Enlisting Help that Jews Buy Jewish Produce – #316
Date and Place: 28 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Recipient and Background: Rav Chaim Berlin, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. We have seen recent letters between the two on the topic of Shemitta produce.
Body: My pen shakes as I write about the despicable act that has now been perpetuated against our brothers, residents of the moshavot. Until now, it has been accepted not to give kashrut certification to non-Jewish produce, so as to not oppress Jews who are afflicted by poverty, whose hopes are to survive by selling their grapes. Now, after we have completed dealing with the dispute over the question of Shemitta, all of which was done to help our brethren from the moshavot, people arose surreptitiously to advise people to buy specifically from non-Jews. This uplifts the stature of our enemies, who enjoy our misfortune, and see how we ourselves aim to hurt our brethren and co-religionists. How can this be?!
The magnitude of the disgrace and desecration of the Divine Name is inestimable, as is the very wickedness of the act. The blood of my heart boils as if it were in a pot, and my pain reaches the Heavens, from this horrible situation, from the fall from true Torah and fear of Heaven that is engendered by it. I ask you, honorable Torah giant, to remedy the perverse situation to the best of your ability.
I caution that there is a high possibility that the produce of non-Jews is forbidden due to orla (fruit from trees that are less than three years old) and kilay hakerem (crops grown in proximity to other species), more now than in the past. We can be trusted to supervise our brethren’s crops very reliably. How can things be turned on their head – that people should prefer to buy unsupervised produce from non-Jews, just to harm our own flesh and blood?
We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for:
Itamar Chaim ben Tzippora
Nir Rephael ben Rachel Bracha Arye Yitzchak ben Geula Miriam Tal Shaul ben Yaffa
Ori Leah bat Chaya Temima Neta bat Malka Meira bat Esther
Together with all cholei Yisrael
