How do I know which ma'aser year my fruit belongs to?
Question
Hello, I just signed up for the Beit HaOtzar . I have the following trees in our garden and Im not sure of when to say a bracha and when not to on the separation of Terumot and Maaserot: Lemons ( seem to have fruit on the tree most of the year) Pomelos Grapefruit Olive Leeche ( has flowers in Nissan and starts to show signs of tiny fruits in Iyar) Mango (same as the Leeche) Oranges - ripen late winter. Thank you so much for any assistance.
Answer
Short Answer:
All your fruits, except for lemons, belong to the ma’aser sheni year; separate with both berachot (on terumot and ma’aserot and on pidyon ma’aser sheni).
For lemons: until this Rosh Hashanah (5787), recite the first berachah but not the second, and say the text of pidyon ma’aser sheni without a berachah.
Expanded Answer:
To determine which ma’aser year applies to each fruit, it is important to understand how the ma'aser year is established.
Stage of Development: Chanatah
For most fruits, the ma’aser year is determined by the stage of chanatah—the beginning of the fruit’s development. This is when the fruit reaches approximately the size of an olive; for olives themselves, about one-third of their final size.
Cutoff Date: Tu BiShevat
The cutoff date for determining the ma’aser year is 15 Shevat, Tu BiShevat. Fruits that reach chanatah after Tu BiShevat belong to that year, while those that reach this stage before Tu BiShevat belong to the previous year.
For example, any grapefruit still hanging on your tree (if at all) now has reached chanatah well before Tu BiShevat, and therefore belongs to last year (5785), a ma'aser ani year.
In contrast, fruits that began developing after Tu BiShevat 5786 and before Tu BiShevat 5787 belong to the year 5786, a ma'aser sheni year.
Lemons – A Special Case
Lemons are subject to a halachic debate: whether they follow the status of regular fruits (based on chanatah) or the status of an etrog, whose ma’aser year is determined by the time of harvest, like vegetables.
In Practice:
Your pomelos, grapefruits, olives, lychees, mangoes, and oranges will have all reached chanatah between 15 Shevat 5786 and 15 Shevat 5787. Therefore, they belong to the year 5786.
For Lemons:
Due to the halachic uncertainty:
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Lemons harvested between 15 Shevat 5786 and Rosh Hashanah 5787:
Separate terumot u’ma’aserot with only the first berachah. Recite the text of pidyon ma’aser sheni without a berachah.
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Lemons harvested after Rosh Hashanah 5787:
They are treated as belonging to 5786, and you may separate with both berachot.