With the ushering in of Shmittah 5775, the Sephardi gedolim issued a call and stringent halachic ruling against depending on the Heter Mechirah, calling for people not to rely on it whatsoever.
In the wake of this firm stand against various bodies defying and violating Shmittah through the sham Heter Mechirah, Yated Ne'eman was asked by our gedolim to publicize the public cry from the Torah leadership of Sephardi rabbanim issued on the eve of the Shmittah year not to rely on the Heter Mechirah in any form.
The public call written under the heading "On the Vigil of the Mitzva of Shevi'is", the rabbanim of the Eidot Hamizrach declare as follows: "During the upcoming Shmittah year of 5775, all the rabbanim who permitted [usage of the Heter Mechirah] up till now did not do so for the upcoming Shmittah year. Therefore one is not to rely upon it and it is incumbent [upon them] to lay the land fallow and not to work it in any manner during the Seventh year, nor to buy produce from whoever raised [produce] on land of Eretz Yisrael during Shevi'is even if he sold [the land] to a non-Jew."
This public announcement was signed by HaRav Shalom Cohen; HaRav Shimon Baadani; HaRav Moshe Tzadka; HaRav Ben Zion Mutzafi and HaRav Yaakov Chaim Sofer.
