Q&A

Loquat and almond trees bloom early, some before Tu BiShevat, and some afterwards. How do I take teruma and ma’aser  from these fruit?

Fruit brought into the house through the window is not subject to the obligation of separating teruma and ma’aser. I live in a private house, though, and the fruit first goes into my yard and only after that is brought through the window. Is the fruit still exempt from teruma and ma’aser in this case, too?

Is taking challah considered a mitzva tied to the Land of Israel? Is there a list of such mitzvot? Can you give me several examples?

I grow several vegetables in my garden such as string beans, peas, and potatoes. Sometimes I take all or some of the seeds to plant the next round of crops in my garden.

1) Am I supposed to take ma’aser from the seeds before planting, or does ma’aser only apply to edible produce?

2) If there is an obligation of taking ma’aser at this point, do I need to take ma’aser from seeds I buy at a nursery?

If I buy grapes or olives from which terumot and ma’aserot were taken, and then use them to make wine or olive oil, do I need to take terumot and ma’aserot again (at the completion of the process, gemar melacha)?

Do I need to take ma’aserot from the mint growing in my garden that I use to make tea?

Which poskim are lenient about eating herbs grown in planters without first taking terumot and ma’aserot?

I grow herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.) and use them as seasoning. We actually eat them; they don’t only provide a flavor. How am I supposed to go about taking terumot and ma’aserot from them? Each time I pick a small bunch of leaves, so I would set aside less than a leaf? For example: how much am I supposed to take from the 2-3 basil leaves that I add to the spaghetti sauce?