Arizona Wheat Part II: Rav Oelbaum Says His Letter Was Michtav Bracha, Not Haskama

As reported here last week, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum of Satmar has indicated his preference for Arizona wheat for Pesach use. He has traveled to Arizona to examine the wheat there several times, each time accompanied by rabbonim who carefully examined the wheat and compared it to wheat from other areas. Amongst those that have recently been to Arizona are Dayan Hershel Brody, rov of Beis Medrash Shaarei Orah in Boro Park, the Tzelemer Rav, Serdehaly Rov of Boro Park, Tzelemer Dayan, Williamsburg Pupa Dayan, Boro Park Pupa Dayan, Boro Park Nitra Dayan. Every rov who has personally been to Arizona and examined its wheat agreed that it is clearly preferable. 

Rav Avrohom Laufer, Doroger Rov, in his sefer, Ho’aishel Beramah, contends that Arizona wheat fields do not have enough, if any, rainfall and must, therefore, be irrigated. The irrigation creates potential for fermentation and creates a chemical imbalance in the wheat. Rav Laufer’s sefer published a number of haskamos.but it seems that none of the authors of the haskamos has actually been to Arizona.

Rav Sholom Pollack, the Skverer Dayan, retracted his letter of approbation against Arizona wheat. After having carefully studied the benefits of Arizona wheat, he is now convinced that it is indeed superior.

This past week, Rav Noach Isaac Oelbaum, rov of Beis Medrash Nachalas Yitzchok in Queens and mechaber of Minchas Chein, has clarified his supposed letter of approbation. Rav Oelbaum, in a full-page broadside published in “Der Blatt,” the popular Chassidishe Yiddish weekly, explains that his letter was a michtav bracha on the effort in pursuit of Torah learning of the halachos that pertain to wheat to be used for Pesach, and in no way was the letter meant to be an approbation, or a haskamah. Rav Oelbaum indicates that he has no opinion in the matter of which wheat is preferable for he has not investigated the matter, which he leaves for those greater than himself to decide.

 {Dovid Bernstein-Matzav.com Newscenter}