An attempt to market orlah grapes throughout the
country disguised as imported grapes was prevented last week
thanks to the alertness of kashrus supervisors.
On Monday rosh chodesh Adar 1, Red Globe grapes arrived
in markets throughout the country in plastic cartons with
stamps identifying them as imports from Chile. The fact that
fruit from abroad can never have the effective status of
orlah and is exempt from ma'aser enables it to be
easily marketed as kosher. Outside of Israel, the laws of
orlah hold in theory but in practice they have
extremely limited application.
However, an analysis conducted by Rabbi Shlomo Shmulevitz,
director of the Department for Land Related Laws in the
Rabbinate, indicated that the grapes were really Israeli
produce -- and nearly certainly orlah. They had been
packed in cartons from abroad to create the impression that
they were not grown in Israel.
In response to this discovery, a circular was sent to all
inspectors of the Department for Land Related Laws as well as
to the other kashrus committees, warning them to be on
the alert and to prevent those fruits from being brought into
stores under their supervision. Rabbi Shmulevitz pointed out
that this proves how alert one must be, and how carefully all
produce must be examined, even if on the surface it seems
kosher beyond all doubt.
