[Avodah] planting during shmitta permitted

[Zev Sero]

Ben Waxman wrote:
> http://www.nrg.co.il/online/11/ART1/688/731.html
> 
> This article states that Rav Avraham Yosef, the head of the rabbinate 
> shmitta committee, permitted planting (al y'dei goy) in some of the 
> areas which were heavily damaged in last week's frost. If this land 
> is under the heter mikhira (HM), why is a special heter needed? If 
> the land is under the ozer beit din, is this throwing issurim out the 
> window without even a HM to be somekh on?

The article says explicitly that the heter applied only to land for
which an authorisation to sell to a goy had been implemented, i.e.
HM land.  Evidently the usual Rabbanut rules do not allow sowing in
such land during shmita itself, even with goyishe labour.

Many of those who oppose HM probably don't know that there are such
rules and restrictions, and think that these lands are worked just
like they are every year; perhaps if they knew that this wasn't the
case they might moderate their opposition.


-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas