Q&A

How and in what way do we perform the mitzvot of giving the poor leket, shichecha, and pe’ah today?

I grow herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.) and use them as seasoning. We actually eat them; they don’t only provide a flavor. How am I supposed to go about taking terumot and ma’aserot from them? Each time I pick a small bunch of leaves, so I would set aside less than a leaf? For example: how much am I supposed to take from the 2-3 basil leaves that I add to the spaghetti sauce?

Are fruits and vegetables that grow on the balcony or inside the house subject to ma’aserot?

There is a guava tree in my apartment building’s shared courtyard (with 15 families). Every week I pick two to four fruits and take them home. Am I supposed to take terumot and ma’aserot from the guava with a blessing? If the tree was in a public playground, would its fruit also be subject to terumot and ma’aserot?

Which poskim are lenient about eating herbs grown in planters without first taking terumot and ma’aserot?

Do I need to take ma’aserot from the mint growing in my garden that I use to make tea?

My four-year-old son collects pine nuts that fall under the trees and also brings them into the house.

1. Are they subject to terumot and ma’aserot?
2. If so, how do I prevent him from eating them first before taking terumot and ma’aserot?

If I buy grapes or olives from which terumot and ma’aserot were taken, and then use them to make wine or olive oil, do I need to take terumot and ma’aserot again (at the completion of the process, gemar melacha)?

I grow several vegetables in my garden such as string beans, peas, and potatoes. Sometimes I take all or some of the seeds to plant the next round of crops in my garden.

1) Am I supposed to take ma’aser from the seeds before planting, or does ma’aser only apply to edible produce?

2) If there is an obligation of taking ma’aser at this point, do I need to take ma’aser from seeds I buy at a nursery?

How can I actually give my ma’aser ani? It’s not really practical to find poor people each time I pick a few oranges from my tree to give them a slice.