Q&A: Leafy Vegetables
Leafy Vegetables
Question
With God’s help, Rabbi Michael Abraham, hello. What is the Rabbi’s opinion on the issue of insect-free leafy vegetables—the kosher certification, or rather the multiple certifications on a single bag, the price, the health aspect, since according to experts the greens are sprayed with considerable quantities of chemicals? How did the Jewish people conduct themselves in earlier generations without leafy vegetables produced by the Gush Katif method and the like? Thank you, Yitzhak.
Answer
Greetings. The spraying and the special method of cultivation (on layers) are not necessary. They are done in order to make the inspections easier for us. In the past, one had to check for worms.
Did people really do that? I very much doubt it was done to the extent that we do it today. The assumption of many is that what one cannot see is not forbidden (the Torah was not given to ministering angels).
Beyond that, it seems to me that the Arukh HaShulchan writes that there is an exemption here on the grounds that it is unintentional, since he does not intend to eat the worms (although this may depend on the dispute regarding a doubtful inevitable result, and an inevitable result that is undesirable to him).
Discussion on Answer
It’s hard for me to lay down firm rules. What counts as ministering angels, and what counts as reasonable effort? One needs to make a reasonable effort. I’ll add that if worms really do dull the soul (forbidden foods), then there is room for effort beyond the strictly binding halakhic requirement. I’m not sure that’s actually true.
And what about the moral problem involved in taking the life of an innocent worm?
Best regards, Jacob Wormman the Worm
And what about the spraying? Isn’t that a problem? What nonsense you’re spouting.
With God’s help, 26 Tevet 5777
To Mr. “What You Don’t See Doesn’t Hurt”—greetings,
Regarding spraying in “insect-free leafy vegetables”—in well-organized companies under good supervision, care is taken with preventive insect treatment, both by means of dense netting and maintaining a clean environment, and by means of “preventive pest control,” which prevents insect entry in advance in order to reduce as much as possible the need for spraying. There is careful monitoring to ensure that, when needed, spraying is done long before harvest so that the effect of the material dissipates, along with internal and external lab tests to verify that no pesticide residues remain on the leaves beyond the permitted level.
See the article by agronomist Yossi Osher (the agronomist of the company “Alei Katif-Hasalat”), “Pesticide Residues in ‘Insect-Free’ Leafy Vegetables,” Emunat Itecha 89, on the “Kashrut” website. Of course, each distributor needs to be investigated on its own merits, both with regard to kosher certification and to health supervision.
Best regards, S. Z. Levinger
Practically speaking today, are we obligated to check for insects at the level required by contemporary halakhic decisors (a relatively meticulous inspection)? Or can one be more lenient based on the consideration that “the Torah was not given to ministering angels” or on the Arukh HaShulchan’s exemption—and how far can one be lenient (that is, what level of inspection is actually required)?