Q&A

You taught me that flowers and non-edible plants (and trees) can grow under a vine, but vegetables and edible herbs cannot.

What about a plant that I understood to be only ornamental, but I have discovered on the internet can also be used like spinach and other edible leaves?

 The plant in question is sweet potato vine. Its roots or tubers are not edible but the leaves can be used as food. Is it a problem even if we don’t eat them?

Our grapevine is in its second year of orlah. If we cannot let that plant grow under the vine, has it had a negative effect on the vine and future grapes already?

I have a basil plant growing in my yard outside. Since it's a herb, does it require a berachah?  Also, I generally pick a few leaves each time. Is there a minimum amount of leaves that requires terumot and ma'aserot? 

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.