[Avodah] shemitta

[Eli Turkel]

This year the Rabbanut is planning to very much limit the use of the
hetter mechira compared to other years.  They are going individually to
farmers and determining which farms actually need the hetter mechira to
not be destroyed financially, and when they perform the mechira, will be
mapping out which areas they are and aren't selling.  Aside from limiting
problems with selling EY to non-Jews, this is also planning for the future
elimination (IY"H) of the hetter mechira, especially since as soon as a
majority of Jews live in EY (a plurality of Jews already do, and according
to demographers, within the next few decades Israel will have the
majority), the hetter mechira doesn't work according most, if not all,
poskim.>>

This approach is pushed by R. Elyashiv and is followed by R. Metzger. I
doubt it will stay beyond the term of R. Metzger. The problem is that
dati shemitta observing Jews are a tiny fraction of all Israeli farmers.
Hence, there will be not be enough produce to feed the army which is
required to be kosher according to the rabbanut. Not to mention all the
kosher restaurants that currently rely on the heter mechirah. If you
cut down the heter mechirah many of these places will give up on kashrut.

-- 
Eli Turkel
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