"Lubavitcher Chasidim Providing (real) Shmurah for Satmarer Matzos"

Reb Eizik Levy

Reb Getzel's left peyoh and left side of hat here

The 2 Mashgichim

This week a few groups, ובראשם the Satmar Matzoh bakery in Kiryas Joel, went down to Arizona to cut wheat for matzohs. The delegation included - but was by no means limited to - the Satmar Rebbe, The KJ Rov; Reb Getzel Berkovitch, and Reb Eizik Levy, manager of the bakery. These two Lubavitcher Jews (pictured above) had been staying in the searing Arizona heat since a week before Shavuos camped out in a mobile home for 7 weeks, never leaving the place alone. They were watching for rain. Making sure that it did NOT rain. One of them was always there, not only watching for rain, but also patrolling the perimeter. Day and night, as they tell the Satmar Rebbe in the recording posted here. What happens if it does rain?? then all of it goes to the garbage.   What? you say? So how do they get wheat for Matzohs ever? 

An important point to mention is that if the wheat has matured and is אינו צריך לקרקע, then, as explained by the רשב"א, it is as if the rain fell on it "after" cutting - which would make it into a שאלה of חמץ. Wheat grown in the Eastern U.S., where it rains all year long, have the problem of sprouted wheat, so most shmura matzah production relies on bittul of at least a 180:1 ratio, and are sometimes forced to travel from field to field searching for wheat with an acceptable ratio. Many are machmir, especially the Rebbes who have many בחורים with lots of free time during בין הזמנים, get them to check each and every little grain to see if they are sprouted in order to have 100% clean wheat. In the alte heim they where afraid of rain so they cut the wheat for matzoh when it was a little greenish, a bit premature,  but that causes many headaches as it could grow mildew or fungus or sprout.  Sprout is chometz, so then you have to rely on Roiv, which is only one sprouted per 60 or 120 or 180 to be machmir. 

Enter Arizona [just as in Eretz Yisroel], where you could leave the wheat standing until well mature, because it almost NEVER rains after winter. The low humidity climate lets wheat grow with no sprouted wheat AT ALL and no need to sort for any defect. I don't wanna speak Loshon Horah, but the other Satmar (Zalonim) party - for purely political reasons - accuses 'falsely' that it rained in Arizona last year, they even made a false video. Now the KJ people have real frum עדות that were there for 7 weeks (a first for such a long period of time) and testify that NO rain fell from maturity until cutting; it cost them a fortune to provide an air-conditioned mobile home - from when the wheat was still green until yesterday when it was cut, and they gave eidus to the visiting Rabbonim, (as you could hear through the noise) the SR and Reb Getzel Berkowitz, who ask them to state that they were there day and night, shabbos and yom tov, and all Rabbonim heard them say it. But it cost a fortune just to be medakdek on one chumra.

 מעיקר הדין לא צריכים שמורה משעת קצירה אלא משעת לישה ואילך. מנהג אבותינו לאכול מצות פשוטים ורק לליל הסדר החמירו לשמירה משעת קצירה חסידים ואנשי מעשה. משעת טחינה ואילך איז הלכה. משעת קצירה איז נאר א חומרא, אבער צו האבען 24/7 שמירה אזוי ווי דא אין אריזאנע איז שוין א חסידות. זיי זענען דארט פון ווען עס איז נאך געוועהן גרין. און די מצות וועלן אי"ה זיין מהודרים בתכלית ההידור למדקדקים. דא אונטען קען מען הערן ווי די עדים רעדן צו די רבנים