Spring

Terumos and Ma’asros

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Published Spring 2002 | Updated August 2024

Eretz Yisroel has the unique privilege of being the recipient of the Ribono Shel Olam’s brachos throughout the year. Its agricultural industry continues to grow and flourish. Consumer products from Israel that are exported to the American marketplace include Jaffa oranges, grapefruits, pomelos, clementines, carrots, parsley, Carmel and canned tomatoes, peppers, candies, jams, jellies, olives and pickled products. Industrial products used for manufacturing include tomato sauce, tomato paste, orange oil, lemon oil and spices.

Besides for all the ingredients and processing concerns which confront the kosher consumer, additional kashrus requirements apply to foods grown, produced or imported from Israel. A consumer must be sure that terumos and ma’asros have been properly separated before eating, and that the fruits do not come from trees that are orla or neta revai or shemita.

What Are Terumos and Ma’asros?

Terumos (literally, separations) and ma’asros (literally, a tenth) were compulsory […]

Raising Cane: The Kashrus and Other Halachic Issues of Cane Sugar

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Published Summer 2009

It is noteworthy that in both Jewish and secular sources, the first recorded references to cane sugar are attributed to Jewish kings. In Shir HaShirim1, Shlomo Hamelech writes “Yaari Im Divshi,” “My forest with my honey.” Some commentators2 deem this to be referring to cane sugar and deduce that sugar canes are considered trees. Secular sources indicate that cane sugar was first used by man in Polynesia, and from there it spread to India. Darius of Persia invaded India, where he found “the reed which gives honey without bees”. Darius was the son of Achashveirosh and Esther[...] Read More