Baby Bananas
Elana in Har Nof asks:
I have a nine-month-old baby. May I feed him sh’mittah bananas?
If your baby will eat most of the banana, there is no problem, even if he wastes a
little bit of fruit. This is his usual way of eating bananas! (Obviously, any
remnants must be placed in the sh’mittah
bin.) However, if he is just starting on solids and has a tendency to plaster
his chair, you and anything else that comes to hand with most of the fruit,
don’t give him the sh’mittah
banana. By doing so, you would be guilty of causing the destruction of sh’mittah
produce.
Gila in Neve Yaakov asks:
When I serve sh’mittah vegetables, a little gravy usually remains on the plate. Do I have to collect this gravy and
place it in the sh’mittah bin?
If the amount of gravy is so small that you would just wash it off when washing the
dishes in other years, you may do so in the sh’mittah
year as well. There is no need to pour it into the sh’mittah
bin or to lick it off (unless you always lick it off!). However, if the amount
remaining is more substantial, it may not be thrown out. Similarly, if a number
of people ate these vegetables and all the leftover gravy was gathered together,
should this now make up a significant amount it may not be thrown out. By the
way, leftover gravy containing sh’mittah
ingredients may be left out until it spoils (there is no need to put it in the
fridge). It may then be poured down the drain, since it has lost its kedushas
shvi’is. This is often a more practical solution than placing it in
the sh’mittah bin, which can be
messy!
