Identity of the witnesses of the hefker declaration
Question
It says in the Consumer's Guide for Shemitah that you need three people, who can be related to one another, to declare the wine hefker on erev Pesach.
In your WhatsApp group posts. you also mentioned that they can't be dependent members who are part of your household.
We are having a family over for seder night: a couple and their teen daughter. Can they be my hefker witnesses? Or do they have to be men? Is it a problem that they will be our guests (dependents at our table for the night)?
Answer
Rabbi Moshe Bloom
- As long as the guests are not part of your regular household (thus not considered dependents), they can be your "hefker witnesses." They can also be married children who are financially independent and live in their own homes.
- It is possible to declare the wine hefker in the presence of women (and bat mitzvah age girls).
Posted on: Adar 5783