Q&A

The chicks I raise eat only a specific type of food—a hand-feeding formula powder designed for chicks. This mixture contains, among other ingredients, ground grains from the five species of grain, along with additional components. It is mixed with lukewarm water to form a porridge, which is then fed to the chicks.

What is the halachic status during Pesach?

On one hand, this is a chametz mixture prepared before Pesach; the chametz is not recognizable and seems not to be fit for human consumption. On the other hand, feeding the chicks provides benefit to their owner, which may be considered deriving benefit from chametz.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no such formula available that is certified kosher for Pesach.

Is it permissible to feed them during Pesach? If not, would it help to include both the formula and the chicks in the sale of chametz, and then feed them as one caring for a non-Jew’s animals—and, if the non-Jew does not ultimately buy them, to repurchase them along with the chametz after Pesach?

Thank you very much.

We bought a limequat tree grafted onto another type of citrus tree. It is in a pot with holes in the bottom, on a brick porch. Do we have to wait 3 years before we use the fruit? 

 I first learned about separating terumot and ma'aserot in yeshiva in 2015. In either 2015 or 2016 I designated a half shekel coin to redeem the kedushah onto. At that point in time, I didn't know about bi'ur ma'aser needing to be done at specific times every 4th and 7th year.

I've had the same coin for 9 or 10 years and have periodically used it to redeem produce. I did not do bi'ur ma'aser on it yet but will destroy it before Pesach of this year.

How do I know when the coin is “full” and I need to replace it?

How many times can I redeem produce onto it?

If I “fill up” one coin before the designated time to do bi'ur ma'aser, should I destroy the coin and start a new one or do I have to keep the “full” coin until the 4th or 7th year and only them destroy it?

If I keep the full coin until the year in which I need to destroy it, is there some special procedure when I start the new coin?

Do I need to transfer the kedushah from the full coin to the new coin? Thanks

Fully ripe lemons that are growing on my tree now in Israel - are they ma'aser ani or ma'aser sheni? Presumably they grew more than a 1/3 prior to this most recent Tu Bishevat. Same question about my kumquats - they are smaller and unclear when they grew, but certainly most likely more than 1/3 prior to Tu Bishevat. 

I am a kindergarten teacher. We have a vegetable garden where we grow seasonal vegetables and various herbs. Can we plant different vegetables in the same patch? For instance, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, parsley? If so, what is the distance necessary between the different types of vegetables?

Question

Hello Rabbi, Happy Chanukah!I would appreciate guidance on a somewhat complex halachic question.

I harvested 100 kg of olives for oil production:

• 80 kg of them were hefker (ownerless),
• 20 kg belonged to someone who gave me permission to harvest them.

When I arrived at the olive press, I was told this was too small a quantity to process alone, so I waited for someone to join me. Another person arrived with 50 kg of olives, and oil was produced from a total of 150 kg. We then divided the oil according to the percentage each of us contributed.

A. Of the oil that I received, from how many kilograms must I separate terumot and ma'aserot — from 150, 100, or 20?

B. Do I need to coordinate with the other person whose oil was mixed with mine? I understand there may be an issue of bilah belach, that liquids mix.

Question

Hello Rabbi, Happy Chanukah!I would appreciate guidance on a somewhat complex halachic question.

I harvested 100 kg of olives for oil production:

• 80 kg of them were hefker (ownerless),
• 20 kg belonged to someone who gave me permission to harvest them.

When I arrived at the olive press, I was told this was too small a quantity to process alone, so I waited for someone to join me. Another person arrived with 50 kg of olives, and oil was produced from a total of 150 kg. We then divided the oil according to the percentage each of us contributed.

A. Of the oil that I received, from how many kilograms must I separate terumot and ma'aserot — from 150, 100, or 20?

B. Do I need to coordinate with the other person whose oil was mixed with mine? I understand there may be an issue of bilah belach, that liquids mix.

Is it permissible to place terumah produce in a compost bin for the purpose of making compost, and once it has decomposed, may it be used to fertilize the soil?

Is it permissible to throw vegetable scraps and seeds near a vegetable garden for the purpose of fertilizing the soil?

I hope you're doing well. I have a question regarding the halachic preferences for rootstock, specifically for Kumquat scions and similar types like Calamondin/Phillipino Lime (which is a mandarin-kumquat cross). Based on the image on your website, I'm trying to understand where Trifoliate rootstock fits into the halachic preference table.

I noticed that Troyer is listed as a permissible rootstock preference 2, and since Troyer is a citrange cross between trifoliate and navel orange, I'm wondering if there might also be a reason to permit pure Trifoliate (Poncirus trifoliata) rootstock with a Kumquat and/or Calamondin scion to be planted by a Jew in chutz la’aretz lechatchilah?

As always, I appreciate your clarification and assistance on this matter.