The institute in Eretz Yisroel headed by Rav Moshe Vaya, the renowned expert in bedikas tolaim, insect infestation in foods, has released an alert regarding insects being found in, of all things, s’chach. There is a concern that bugs in s’chach will fall onto one’s table on Sukkos and into one’s food, thereby causing one to transgress several issurim unwittingly. The Aruch Laner (Tosefes Bikkurim, Siman Tof Reish Nun Zayin), in his time, warned people not to hang flowers in their sukkah from which “small worms and mosquitoes can fall…and through this, the mitzvah of sukkah becomes a mitzvah haba’ah b’aveirah if one swallows bugs with food…”
In green s’chach, such as palm fronds, tree branches and shrubs with green leaves, one might find small insects such as aphids. Dry s’chach, such as S’chach Keinis and reeds, one may find other insects.
When you buy s’chach or before placing the s’chach on your sukkah, hold the s’chach vertically above a white surface, such as a large sheet of white paper or white cloth, and bang the s’chach down hard and see if small insects fall to the surface. If small insects are found, spray insecticide into the s’chach and after a few hours shake the s’chach so that the dead insects fall out. This can be done as well with the help of a brush or vacuum cleaner.
Many are unaware of the possibility of there even being concerns with infestation in s’chach, and each type of s’chach is different. Yidden are encouraged to be aware of this.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
maybe we should stop using the suka like we stopped using strawberries and spinach
Yasher koach to Matzav for sharing this. I appreciate the halacha updates you provide. kol hakavod
1 – I hope you at least got a good chuckle out of you apikorses “joke” being that it will be added to the left side of your scale in a few days.
I have regular good old bamboo. How does this affect me? I have had the s’chach for 25 years.
You are realy getting carried away now! Ein ledovor sof!
I miss my old bamboo, Never should have gotten rid of it, Maybe a few spider webs… but it never get infested with the little bugs…
relax, I’m sure Hashem has a sense of humor. How else do you explain some of the silly things we concern ourselves with?
#1 that was mamesh funny.
Old news going back a couple of years, but yes, people really have found bugs when checking this way…
Is this a pro
Maybe we should consider grinding up the schach like we do with infested strawberries and sprinkle the schach on the suckah .