Shop עברית

Orlah & Neta Revay

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Orlah count when transplanting trees into the ground vs. into pots sitting on concrete outside Israel

Our shul in Whashington D.C. has recently planted a garden with blueberry bushes and apple and fig trees. I am trying to determine if there would be orlah concerns. The bushes and trees were planted in a mature, fruit bearing stage - I assume they are several years old, but am wondering if there are additional questions I should ask. Does the "clock" go back to zero every time the trees are planted or not if the roots remain entangled in dirt?
And one follow-up question:
The fig trees are in a large earthenware pot which rests on the cement steps of the shul - they are disconnected from the ground. Would that be a reason for their orlah count to restart?

Continuing the orlah count: Mature fruit trees outside Israel transplanted into the ground and trees sitting in earthenware pots on a concrete surface

Rabbi Moshe Bloom
Rav Moshe, our shul has recently planted a garden with blueberry bushes and apple and fig trees. I am trying to determine if there would be orlah concerns. The bushes and trees were planted in a mature, fruit bearing stage - I assume they are several years old, but am wondering if there are additional questions I should ask. Does the "clock" go back to zero every time the trees are planted or not if the roots remain entangled in dirt?
And one follow up question:
The fig trees are in a large earthenware pot which rests on the cement steps of the shul - they are disconnected from the ground. Would that be a reason for their orlah count to restart?

Orlah for passionfruit planted as a living fence and for fruit

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

I planted a few passionfruit vines on my railings, with the intention both to use them as a privacy hedge and to eat their fruit. Do I need to wait 3 years for orlah to eat them under Ashkenazi halachic custom? They are thick and do effectively block the view from the street, which was our goal. They're in pots and have been planted at my apartment for almost 2 years now.

 

Do orlah laws apply to herbs halachically classified as trees?

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

(1) If oregano is considered a tree and therefore not involved in kilei zera'im, does orlah apply to it?

(2) How do I know which basil I have, annual or perennial (and thus if kilei zera'im applies or not)? (Follow-up question from Kilei zera'im in the home garden: status of thyme, basil, oregano, and strawberries).

(3) Lemon verbena is a tree on your list. Is this an orlah problem?

Orlah for grape leaves

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

I assume that grape leaves from my vine that is in its second year of orlah are allowed to be used.
Am I correct?

Tu BiShevat and orlah in and out of Israel

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

What is the connection between Tu BiShevat and Orlah? Is this rellevent if I live out of Eretz Israel?

Neta revay tree around Tu BiShevat

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

 What you need to do around Tu BiShevat (15 Shevat), if you have a tree now in its fourth year?

Meaning of orlah in Hebrew

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

What does orlah mean?

What to do with nascent or fully formed orlah fruit

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

Just this morning, we planted a garden in our new home (on Rechov Mekor Chayim in Jerusalem). We now have trees – apricot, peach, clementina, pomegranate – all beyond the four years, and a grape vine in its second year. If grapes do appear, what do we do with them?

Clipping buds of orlah trees

Dr. Motty Shomron, Agronomist

I just planted a mature avocado tree a few weeks ago and it just started flowering. Is now (Adar) a good time to clip the buds at this point to prevent orlah fruit from developing?