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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 19:05 24/09/2007 Sephardic, Ashkenazi rabbis at odds over 'shmita' ban bypass By Amiram Cohen, Haaretz Correspondent Sephardic and Ashkenazi rabbis were at odds Monday over a decision to allow the sale of fruit and vegetables during the year that Jewish tradition stipulates land in Israel should remain uncultivated. Rabbi Avraham Yosef okayed the procedure known as "heiter mechira" in which Jewish farmers nominally sell their land to non-Jews for a year in order to bypass the septennial ban on growing agricultural products known as "Shmita." Rabbinical sources were quoted as saying approval of the procedure was a "declaration of war on the Ashkenazi Ultra-Orthodox rabbis and their leader, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv." Advertisement Yosed, who is the son of the Shas party spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, authorized the "Heiter Mechira" that was first used towards the end of the 19th century to allow Jewish farmers to sell their products and save them from bankruptcy. Ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi and some Sephardic rabbis, however, refuse to recognize "heiter mechira" and forbid supermarket chains to market agricultural products that do not receive their seal of approval as kosher. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us Part of Jerusalem? PM Olmert questions whether Arab neighborhoods should be defined as part of the capital. Who is a Jew? Israel's draft constitution states that 'every Jew is entitled to immigrate to Israel.'   1.   Sfardi rabbinate is pro-Israel; I support them 1000% 16:37  |  Hal 24/09/07   2.   chief rabbi amar 16:50  |  yosef chaim 24/09/07   3.   Aren`t there more important things to worry about? 17:05  |  Worrier 24/09/07   4.   Shmita 17:23  |  Jay 24/09/07   5.   The National Zionist Camp 17:46  |  David 24/09/07   6.   What`s the point? 17:59  |  MichaelF 24/09/07   7.   They can`t fool me 18:06  |  God 24/09/07   8.   yosef chaim`s absurdity 18:14  |  Erik 24/09/07   9.   A liberal, tolerant, pluralistic halakha must govern Israel 18:24  |  AV 24/09/07   10.   No. 4 Jay 18:34  |  steve 24/09/07   11.   No. 4 Jay part 2 18:36  |  steve 24/09/07   12.   No coercion for Shmita! 18:37  |  David 24/09/07   13.   Legal fictions are standard proceedure for Pesakh 18:41  |  David 24/09/07   14.   It is halakhically invalid to finance the enemy of Jews 18:43  |  Hal 24/09/07   15.   Haredi Judaism seems to become a Nonjewish sect 18:52  |  David 24/09/07   16.   War or just a camouflage for Haredi civil war? 19:21  |  eddie 24/09/07   17.   Not at all like Chametz 20:24  |  Binyamin Dissen 24/09/07   18.   THE VOICES FROM THE MIDDLE AGE!!!!!! 20:40  |  Robert 24/09/07   19.   noone is preventing farmers who choose not to observe shmita from 20:51  |  reizel 24/09/07   20.   Hello Worrier 10:57  |  nina 25/09/07   21.   Get the facts right. 16:52  |  Jewboy 25/09/07   22.   All the secularists bark and then vanish 16:53  |  Alex. 25/09/07   23.   to the secular lamenting the demise of religious Zionism 16:57  |  Another Jew 25/09/07   24.   the road to hal 16:58  |  Jewboy 25/09/07   25.   Robert#18 and a voice from the 18th century 17:00  |  Just A jew 25/09/07   26.   David,stop trying to coerce hareidim 17:02  |  Josephine 25/09/07   27.   Rav Kook 10:45  |  Joseph 16/10/07

Today Online Editorial: Hail Rice for paving the way for dividing the land Responses: 6 Daniel Ben Simon: Once-moderate Shas moves to extreme right Send response Polish rightist party slammed for anti-Semitic campaign ad Responses: 13 Likud urges Shas, Lieberman to quit gov't over PM's J'lem hints Responses: 9 Haaretz.com TV: Despite lobby's power, U.S. Jews are losing their bond to Israel Responses: 90 Rosner's Domain * Rice "understand risks to announcing a meeting" (WTR) * Guest: How to stop Hamas from spoiling Annapolis? * McCain is the pro-peace process GOP candidate * Poll: Is Rice's effort brave, pathetic, realistic, dangerous? More Headlines 10:51 Report: Deal gives Israel papers with Arad's writing 10:35 Two Palestinians, including one militant, killed in IDF Nablus raid 06:35 ANALYSIS: Israel, Hezbollah need no trust building measures 06:53 Likud urges Shas, Lieberman to quit gov't over PM's 'intention' 07:01 Cartoon spat prompts Shas to quit Knesset religious lobby 06:43 Abductees' families cautiously optimistic over Hezbollah deal 03:56 Balad activist murdered on doorstep of his business in Lod 05:32 Justice Minister orders drafting of bill limiting length of criminal probes 06:15 Medical students prefer not to intern in Israel's periphery 23:17 Polish right-wing party accused of running anti-Semitic campaign ad Previous Editions Select Day 15 oct 14 oct 12 oct 11 oct 10 oct 09 oct 08 oct 07 oct 05 oct 04 oct 03 oct 02 oct

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