Costco has clementines from Israel

amother

Linen

Mon, May 23 2016, 11:07 pm

http://5tjt.com/costco-and-fru.....rael/

Quote:

Costco and Fruits from Israel

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman
It is said that when the first wine products arrived from Eretz Yisroel to Europe, the Netziv cried tears of joy. Finally, there was produce available for Jews to consume that came from the land that Hashem had promised us. Nowadays, however, most of the Rabbis tell us to stay away from fruit from Israel.
Costco, for example, now has clementines from Israel, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and figs. This certainly presents a halachic challenge, and it seems that hundreds of families are inadvertently purchasing these items without realizing that there are halachos that must be observed. Many stay away from these fruits.
But is there really no way to properly eat fruits from Eretz Yisroel?
Firstly, it should be known that the clementines in Costco are currently from year six. After the winter they will be products of the seventh year.

DrMom

Mon, May 23 2016, 11:45 pm

amother wrote:

http://5tjt.com/costco-and-fruits-from-israel/

Quote:

Of course there are ways to properly eat fruits from E"Y. What do you think we do here in Israel?

"Most of the rabbis?" Hmmm...

heidi

Tue, May 24 2016, 12:04 am

Marion wrote:

Since in Israel we've been eating produce of the 8th/1st year, I'm not sure how Costco would have 6th year produce left...something doesn't sound right.

Thanks!
Do clementines really have the gestational/growth time of an elephant?

chani8

Tue, May 24 2016, 2:55 am

What halachos are you referring to?

Most farmers take truma and maaser here, but if you are not sure, so you do it again without a bracha.

Shmitta fruit can be eaten as usual but you simply wrap the peels twice (for kovod) and throw them away. A chumra is to allow the peels to spoil first, but it's not necessary.

ally

Tue, May 24 2016, 3:12 am

chani8 wrote:

Kedushat Shviit can only be eaten in Israel.

WastingTime

Tue, May 24 2016, 3:24 am

Their's no way its 6th yr fruit.
If it's 7th wouldn't it be that it's either Arab fruitt or heter mechira or just grown during shmitta against halacha?
Doesn't make sense that it's hefker/ otzar beis din, especially at this point in the year...
Tomatoes cucumbers peppers cannot be 7th yr at this point AFAIK

WastingTime

Tue, May 24 2016, 3:36 am

Marion wrote:

Since in Israel we've been eating produce of the 8th/1st year, I'm not sure how Costco would have 6th year produce left...something doesn't sound right.

6th yr,no but 7th definitely yes as oranges that began growing last spring weren't ready until this winter and they last many months on the trees

amother

Green

Tue, May 24 2016, 3:38 am

If I understood correctly (in general) the problem with israeli fruit is the waiting 3 years to use the fruits - there's no way to know if these fruits are allowed to be eaten at all

Not shmittah and not terumos

chani8

Tue, May 24 2016, 3:52 am

ally wrote:

Kedushat Shviit can only be eaten in Israel.

Thank you, I didn't know that. Are the farmers really shipping kedushas shviit out? I can't see how they'd get past the rabbanut in the shipping dept.

5mom

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:16 am

As of now, the Rabbanut does not inspect/label exported produce for shmitta issues. That means Israeli fruit might be heter mechira but also might be kedushat sheviit, which may not be eaten outside Israel. It may also be grown on platforms or hydroponically, or from the Western Negev and therefore permitted according to all opinions. Most foods are already 8th year produce, with no issue at all, though you should separate teruma and maaser without a bracha.

Advances in food storage technology mean that you can be eating an apple years after it was picked, too.

Last edited by 5mom on Tue, May 24 2016, 4:17 am; edited 1 time in total

DrMom

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:16 am

chani8 wrote:

Thank you, I didn't know that. Are the farmers really shipping kedushas shviit out? I can't see how they'd get past the rabbanut in the shipping dept.

I wonder if they were grown in areas on Israel which are outside of the portions of E"Y bound by the laws of shmitta.

Or (for cukes and tomatoes), they may have been grown hydroponically.

WastingTime

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:40 am

DrMom wrote:

I wonder if they were grown in areas on Israel which are outside of the portions of E"Y bound by the laws of shmitta.

Or (for cukes and tomatoes), they may have been grown hydroponically.

I don't remember those areas (arava, olei mitzraim) producing citrus fruits, only vegetables but I definitely may be wrong

chani8

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:43 am

5mom wrote:

As of now, the Rabbanut does not inspect/label exported produce for shmitta issues.....

Exported produce may very well have a hechsher. Your LOR should be able to ascertain if there is a hechsher on the Israeli produce in your supermarket.

It would be a shame to pass on produce from the holy land!

Do your homework folks. Dont boycott Israeli produce because of laziness.

Raisin

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:44 am

This is a list from the London Beth Din of what fruits and veggies to avoid from Israel when, due to shemitta. We take maaser if we buy them. Never heard of the 3 year thing being an issue. According to this list clementines are still an issue until september 2016. (we don't hold by heter mechira, but if you do I think you can eat it)

http://www.kosher.org.uk/artic.....dates

chani8

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:46 am

Quote:

• The sanctity of perot shevi’it also dictates that such produce cannot be taken out of Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, perot shevi’it cannot be certified as kosher for export unless they are grown on Gentile-owned land, and then only according to the Jerusalem custom, which maintains that such produce is not sanctified. During shemittah, most OU-certified exporters will ship only sixth-year inventory or Gentile-grown produce of the seventh year. Some OU-certified exporters may also ship produce grown in the southernmost areas of Israel near Eilat, areas in which shemittah does not apply.

Raisin

Tue, May 24 2016, 4:55 am

chani8 wrote:

Quote:

Why would a non Jewish supermarket like Costco or tesco or marks and spencer care about ou certification? The vast majority of their customers are non Jewish.