Knesset panel threatens to found separate kashrut authority
MK Ben Sasson slams Chief Rabbinate in wake of handling of 'shmita' year, which causes hike in price of produce.
By Amiram CohenIn protest of the Chief Rabbinate's policy regarding the "shmita" or sabbatical agricultural year, the chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee has threatened to establish a separate authority to grant kashrut certification for produce.
"If the Chief Rabbinate does not get its act together in the near future, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will advance the establishment of an alternative kashrut authority in Israel, which will provide fitting solutions for the general public," committee chairman Menachem Ben Sasson (Kadima) said.
According to religious Jewish law, land must lie fallow every seven years - the shmita year - to allow it to rest. Jews worldwide may eat fruit and vegetables from Israel during the sabbatical year only if they were grown on land owned by non-Jews.
For decades, the Chief Rabbinate and the local rabbinates of most major cities have accepted the "heiter mechira" system, allowing Jewish farmers to symbolically sell their land to a non-Jew for the fallow year on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, then buy it back at the year's end. The temporary change of ownership means produce farmed during the year is considered kosher and can be sold to Jews.
Ultra-Orthodox rabbinates have never recognized heiter mechira as a valid system, but have traditionally turned a blind eye to the practice, allowing Jewish farmers to continue their livelihood during the sabbatical year.
In recent years, however, ultra-Orthodox rabbinates have increasingly objected to the system. This year, the rabbinates of several regions have threatened to nullify the kosher certification of farmers who practiced it. The Agriculture Ministry has called on the Chief Rabbinate to empower local rabbinates who agree to accept heiter mechira to authorize produce for sale and thus bypass rabbinates which refuse.
Ben Sasson called on the Chief Rabbinate to give kashrut authorization to all "businesses and institutions in all the cities in which local rabbis refused to do so."
The High Court objects to the Chief Rabbinate Council's decision to allow local rabbinates independence on this issue. Local rabbis who oppose the arrangement would give kashrut certification only to businesses in their city that agree to import produce.
"In Jerusalem, tomatoes are sold for NIS 9.50 per kilogram, and in certain cities for NIS 12. This price increase won't stop in Jerusalem and not at tomatoes. It will take with it all fresh produce. The price increase will also seriously harm the Haredi public and Israeli farmers. The kashrut authority will also be harmed because the general public will turn its back on it and I intend to lead a process to protect all of these systems," Ben Sasson said.
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MK Menachem Ben Sasson. (Tess Scheflan) |
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The Knesset for years has been trying to undo the authority of the rabbis to regulate Jewish life in Israel. They would like nothing better than halacha (jewish law) to well just go away.. old time jews are an embarrassment to them... The latest perpertrator of this strategy is ..., Ben Sasson who is none other than the brother in law of Avraham Burg.. the latest corrupt politician, who wears a nickel size kippa, who fled Israel and is hiding in France..and uses every opportunity to denounce the rabbis from afar..
however the nut was not sane enough to trust. so they were back to square one.Square one is that if you are not committed, no one trusts you.And we are talking about commitment to kashrut, not to a loony-bin
the article is not.Thousands of Israeli farmers are keeping Shemitta. Each time the Sabbatical year Comes by, the number of Farmers who join increase, because they see it does work. Farmers are hard nosed, and results speak more than sermons or politicians' diatribes.
Just think of the possibilities. Kosher l'Pesach bread, certified by the combined conservative/reformed/Kadima agency. Can pork and cheeseburgers be far behind?
Another example of the murdering grip that religion has on this country. Time is not far off when Judaism will destroy thid country and leave it to the few ignorants that are still blindly running after the so called religious leaders that want only one thing: To be able to control their lives and prevent them from developing intellectually and economically. But of course then the Messiach will arrive and all will be great
I think we are missing the point of the sabbatical year: to let the land rest and to prevent ruining it. Anyone recall the dust bowl in the USA about 80 years ago? The land doesn't care who owns it, Jew or non-Jew. If we do not let the land rest it will not sustain farming and people will have no choice but to import all their food. And yes there are more modern ways to achieve rest for land, but shouldn't we be discussing aligning these more modern ideas with the Torah and reaching a reasonable state of affairs.
Sort of like giving a party and having no one show up! Doesn't this moron understand that those interested in a kashrut certification have absolutely no interest in what the likes of this, the worst government in the history of Israel, has to say about kashrut? If kashrut is important to you, you'll continue to be guided by the certifications you've trusted, not some lame political approval process that will hand out approvals to anyone who lets them keep the fountain pen they signed with. And the funny part is that this arrogant clown actually thinks he can make good on his threat because he's "The Government". Remarkable!!!!
Their brains are not there anyway. Do these fools really think anyone will trust them to say anything is Kosher? do they never read headlines? do they think no-one else does?
Stop spouting off about what you never understood. Shmitta is about loyalty to a value system, and those following the Rabbis are willing to put their wallet on the line to live by those values. If you get a pain in your wallet every time Judaism is mentioned it might be indigestion or it might be ignorance.Either way learning a little will definitely help
Who needs a chief rabbinate that is funded by tax payers? Get rid of it and let the orthodox fund and establish their own institutions and let the free market decide. This business of state funded religion is absolute nonsense and does not belong in the 21st century!
The Hareidi Batei Din are independent and set high kashrut standards. this is what is driving the politicians crazy. So now the politicians think they can tell Rabbis what to do.But they cannot. No one trusts politicians.They do trust Rabbis. Even when tomatoes cost more.
The Chief Rabbinate's oversight of kashrut is an unncessary and counterproductive entanglement of religion and governmental authority. There is no reason why Israel should not adopt the American model in which reputable, voluntary organizations like the Orthodox Union provide reliable certification. Relieving the Chief Rabbinate of this function would avoid problems like secular members of Knesset voting on issues of kashrut and the debasement of religion through its association with the coercive power of the state. Voluntary organizations do just fine in America and would operate just as effectively in Israel.
hasn't a clue about the "Kosher Biz". He stands no chance to influence the rabbis as they will not let go of a multi-million dollar biz. Sorry, nice try but............we are in the Middle Ages here.
The integrity of the Kashruth system depends on the integrity of the Rabbis who administer it. If the decisions of the Rabbis are dictated by politicians, there will result a crisis of confidence that will bring the whole system down. If people don't agree with the ruling, they can go elsewhere for a Rabbi who might rule differently.
It is hi time to clip - nay cut off- the wings of these puppet makers its all about power and money nothing to do with religion
Are those golden tomatoes ? Here in my town they are sold at much lower prices , even in my super .