[Avodah] Shmitta

[Michael Elzufon]

From: "Eli Turkel" <eliturkel at gmail.com>
Subject: [Avodah] shemitta


Interestingly many charedim in Bnei Brak have given up on the "kulah" of the
Chazon Ish and gone over to the Edah Hacharedit. One reason is not to have
to "bother" with the rules of shemitta produce.


[MJE] This is an odd way to express it since in Bnei Brak they tend to hold that non-Jewish produce still has kedusath shviith.  I would guess that they are also relying on Gaza being outside of Eretz Israel, at least for shmittah purposes, so as not to have to treat the produce as having kedushath shviith.

This actually brings up a fourth approach:  produce which has no kedushath shviith either for being from outside of Eretz Israel or for the way it is grown, e.g., hydroponics.  The evacuation from Gush Katif has put a crimp into this, but I would imagine that there will still be a fair amount of produce from this option.