[Avodah] shemitta

[A & C Walters]

> Israeli fruits and vegetables are sometimes sold in local stores (e.g. 
> peppers from Costco). While one should be eager to purchase this 
> produce and support the Israeli economy,...

I am not so sure why one should be "eager to purchase this product", for the
following reasons:

1) Since we are dealing with tevel, the producer is obviously frei (it is
ossur to sell tevel to an am hororetz). This means that r"l he probably
works on shabbos and y"t. At least 1/7th of the fruit you buy, therefore is
directly due to chillul shabbos.
2) By definition, if you are "eager to support the Israeli economy" it would
only work if by you buying, it increases the export of these fruit. This is
effectively flooding the American/European market with tevel, and creating a
nichshol for secular Jews who don't take tv"m. Presumably it would be better
to help minimise the exports, not increase them
3) Choyteh niskeh
4) SO CM 231:26 deals with the issur of exporting fruits and vegetables from
EY to chu"l under certain conditions. Whilst al pi the letter of the law one
is probably not oyver, the fact that is hard to get decent quality fruits
here in EY, whilst when in England I saw beautiful fruits from EY, may mean
that one is going against the spirit, if not the letter, of the law. Also,
the fact that the SO mentions the issur, but not the mitzvah of supporting
etc. implies that there is none.

This will be IY"H my first shmitta year in EY. I am considering going with
the Brisker derech (of only eating fruits imported from chu"l), but it is
probably unrealistic, and therefore I will most probably go with the Eida
Chareidis shita.

Also, those who say that by avoiding the "difficulties" of the mitzvah, it
should be fakert, a person should look for them, and enjoy them, let's not
forget shitas Tos; (beshem R' Chaim) Kesub. 110b that because of the
difficulties of shmitta etc, one is potur from yishuv E"Y. There is, also,
no mitsvah to find mitsvahs; we have enough that are hard enough; I am
struggling with what I am mechayiv, and probably not doing that properly -
why look for more! (Of course, if someone is capable of doing them all
properly, then why not add on a bunch more; it is more schar, but I speak
for myself, that I have enough)

Beinyen this, there is the similar makhlokes if one should go to the Old
City during Ch"HaM Succos to be mekayim (mesofek) 4 minim deorayseh, or not.

A gute vokh

Avrohom Yitskhok Walters

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