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Herbs growing on a covered balcony

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Question

I have herbs growing in my covered balcony. Do they have kedushat shevi'it? What about terumot and ma'aserot?

Answer

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

If you are growing herbs indoors or on a covered balcony (this is considered indoors too), they do not have kedushat shevi'it and are subject to terumot and ma'aserot. HOWEVER, since the obligation to take terumot and ma'aserot from produce grown indoors is a dispute, as is the obligation to take terumot and ma'aserot from herbs, we separate the terumot and ma'aserot without a brachah (all years). Since during the shemitah year, it is a dispute which kind of ma'aser (sheni or ani) should be separated, say the conditional text (if it is a ma'aser sheni year, it is ma'aser sheni, if it is a ma'aser ani year, it is ma'aser ani) and transfer sanctity to a coin without a brachah.