoach, acheinu shebasodos" are braving many difficulties, and have followed all the directives of the beis din. He calls upon the community -- including yeshivos and institutions -- to strengthen those who observe shmittah kehilchoso by using the fruits which have no chashash of shomur vene'evad and hopes that everyone will bring the blessing into their homes and eat these fruits bikedushas shevi'is.

The beis din is currently in the advanced stages of discussions with the Carmel Mizrachi Winery for them to manufacture high-quality wine and grape juice from the grapes of the Otzar Beis Din. The wine will be manufactured in a special production line under the special supervision of the beis din, as in previous shmittah years. It will be the Tirosh brand of Carmel Mizrachi grape juice and high quality dry and sweet wines. The beis din expenses as well as the costs of cultivation and picking the grapes will be paid to the delegates of the Otzar Beis Din, while the manufacturing costs will be paid to the Carmel Mizrachi wineries. The wine will be distributed at the end of the summer.

The beis din also appointed delegates to tend the Otzar Beis Din esrog orchards, so that the community can have kosher esrogim without the chashash of commerce or chashash of shomur vene'evad. They will be available in closed boxes in time for Succos.

Speedy distribution of the new summer fruit will help the farmers who have braved such difficult trials, enable them to cover the expenses and wages of the shluchim and to continue to be mekadesh Shem Shomayim.

 

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