Q: My esrog said on it “Otzar Beis Din.” What does this mean? What should I do with it after Sukkos?

A: Esrogim that grew this past year in Eretz Yisrael are esrogim of Shemittah. The owner is not allowed to work the orchard normally, nor is he allowed to commercially sell the fruit, which is hekfer (ownerless).

One means of enabling an easily available supply of Shemittah fruit to the public is through Otzar Beis Din. A beis din takes responsibility for making the fruit available, and hires the orchard owner as its employee to handle the growth and distribution, according to their instructions. Thus, the fruit is not “sold” by the owner, but rather “distributed” by the beis din, and the owner is paid for his services in tending to the fruit.

It is prohibited to waste or ruin fruit with kedushas Sheviis, so that the esrog cannot be disposed of in the normal way. It should either be made into jelly and consumed, or held until dried out, or double-wrapped and then disposed of.