Q&A

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?

Will the following apply in my case?:  I read that “while there is a halachic solution to separate in advance once every week, it should only be employed if you are concerned that someone (family member, perhaps) will harvest without separating”. (I assume that in advance means like a spiritual separation; that can be done before one has any produce picked/in one’s hand), In my circumstance, until I have I bigger yield, should / could I separate in advance once every week? If this is applicable in this case, please advise how this is done?

I understand that after the produce is designated and named, it is no longer tevel and can be eaten. I  don’t understand how this works in my case. And at what point practically, can produce be eaten.

Am I to understand that in the event I pick one cucumber, that I will be required to physically cut (take the tithes on) one cucumber that is only going to be consumed later that night or the next day? Please clarify.

I understand that when reciting the text, I will be designating and naming various parts of the produce for a Kohen, Levi, and on some years for a poor person, and on other years, as ma'aser sheni.

I understand the need to separate terumot and ma'aserot from every batch I harvest. Bearing in mind that I am growing at home, please advise:

-If the size of each ‘picking’ relevant (‘harvest’ doesn’t sound like the right word). I imagine that there might only be a few (even one or two or three) at a time. Of course it might be more.

-in time, there might well be 1 or 2 vegetables from different vegetable types.

When must /or can the blessing be said?

And when must the tithes be taken?

Dear Rabbi,
I am grateful to be able to write to you. I live in Israel in an apartment with access to a tiled roof on the 7th floor. I wish to grow for my own consumption and to share produce, both vegetables and fruit. I will be grateful with information as to how / what I must do physically to ensure all halachic tithes are taken and removed from the produce. I imagine that harvesting will take place under these 2 scenarios: Potatoes might be harvested in a single batch -or in multiple batches Other vegetables may become available gradually (possibly every few days) throughout the season. I understand that the taking and distributing Terumah and Ma’aser Rishon physically must be performed? And that after this a tenth of what remains (Ma’aser Sheni) is removed which was then biblically given to the Levites. However, I need instructions of how and what to physically do so that my planting and harvesting complies with Halacha.

I’m not sure what additional information is required -but wish to advise the following: I plan to plant in pots on the roof with holes at the bottom -in the open -or in a plastic mesh enclosed frame area -or inside the apartment, in front of a sunny window (e.g., tomatoes) If a pot has holes at the bottom but stands in a small tray to catch excess water, does this affect the halachic status? I am also considering placing multiple pots in a larger tray to conserve water—does this have any halachic implications? I hope this is enough information to assist you to be able to advise what exactly must be physically done. 

Shalom Aleichem! I am the rabbi of a retirement community in Monsey, New York. We often receive Israeli produce, particularly tangerines and carrots. Since the carrots come in fifty pound bags, and the tangerines are in cases of fifty or a hundred, I am not really concerned for the need of a Perutah Chamurah. Still, it would be convenient for me to avoid the need to keep track of how many times a coin is used. Is there a way that I can make use of your Perutah Chamurah? Does it matter that I am in the U.S. and making the pidyon onto Israeli currency? Thank you.

I picked some rosemary yesterday.  Does it count as third-year produce or second-year produce or must it be treated as a safek?  (Also, is it treated as a fruit or a vegetable?)  When taking off terumot and maasrot, do I make a beracha?