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Sunday, October 05, 2014

So you wanted Haredim in the army?

This year is the Shmittah (Sabbatical) year in which Jews are commanded to allow the land of Israel to lie fallow. About 150 years ago, a 'work around' was developed that involves selling the land to non-Jews. But many Orthodox Jews in Israel (including yours truly) do not rely on the 'work around' and use only produce that comes from abroad or that is grown by non-Jews or that was grown in previous years and cold-stored.

With the increasing number of Orthodox Jews (and particularly Haredim) in the IDF, the IDF itself has signed an agreement, barring the use of produce from the 'work around' (which is known as heter mechira).
If we turn back to the induction of so many chareidim and frum soldiers over recent years we see another issue that applies today, shmitah. IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz signed on an agreement that would result in the IDF using non-shvi’is or heter mechira produce towards accommodating the growing number of frum soldiers. He is now under attack from the minister of agriculture, the National Kibbutz Movement and many others, who feel his unprecedented move to accommodate chareidi soldiers and officers is “anti-Zionist” and they insist that he reverse his decision to observe shmitah l’chumra. They are outraged that the IDF will be buying produce from goyim instead of kibbutzim, unwilling to hear any halachic considerations that override their Zionist ideals.
Hmmm. 

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2 Comments:

At 10:39 PM, Blogger Baruch Who? said...

To paraphrase Anita Bryant for the Florida Orange Juice Growers Association, "Isn't shmittah l'chumarah not just Chareidim anymore"?

 
At 6:08 AM, Blogger Jew613 said...

Do you accept Otzar Beit Din?

 

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