bananas r ok though. much like this rabbi who goes banana.

Rinse it. Don't wash it with soap. Soap renders the skin of the fruit more permeable and this allows insecticides and other chemicals that would otherwise rinse off to penetrate the fruit, which you then eat.

I mean if you can't eat strawberries, you can always eat something else. Take for example, the problem of agunot...

One question for the rabbis : Is it OK to eat bananas with strawberries ? Should I eat the strawberries before the bananas or the opposite?

Halleluia! The Messiah has arrived! We can eat strawberries. The one outstanding problem plaguing Israel for decades has been resolved. Forget Palestinian terrorism, forget the disappearing water table, forget unemployment, forget air and water pollution, the chief rabbi has spoken, we can all eat strawberries and go to bed happy. I have never heard such nonsense in my life, and I have lived in Israel long enough to hear a lot of nonsense.

Now that I know that there are bugs on the dots of the strawberries in Israel, I'm far less likely to want to eat strawberries in Israel. Also, if a host serves me strawberries, I will eat them, but probably while imagining these bugs crawling down my throat. ughg... I hope that they're as small as bugs in tap water that exist in many locations. btw, whenever I wash lettuce (which is rarely) I do see bugs floating in the water, I can even see them moving their little legs

article was to ignite these overchewed boring recycled comments. Well done Ynet ... yet again. You know VERY WELL that this article does NOT belong in your columns, and that's the reason you do it, EVERY TIME. Nasty people you are, and the readers gleefully pounce on this every time, as you know. Yuk to you all there. This particular strawberry fields for ever piece is such old news anyway and was printed where it was meant to be printed, for its own respectful followers, ages ago. Go on fanning hatred and mockery Ynet. It's your trademark and raison detre.

NO doubt this must be a big relief to those people who have lost the ability to think for themselves and follow every word these mullahs mention . Get a life !

He stated that Halacha covers bugs that can be seen with the naked eye, not with a microscope. However, now that we know about bugs on strawberries, isn't it forbidden to eat them? Though we cannot see them we know full well they are there, thus eating them is breaking Halacha with kavanah.

switched to roses. The petals smelled wonderful and tasted good but chewing the thorns was really messing up my tongue.

Halacha is absolutely clear that bugs which cannot be seen by the naked eye are not prohibited, even if we know with certainty that they are there. So if these bugs on strawberries cannot be seen then there is no problem.

DO THIS EATING OR NOT , CONSTITUTE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JEHOVAH, ACCORDING TO THE TWO COMANDMENTS, TO LOVE JEHOVAH WITH ALL CAPASITY, AND ONES NEIGHBOUR AS ONE SELF. IS IT THE WILL OF JEHOVAH THAT, AS A PRINCIPLE, HIS PEOPLE RATHER SHALL DIE, OF STARVATION, THAN EAT SOMETHING THAT IS REGARDED AS UNCLEAN ???. IS THAT A FATHERS HEART TOWARDS HIS CHILDREN ???. IT SEEMS AS THE SPIRIT OF ACCUSATION IS IN WORK IN THIS CASE. Orao.

I see your dilemma, William. Now you see them, now you don't. The big problem, the way I see it: ruling by laws that are thousands of years old- maybe- and are totally removed from anything that happened at the time they were set up for a reason then....- . There were no strawberries, people did not know about anything smaller than a butterflies- todays technology and science is far beyond anything people at that time imagined. Probably half, or more (on my list) laws are not applicable for today's life- even a religious one. I love tradition- some religions are trying too hard to be 'uptodate' (Catholics removing the Latin mass- simplifying ceremonies) most people love pomp and circumstance, ceremonies. I think it is a mistake to take this away from devote people- but- it is equally important not to bury them in rules and restrictions. Humans are thinking creatures- we rationalize, ask questions, so when religious leaders are trying to enforce rules and laws that do not make sense- people start to question religion as a whole. I think some of the writers are right to not take this all too seriously: with all the major problems in the world, in Israel, with family life, finances etc....eating a few minuscule insects-(God's creatures too)... surely does not mean people are breaking a law- and have to be punished- it seems- well, a bit extreme? Ok, the ruling has been revoked- one month later- how long does it take to decide something REALLY IMPORTANT? A person could die waiting for a ruling-

I can see why people are confused: if you can see it- it is forbidden- if you cannot see it it is allowed- even if you know it is there. It must be difficult to interpret laws- and I mean this sincerely. I find this way of reasoning a bit confusing thought. It seems to me like cheating: outsmarting God who gave you those laws. It is like not being allowed to operating (machinery) a light switch or elevator on Shabbat but having your servants do it- or leaving the lights on, or using a 'pater noster' a non-stop elevator thing... ..... isn't the idea to refrain from work and pray? Inventing ways to circumvent laws is smart- and a bit devious? But is it permitted? Laws are there for a reason, all laws are- but when reason is missing, people start to question them. Humans are smart and curious and can think. I realize religion is mostly faith and believing what you are told- but one cannot expect people to just blindly follow the leaders- this is what makes us different from sheep.

Rabbi Amar was quoted here saying that strawberries have insects that are seen only with microscopes. We have done extensive research and have seen with the naked eye insects crawling on many strawberries that are resistent to washing in even the best of ways. When an insect crawls, even if it is very tiny, it is identifiable as an inseect. Rabbi Yosef Wikler Editor, Kashrus Magazine Brooklyn, NY

Mari, There is no circumventing or legal fiction or "outsmarting God" happening here at all - the prohibition simply does not apply to anything that can not be seen by the naked eye. I'd encourage you to speak to a competent Orthodox rabbi about the other issues you mentioned. Asking a non-jew to do soething for you on Shabbat is very problematic and basically forbidden, but there is no prohibition at all in getting benefit from machines on Shabbat as long as you don't perform any melacha (which is absolutely not the same as the modern English concept of "work" ) when doing so.

thank you for your clear answer- it is what I wanted to know. And I will take your advice.

Why blame Ynet for reporting what the rabbi said? Ynet didn't say it; your rabbi uttered the worldshaking information re the insects and the strawberries; so blame him even though those words of wisdom have now been superseded by other words of wisdom. BTW if the rabbi asked you to jump, would you merely ask him to specify how high?

Thank g-d for this ruling. Otherwise, the orthodox would all starve. Disgusting as this sounds, every single bit that we eat has some microscopic bugs in it. Check out the FDA's food action levels website. Bon Apetite

I wanted to send my opinion as soon as I read this unnecessary and misplaced info. But I thought Id give the talkbackers the benefit of the doubt. I needn't have, they churn out their venom every time. "They only printed it", boo hoo. Lets all cwy(cry) for poor misunderstood strawberry sweet ynet.. Have a nice weekend and a strawberry sundae.

If all the rabbis would have stood up for Gush Katif, this would not be an issue---as they could have grown the strawberries insect-free with hyperponics!