Q&A

I received a bottle of olive oil from a farmer friend without kashrut certification. The oil is of excellent quality and intended for consumption. I refrained from eating it due to kashrut considerations. Is it permissible, lechatchilah, to light the Chanukah menorah with this oil? Does the fact that there may be kashrut issues render the oil unusable (i.e., should it be discarded)?

I've heard that we're not supposed to eat or benefit from orlah fruit. Does that apply to the Chanukah menorah, too? 

Hello, I teach at a girls’ high school. As part of our agriculture classes, we have two greenhouses and also a few fruit trees. I signed up the school with Beit Ha'otzar, but I’m not sure whether a regular membership fee is sufficient or if I should have arranged some kind of expanded membership.

If I prepare a batch of dough for sufganiyot in an amount that requires separating challah, should I separate challah with a blessing?

I'm a teacher at a girl's high school, and as part of agricultural studies, we grow lettuce hydroponically in a greenhouse. Do we still need to inspect the lettuce for insects?

Dear Rabbi,

In our garden we planted an avocado tree that we sprouted from a seed. The tree has been growing in our yard for ten years and has not given any fruit. We recently grafted a branch from a different avocado tree onto it and now it does produce fruit. Do we need to restart the orlah count from the time of the graft?

I picked a papaya on 1 Kislev this year (5786). Do I need to separate ma'aser ani or ma'aser sheni?

Do the oranges on my tree now require ma'aser sheni?

Hi, 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? Thank you, B’sorot tovot, 

Now I already planted almost all trees except for one plum tree and two pear trees.

To be sure I asked again via e-mail because I felt something is wrong. And she replied that apple is rooted on MM106, Cherry is rooted on Colt and I guess those two are ok, right?

 But pear is rooted on quince (!!!)... and plum is said to be St. Juliens A which I searched for and it should also be from plum tree, but I could not find it on the list here on the website, can you verify this rootstock to be ok b"H? I did not plant the pear trees yet... can I somehow save them (cutting off the rootstocks?) or do I have to throw them away? Thank you!