Thousands of palm fronds have been smuggled from Egypt and have made their way to Israel and the United States, veteran palm frond traders said Monday, despite the Egyptian ban on their export ahead of the upcoming Sukkot holiday.
Despite Ban, Thousands of Lulavim Smuggled out of Egypt
Thousands of palm fronds have been smuggled from Egypt and have made their way to Israel and the United States, veteran palm frond traders said Monday, despite the Egyptian ban on their export ahead of the upcoming Sukkot holiday.
One of the traders told Haaretz that the palm fronds, which are known as lulavs in Hebrew and are used ceremonially in Sukkot, were transferred from Egypt via Jordan to Israel and Jewish communities in New York and other big cities in the U.S..
The lulav traders utilized long-existing ties with senior officials in Egypt, and succeeded to covertly purchase a large amount of lulavs. According to one of the traders in New York, a senior official in Cairo received $100,000 to aid in smuggling the palm fronds outside of Egypt.
The trader said that Egyptian farmers desired to sell lulavs to Israel, especially in light of the economic crisis that has recently fallen upon the country. According to him, there was no logical reason to bar the export of palm fronds to Israel other than anti-Israel sentiments.
Plain and simple
When money talks antisemitism walks.
CR
This is no big surprise. In the wake of Mubarak’s departure the Egyptian government is in a state of crisis. Officials are thoroughly corrupt and have always been but now there is absolutely no incentive to enforce the law, especially when one stands to make a substantial “score” and will likely face no legal sanction. Anyways, the lulavim available now in my community are bigger and more robust than I have ever seen and the prices are the same as ever.
I would be far more concerned about Egypt as a failed state. It would be like an even bigger Afghanistan serving as a haven for AQ and other such organizations.
Moshe
B’H
Since there was ban edicted by the Egyptian gv’t, is it Halachikly permitted to buy and use such Lulavim?
and why...
….So why is this news on a public web?!
Are we now actualy Yotzea the Mitzvah – if it’s Luluv HaKozel?!
ff
GOLDY!!!!
Polly Esther bas Klaidel
Many years ago already I found easy solution to such problem. From Taiwan they make excellant four minim from vinyl (also excellent mehuderdik mezuzos and parshios for tefillin. They are very beautiful and do not spoil, so you can use them from year to year. I bought two sets. We keep one in sukkah and one in synogogeh.My husband do not even know the difference.
Confused by Moshe
“edicted”? Do you really think that is a word? Why would any Egyptian ban impact our halachic ability to use the lulav?
Moshe (to number 7)
Because, it is against the law of the country. If the Egyptian GV’T forbade selling Lulavim to Jews, they should have bought their Lulavim from other countries. Hence the question: since it’s an illegal move, is it permitted to use them?
Milhouse
#3, what’s the shayla? What business is it of the Egyptian government, and why should we care one bit what the Egyptian government says?
To Moshe
We don’t live in Egypt, so Egyptian law doesn’t apply to us.
Milhouse
Moshe, who the @#%% cares about the laws of Egypt? Why should we give a d–n whether it’s legal or illegal? Where in Shulchan Aruch does it say that the Egyptian government has the power to turn a kosher lulav into a passul one? Do the lulavim belong to them?!
Milhouse
Moshe, do you care about Chinese and Russian law too? How about Saudi law? What authority does the Egyptian government have over me or you?
shlomo
oy wey salers say this, or like this every years. and 4 hr before hag you can buy all 4 minim for $5
hag sukot sameah lekulam
not surprised
if they can smuggle arms, why not branches?
DeClasse- Intellectual
irresponssible. You do not broadcast this type of information because next year could be a disaster and those who helped can get into trouble or might not be in a position to help next year. Somethigns are better not said or written and this is one of them.
Michoel Dovid
So if they have to bribe people $100,000 to get lulavim out, is that why the prices are so high? I mean, are Egyptial ones that good that we had to give some white-collared desk jockey $100,000?
cant say
i work which them and it is the maffya which smuggle them out because they make alot of money off
Theft = $10 for 3 haddasim
If you want to talk about theft . . .
How about $10-15 for 3 haddasim!!
This is plain and simple Onaah and greed
Annonymous
MOshe is right. You cant go against a law that is a halacha even if one doesn’t agree with the law you still cannot go against a law. Two wrongs dont make a right. You cant smuggle something over to use it as a mitzvah. Its very hypocritical and not allowed. People tend to forget that they are not above the law even if they are jewish and there are proper ways to do mitzvahs.
Milhouse
#19, you are an am ho’oretz. There is no such halacha. You would have been demonstrating against Moshe Rabbenu for violating Egyptian law.