[Avodah] Shemitta Flowers in America

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

The Erev Rosh Hashana issue of (the American edition of) Hamodia contained a whole special magazine section about Shemittah. Page 26 began a four-page article titled, "Q&A: Harav Belsky Responds -- Piskei Halachah that apply to the mitzvah of shemittah from Hagaon Harav Yisroel Belsky, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivah and Mesivta Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn, NY"

The very first of these Questions and Answers is as follows:

> Q: Since over 30 percent of the American supply of flowers
> comes from Eretz Yisrael, is one mechuyav to verify the
> source of flowers before buying them? Is a non-Jew believed
> if he says that a fruit Is not from Eretz Yisrael? (This
> question is applicable all year.)
>
> A: When one buys from a vendor who carries no packaging
> (boxes in which the flowers were shipped) he may assume that
> the flowers are not sheviis, provided that a solid majority
> (rov) of at least 60 percent of the kind of flower being
> marketed is not from Eretz Yisrael. If the vendor has the
> packaging, the customer should ask to be allowed to go to
> the back to take a look. The country of origin will appear
> on the box. Public-minded organizations should provide
> regular information about the percentages and have them
> posted properly. Stores that cooperate in allowing
> observation by mashgichim should be publicized so that one
> could shop at them (if they carry sheviis-free products only)
> and avoid all problems. Non-Jews are not acceptable as
> witnesses and their word is insufficient.

I have been watching ads in the Jewish Press, HaModia, Yated, and I have not seen any advertisements or announcements about flower shops which are selling non-Shemittah flowers. I am wondering: Have there been announcements that I have not seen? Or perhaps other poskim have taken a different position on this?

Is it possible that other people have other data, suggesting that Rav Belsky's "30%" figure is unduly high and alarmist? For example, I have learned elsewhere that Hilchos Shemittah only applies to *fragrant* flowers. Could it be that Rav Belsky's "30%" includes non-fragrant flowers, and that the actual percentage of fragrant Israeli flowers is negligible?

For a community that seems to love latching on to whatever chumros it can find, I've been very surprised by the silence on this issue. I hope that others have heard more than I've heard, and I hope they will share it. Thank you.

Akiva Miller