Reviewing the laws of Shehechiyanu

Hi,

With Tu b'Shevat happening this coming Shabbat, and an associated custom of eating special fruit, here are some of the laws of Shehechiyanu:

One who sees a seasonal, newly available fruit, and feels great joy at seeing it, recites the berachah of Shehechiyanu; this should be done before reciting the berachah on eating the fruit.  Technically, one recites Shehechiyanu even when seeing someone else's fruit, but we generally recite the blessing only upon eating; this is when most people feel the greatest joy. One who eats many types of new fruit at the same sitting should recite one collective Shehechiyanu.

One does not recite Shehechiyanu on underripe fruit, even if it is somewhat edible. One does recite Shehechiyanu on cooked fruit.

Fruit which is available via import all year still warrants a Shehechiyanu when it begins to grow locally and one eats it for the first time, if the local fruit is fresher or better. Fruits which are available during two distinct times of the year, with a significant (at least one month) period of non-availability between them, warrant Shehechiyanu each time the fruit becomes available and its presence induces joy.

One should avoid reciting Shehechiyanu on fruit produced via a graft prohibited by the Torah. The berachah is not recited for items which receive a berachah of "borei pri ha'adamah". One whose personal joy is not that great should not recite Shehechiyanu.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 225:3, 6; Mishneh Berurah 225:11-12, 18; Aruch haShulchan 225:7, 12; Birkei Yosef 225:4; Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:87, 2:58, 3:34)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Tu b'Shevat is coming!

Hi,

Tu b'Shevat [celebrated on Shabbat January 25-26 this year] is the equivalent of the tax season's January 1, in the Jewish tithing calendar for Israeli produce: It is the first day of the financial year. Therefore, tree-fruit which blossoms before Tu b'Shevat is tithed as part of one tithing cycle, and tree-fruit which blossoms after Tu b'Shevat is tithed in a different cycle.

To celebrate this day, and to express gratitude for the edible fruit of our trees, many Jews eat fruit on Tu b'Shevat.

(Mishneh Berurah 131:31)

[How do the different tithing cycles work? I'm glad you asked:
Each year's produce is tithed differently. In all non-shemitah years, 2% goes to the Kohanim and 10% to the Levites, but in certain years another 10% is brought to Yerushalayim to be eaten there, and in other years that last 10% is given to the needy.
Also: one may not tithe one year's produce using another year's produce.
Aren't you glad you asked?]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tu b'Shevat

Hi,

Tu b'Shevat [celebrated on Shabbat January 29-30 this year] is the equivalent of the tax season's January 1, in the Jewish tithing calendar for Israeli produce: It is the first day of the financial year. Therefore, tree-fruit which blossoms before Tu b'Shevat is tithed as part of one tithing cycle, and tree-fruit which blossoms after Tu b'Shevat is tithed in a different cycle.

To celebrate this day, and to express gratitude for the edible fruit of our trees, many Jews eat fruit on Tu b'Shevat.

(Mishneh Berurah 131:31)

[How do the different tithing cycles work? I'm glad you asked:
Each year's produce is tithed differently. In all non-shemitah years, 2% goes to the Kohanim and 10% to the Levites, but in certain years another 10% is brought to Yerushalayim to be eaten there, and in other years that last 10% is given to the needy.
Also: one may not tithe one year's produce using another year's produce.
Aren't you glad you asked?]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tu b'Shevat

Hi,

Tu b'Shevat [celebrated on Monday February 9 this year] is the equivalent of January 1 in the Jewish tithing calendar for Israeli produce - it is the first day of the financial year. Therefore, tree-fruit which blossoms before Tu b'Shevat is tithed as part of one tithing cycle, and tree-fruit which blossoms after Tu b'Shevat is tithed in a different cycle.

To celebrate this day, and to express gratitude for the edible fruit of our trees, many Jews eat fruit on Tu b'Shevat.

(Mishneh Berurah 131:31)

[How do the different tithing cycles work? I'm glad you asked:
Each year's produce is tithed differently. In all non-shemitah years, 2% goes to the Kohanim and 10% to the Levites, but in certain years another 10% is brought to Yerushalayim to be eaten there, and in other years that last 10% is given to the needy.
Also: one may not tithe one year's produce using another year's produce.
Aren't you glad you asked?]

Have a great day,
Mordechai