Tuesday, October 30, 2007

SHMITA WARS: Rabbinate Threatens Rabbis

As I mentioned previously, this years shmita is causing more controversy than ever before. The latest installment in this saga is the Rabbinate threatening the Tzohar Rabbis with fines. The reason for the threat: Rabbis offering their own kosher supervision for stores (establishing that they adhere to a stricter policy of non- shmita products).

Tzohar went ahead with the launch despite a Supreme Court ruling last week that, if implemented, would make the need for the alternative supervision unnecessary. Tzohar's chairman, Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein, explained that until his organization saw the Supreme Court decision implemented it would move forward with the creation of a competing kosher supervision body.

Last week the Supreme Court, in support of the Tzohar rabbis' stand, overturned the Chief Rabbinate's decision to allow local rabbis full autonomy to decide which type of kosher supervision would govern the sale of fruits and vegetables during the shmita year in their respective cities.

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