Q&A

Are plums and peaches in the same halachic category so it’s not an issue of kilayim? Or is it an issue? I’ve been saving peach pits and someone in my house added a plum pit to the container by accident. 

I have a compost heap. Naturally, seeds of various kinds also end up there together with the waste, unintentionally germinating.
Recently, pumpkin seeds sprouted there, and I decided to use the seedlings.
Is there a problem of kilei zera'im because there may be seeds of other kinds in the pile (which so far haven’t sprouted or at least haven’t grown to a noticeable size)?
Does it make a difference if I grow the pumpkin seedlings inside the heap or if I remove them and plant them in the garden?

What is the halachic status of hyssop (a.k.a. za'atar) vis-a-vis orlah?

Can I sell products containing wheat protein (like soluble soup mix) together with the chametz?

I saw an article discussing the  shemitah-year sanctity (kedushat shevi’it) regarding the aloe vera plant. However, I couldn’t find whether one must separate terumot and ma’asrot from aloe vera leaves if the contents of the leaves are used for consumption?
Thank you.

 Is it permissible to use an aloe vera plant to treat burns during shemitah? Do we have to ask permission from a neighbor to take a leaf? Once we use the leaf, do we put it in the pach shevi'it?

I don't really understand the nusach for separating terumot and ma'aserot - with the percentages, locations, etc. Does it matter?                              

Hello, is Carissa macrocarpa (Natal plum) considered a tree subject to the laws of orlah?

There is a cherry-picking festival taking place in Gush Etzion, and I’d like to go with a few friends. You can pick cherries, blueberries, and raspberries.

1. Is there a problem with orlah (is there supervision by the Gush Etzion rabbinate)?
2. If we pay upfront and it’s “all you can eat,” how can we eat the fruit without first taking terumot and ma’aserot, and at which point do we need to separate them? The same question regarding eating the fruit in the car on the way home.
3. I know there are guidelines about checking fruit for infestation (and that raspberries are very difficult to check). Do you have current information about infestation status?

This seems like such a nice event, and it is difficult for me to believe that in a place like Gush Etzion, where there are so many observant Jews, there would be a festival that would trip people up in eating tevel mide’oriyta.