Handling heter mechirah produce
Question
- How should I handle heter mechirah fruits and vegetables—do they have kedushat shevi'it (What does this mean? Can I throw away a rotten vegetable to the regular garbage can?)
- Is it mandatory to separate terumot and ma'aserot from fruits and vegetables that grew in Israel under heter mechirah?
Answer
Rabbis of Torah VeHa'aretz Institute
- There is no need to handle heter mechirah fruits and vegetables as sacred.
Some are stringent in handling produce grown via heter mechirah as having kedushat shevi'it.
However, most opinions are equally stringent NOT to, due to the herem of the Sages of Tzfat. This applies to yivul nochri as well. The custom in Jeruslaem was and is not to ascribe kedushat shevi'it to such produce (in Benei Brak, followers of the Chazon Ish, do handle this produce as having kedushat shevi'it).
- For specific guidelines on handling produce with kedushat shevi'it, see our new book The Consumer's Guide to Shemitah, which can be purchased here. It is also available online here. Abbreviated guidelines can be found here.
- Teurmot and ma'aserot should be separated from heter mechirah produce without a blessing.