Zaide Reuven’s Esrog Farm is anticipating an excellent season, at least with regards to esrogim. We have been informed by our partners that the crops for Temani (Yemenite), Chazon Ish, Braverman, Lefkowitz, Kivilevitz as well as for Yanaver (Italian, Calabrian) and Moroccan etrogim are excellent. Please place your orders early and call for bulk pricing.
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Historic Esrog Tree in Rav Michel Yehudah’s Yard Has Died
from : http://matzav.com/historic-esrog-tree-in-rav-michel-yehudahs-yard-has-died
Thursday September 1, 2011 12:39 PM
It is well-known that Rav Michel Yehudah Lefkowitz zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponovezh L’tzeirim, who was niftar this summer, was given seeds of an esrog by the Chazon Ish to plant to produce esrogim that are pure and are under no suspicion of being murkav, grafted. The Chazon Ish had approached him with an esrog that he said was definitely kosher and was not grafted. The Chazon Ish actually asked Rav Michel Yehudah to plant the esrog seeds in his yard and told him that he would have parnassah from it.
Rav Michel Yehudah asked, “Can an esrog grow in the Bnei Brak climate? Moreover, I don’t have any experience growing esrogim, and an esrog tree takes much time to cultivate. I don’t have time to cultivate it; I want to learn Torah!”
The Chazon Ish replied that all he would have to do was plant the esrog and water it. The Chazon Ish promised him that it would not take up much of his time.
The esrog tree in Rav Michel Yehudah’s yard.
Remarkably, that esrog tree grew into the famous “Lefkowitz-Chazon Ish Esrogim.” Rav Michel Yehudah barely had to invest any time into it, despite the fact that an esrog tree is usually very sensitive, requires much attention, and does not last for many years. 70 years later, that tree stood tall in Rav Michel Yehudah’s yard and was still producing beautiful esrogim.
However, this month, news emerged from Bnei Brak that the historic tree has died. Since the time of Rav Michel Yehudah’s petirah, the tree’s branches have gradually been getting dried out, and, at the present time, the tree is all but dead. The fruit have fallen off and the branches have dried out.
Upon learning of the news, the Toldos Aharon Rebbe, who is makpid each Sukkos to make a bracha on an esrog from Rav Michel Yehudah’s yard, sent chassidim to confirm the report. They indeed found that the tree has withered.
While the general story of the Chazon Ish’s esrog tree is well-known, there are some lesser known facts and stories about the tree:
Rav Michel Yehudah said that when he asked the Chazon Ish what din the esrog had, the Chazon Ish responded that “it has a din of masores” [tradition, just as if the subject esrog had been handed down from generation to generation].
The Chazon Ish constantly inquired after the welfare of the tree, asking Rav Michel Yehudah if he was watering it enough, etc. His grandson related that during the second year of the tree’s life, it looked like it would fail. Rav Michel Yehudah reported this to the Chazon Ish and the Chazon Ish told him not to worry. “If the Ribbono Shel Olam desires it,” said the Chazon Ish, “He can make a wind come that will revive the tree [and make it live for many years].” There was an immediate improvement and, as is well known, the tree lived more than 60 years after its planting, despite generally short life spans for esrog trees.
The first year after the fourth year of the tree’s production [the tree’s produce is forbidden until after the fourth year], the Chazon Ish went to Rav Michel Yehudah’s home to personally choose his esrog, getting down on his hands and knees under the tree’s branches to select the best esrog.
The Steipler Gaon did this all his life, selecting his esrog (and one for his daughter, Rebbetzin Barzam) on the 15th of Av. The Steipler would inquire throughout the year as to the status of tree. Interestingly, during the last year of his life, he did not inquire as to the status of the tree; the Steipler ultimately passed away on the 23rd of Av and was too ill that year to have chosen his esrog on the 15th of Av.
When the Steipler would come to select his esrog from Rav Michel Yehudah, he would give Rav Michel Yehudah an amount of money. Inevitably, Rav Michel Yehudah would protest that it was too much, to which the Steipler would reply, “You’re giving me everything. I’m giving you nothing.”
Until this year, each Sukkos, Rav Chaim Kanievsky made his bracha only over an esrog from this tree, regardless of whether another esrog might be cleaner.
As is well-known, Rav Michel Yehudah gave anyone the right to cultivate the seeds and start an orchard from his tree, with no request for compensation.
And now, with the tree having died, those who are makpid to obtain “Lefkowitz esrogim” will have to look for a tree planted with seeds from the original tree.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
An Etrog Tree Grows in Fair Lawn
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
from: http://etrogtree.blogspot.com/
Zaide Reuven’s Esrog Crop Excellent for 2011-5772
Zaide Reuven’s Esrog Farm is pleased to announce an excellent crop for this season. Due to the plentiful harvest we anticipate a good selection of esrogim at the high quality end. Typically on a price basis our esrogim are at least one, if not two levels better than esrogim we have seen from other suppliers.
Egyptian government bans export of palm leaves to Israel
The following was posted on the following site on August 8 2011: www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/488873
Egypt’s Agriculture Ministry has announced a ban on the export of palm leaves to Israel starting this year and for the coming two years, a decision that some news reports have linked with recent violence along the Egyptian border with Israel in the past week.
Tensions have been high between the Israeli and Egyptian governments this past week after Israeli military units crossed into Egyptian territory while pursuing alleged terrorists along the border. Six Egyptian police and army personnel were killed by Israeli fire.
The decision to ban the sale of Egyptian palm leaves to Israel has been hailed as an act of defiance on the part of the minister of agriculture, Salah Youssef. However, the minster’s decision is not aimed entirely at Israel, but includes a ban on harvesting and exporting palm leaves and hearts nationwide, and reflects growing concern at the poor state of Egypt’s population of palm trees, which is under pressure from over-harvesting and disease.
In announcing the decision to ban exports to Isreal during a press conference on Sunday, Youssef made mention of the need to preserve Egypt’s wealth of palm trees, which are considered an Egyptian national treasure and which have come under attack from a parasite called the Red Palm Weevil.
Youssef said he reached the decision after reading ministry reports stating the need to preserve palm trees by bringing an end to the cutting of palm leaves and branches clustered around the top of the trunk.
The need to protect the trees has been highlighted before but never enacted, most recently on 26 July this year, when the governor of North Sinai called for a ban on exports to Israel.
In 2010, Egypt exported 600,000 palm leaves to Israel, and around 300,000 palm leaves to Europe.
Israelis use the palm leaves in the ritual celebration of a Jewish holiday known as the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Israeli Maariv daily reported recently that the regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak allowed the Israelis to buy large quantities of palm branches, but that the Egyptian revolution might mean the end of exports.
Egypt-Israel Lulav supply mentioned in 2010 cable leaked by Wikileaks
According to the TabletMag web site, the subject of lulav exports from Egypt to Israel in 2010 was sufficiently important to merit mention in a diplomatic cable subsequetly leaked by a Wikileaks.The exports amount to some 500,000 lulavim each year.