Issues in Buying Vegetables During the Sabbatical Year
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Question
What concerns should I be aware of when buying vegetables during the Sabbatical year?
Answer
There are several prohibitions regarding vegetables during the Sabbatical year, and we must ensure that when purchasing vegetables, none of these issues are present:
A. The prohibition of sefichin: the sages decreed not to eat vegetables that grew during the Sabbatical year.
B. The prohibition of shomur v'ne'evad: even if there is no prohibition of sefichin, if the field owner did not declare the field ownerless, or if he performed prohibited work during the Sabbatical year, the vegetables are forbidden according to some authorities, and it is proper to be stringent in this matter.
C. Bi'ur: if the vegetables have the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, even if there are no other prohibitions, there comes a time when the obligation of bi'ur applies, and it is forbidden to eat vegetables if the time of bi'ur has passed and they were not properly disposed of.
D. The prohibition of commerce: if the vegetables are sanctified with the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, there is a prohibition on commerce, and they cannot be sold in the usual manner.
E. Even when selling Sabbatical year produce in a permitted manner, the money received in exchange also acquires the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, and it must be ensured that the money is treated according to the law.
F. It is forbidden to give Sabbatical year money to a person who is not known to observe the laws of the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, so if we want to buy vegetables, even if it is clear that none of the five mentioned prohibitions apply, if the seller is not known to observe the sanctity of the money, it is forbidden to buy with cash. If you wish to delve deeper into one of the prohibitions, you are welcome to contact us, or alternatively, study "Azmera Leshimcha" (Shemita, Issue 2) available on the website, or similar responses here on the site.
A. The prohibition of sefichin: the sages decreed not to eat vegetables that grew during the Sabbatical year.
B. The prohibition of shomur v'ne'evad: even if there is no prohibition of sefichin, if the field owner did not declare the field ownerless, or if he performed prohibited work during the Sabbatical year, the vegetables are forbidden according to some authorities, and it is proper to be stringent in this matter.
C. Bi'ur: if the vegetables have the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, even if there are no other prohibitions, there comes a time when the obligation of bi'ur applies, and it is forbidden to eat vegetables if the time of bi'ur has passed and they were not properly disposed of.
D. The prohibition of commerce: if the vegetables are sanctified with the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, there is a prohibition on commerce, and they cannot be sold in the usual manner.
E. Even when selling Sabbatical year produce in a permitted manner, the money received in exchange also acquires the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, and it must be ensured that the money is treated according to the law.
F. It is forbidden to give Sabbatical year money to a person who is not known to observe the laws of the sanctity of the Sabbatical year, so if we want to buy vegetables, even if it is clear that none of the five mentioned prohibitions apply, if the seller is not known to observe the sanctity of the money, it is forbidden to buy with cash. If you wish to delve deeper into one of the prohibitions, you are welcome to contact us, or alternatively, study "Azmera Leshimcha" (Shemita, Issue 2) available on the website, or similar responses here on the site.
Source
Rambam (Chapters 4; 6; 7; 8); Azmera Leshimcha (Shemita, Issue 2).
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