Ma'aser for Kislev papaya harvest
Question
I picked a papaya on 1 Kislev this year (5786). Do I need to separate ma'aser ani or ma'aser sheni?
Answer
Short answer / Dr. Mordechai Shomron, agronomist
There is a dispute among the posekim whether the papaya is considered a fruit tree or a vegetable. For this reason, say the conditional text: "if this year requires ma'aser sheni, it is ma'aser sheni, and if the year requires ma'aser ani, it is ma'aser ani." Then proceed to separate ma'aser sheni without a blessing.
Expanded answer / Rabbi Moshe Bloom
The ma'aser year for fruit it determined based on chanatah, fruit set, or the beginning of a fruits' formation, the determining date being 15 Shevat. That is, whichever fruit reaches chanatah between 15 Shevat 5785 and 15 Shevat 5786 will belong to the third year of the shemitah cycle, requiring ma'aser ani.
For vegetables, however, the ma'aser year follows harvest and the determining date is Rosh Hashanah, 1 Tishrei. Therefore, vegetables picked in Cheshvan 5786 belong to the fourth year of the shemitah cycle, requiring ma'aser sheni.
Most Ashkenazi posekim consider papaya a fruit, which mean it should follow the rules for chanatah and belong to the ma'aser ani year in Cheshvan 5786; while many Sephardi posekim classify it as a vegetable, obligating it in ma'aser sheni on this date. Since there is a halachic doubt, we want to cover all our bases.
This is where the conditional text comes in. Whether there is a practical doubt (was this potato kept in storage from last year, or was it harvested this year?) or a halachic doubt (is this a fruit or vegetable?), we use the conditional text.
We also need to redeem ma'aser sheni, just in case, but since we aren't certain that this is required, we can't say the berachah on its redemption. So we skip the berachah and proceed to the accompanying text.
Note that all of this is true for all plants whose status of fruit or vegetable is disputed, including: babaco, cranberry, gogi berry, goldenberry (ground cherry), monk fruit, and passionfruit.
For a side-by-side translation of the text for separating terumot and ma'aserot, click here.