This is a wall poster from an ultra-Orthodox street in Jerusalem, which was published in 1993 during the shmittah – Sabbatical year.
The purpose of the advertisement, signed by the "Shemitah Committee of the Eda Charedit Yerushalayim", is to inform the Jerusalem public whether greengrocers are observing the laws of shmittah according to the rulings of the Hareidi Rabbinate. The notice explains that it is possible to identify a "Kosher for Shemitah" vegetable store by the presence of a "kosher certificate", which is displayed at the bottom of the notice. The name of the store is mentioned on the kosher certificate and a signature appears demonstrating that they are under the supervision of Badatz HaEida HaCharedit.
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Shmittah Year - In the Shmittah year, there is a commandment from the Torah to cease from work on the land. The mitzvah of shmittah is practised only in the Land of Israel, and therefore the haredi public tends to buy imported produce from abroad, which it considers to be the best solution, since there are possible problems. The haredi public also buys products grown by Israeli Arabs or the Palestinian Authority, which they consider less ideal because the produce still originates in Israel.
In contrast, the religious-Zionist public values the continuation of Jewish agriculture, and thus generally prefers to rely on various permits rather than on foreign produce.
Badatz - The Badatz (rabbinic court) is a body that decides on questions of Jewish law but also serves as a court in every respect for those who wish to bring their case before it in accordance with Jewish law. As far as the state is concerned, this court has no valid jurisdiction, and it draws its authority solely from the consent of the litigants who appear before it to be heard in its rulings.
In addition to Badatz, many private courts operate in Israel, such as Badatz Beit Yosef, Badatz Agudat Yisrael and Badatz Yoreh De'ah, headed by Rabbi Shlomo Mahfod.
Connection to Parashat Behar
In our parasha, we learn how the Torah orders us to cease from work on the land throughout the entire period of the shmittah year, which occurs once every 7 years in the Land of Israel.
At the same time, we are commanded to forgive all debts and free any Jewish slaves whom we may own. Although many different explanations are given for these laws, some commentators stress that the Torah expects us to dedicate a year to textual study, free from worries about the land.
