Rabbi Ari Shvat
Question
Hi, Please explain how to perform biur for shmittah kedushat shviit fruits at their period of biur as found on the internet chart. Please also explain step by step how to take all required trumot, maasrot, etc. for all fruit. Is this also required for spices that come from plants such as lemon verbena (louisa), cloves, etc. Thank you!
Answer
Congratulations on your new mitzvot! 1. Bi’ur is done only if they hav kdushat shmitta (home-grown or otzar beit din) before those dates, by taking them out of the house, and renouncing your ownership (making them hefker) before 3 people (not relatives). You (or others) can then bring them into your homes. 2. The easiest way to take trumot and ma’asrot is to contact the Machon HaTorah v’HaAretz at: 08-684-7325, and for a nominal fee, they do most of the work for you. Then each time you bring the produce into your home, just remove a little more than 1% of each type that you wish to tithe, and recite the bracha (only if it was homegrown, for almost all of the marketed produce has been already tithed) and wording found in every Israeli siddur (usually located right after shacharit). Then you take that “little more than 1%” and either leave it outside, or wrap it in a bag and then it can be disposed of in the garbage. 3. Spices which are actually eaten (like cloves, basilica) need to be tithed (with a bracha if grown outdoors, and if inside, than without a bracha), but if they are just used for making tea (like Loisa) and then removed, most opinions exempt them.
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