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where do people get these statistics from? and why do the masses
believe them.<br>
hayitachen that 30% of all flowers in the huge 300,000,000 people USA
are from Israel??<br>
I find that hard to believe.<br>
<br>
I asked my agriculture consultant and this is what he wrote me:<br>
<br>
"So far I spoke to the head of flowers of Shaham- he says we're lucky
if we have 1/2% in the US! Other than the ignorance, the use of the
term "sheviis-free" is offensive. It makes shmitta sound like a STD!" <br>
<br>
Ari <br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:kennethgmiller@juno.com">kennethgmiller@juno.com</a> wrote:<br>
<blockquote cite="mid20071120.131940.8840.0@webmail20.vgs.untd.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">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:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">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.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
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