Great 5778 Hadassim Scare Debunked - Healing Hadassim Hysteria with Halachic Clarity

A few days ago, an explosive article with inflammatory language was published online at a prominent website, as well as in a widely circulated newspaper in the NYC area, claiming that a Hadasim scam and scandal exists, with most hadassim sold (for Sukkos, ד' מינים) not being kosher for that purpose.

While the author discusses various issues that can arise with hadassim, his main allegation is that, in his view, there is a widespread deficiency in the area of having leaves that are משולש. He defines meshulash narrowly. In his view, people should inspect the nodes on the hadassim to see that they are closely aligned.

But is such a measure really necessary, appropriate and realistic? Is the situation really so dire? Must a person spend a great amount of time inspecting every node and leaf of multiple hadasim closely?

It appears that his standard is overly narrow, not necessary, not realistic, and not in accordance with mainstream halacha. Consequently, the article is misleading and alarmist.

Let me explain, and share some of my research.

1. Rav Avrohom Reit שליט"א is a choshuve talmid chochom in NY, who has, in recent years put out some excellent publications on various inyanim such as tekias shofar, chalitza, arba minim, etc. He specializes in clarifying, to a high level, the realia, the physical reality of a situation, the metzius that halacha is applied to. If someone doesn't know this metzius well, serious difficulties can develop in havonoh, understanding, and application of halachah.

In his excellent sefer Lekicha Tama: The Lulav and Esrog Buying Guide, Rabbi Reit writes about meshulash (which he calls "whorled" in English) (emphasis mine)

"two issues must be clarified: 1) is it the leaves, leafstalks, or nodes that must be whorled and 2) how closely aligned must they be to be considered whorled?

Whorled has traditionally been understood to mean the leaves appear as one set, with all the leaves at the same level. The focus is on the leaves themselves, not on the leafstalks or nodes. This is the standard of the pre-packed hadasim, of the old Yerushalmi experts, and this is how we were taught as children."

Practically speaking - מעשה רב מגדולי הדור

"When (Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zatzal) inspected hadasim he looked only at the general appearance of the hadas - not at the stem [הליכות שלמה פרק י' אות י' ובארחות הלכה 43]"

להבחל"ח

"when...Reb Dovid Feinstein shlita checks hadasim for the public, he gives a cursory glance at the leaves without touching them (he does not examine the leafstalks or nodes)."

With permission of Rabbi Reit, I post below images of relevant section of his sefer where the above words appear, along with further elaboration. 

2. Rabbi Shlomo Gottesman is editor of the prestigious ישורון Torah journal, a fine talmid chacham, and marbitz Torah.

In a shiur he gave about hadassim last year (bottom of page) he seems to also differ with the article (certainly in tone) (14:00-). He states that even the renowned machmir, the Brisker Rav, was not makpid to have all the nodes aligned exactly (if that were even possible).

May we merit clarity in Torah knowledge, and a joyous zeman simchaseinu.