Neta Revai

Q. What is “neta revai?”

A. The Torah (Vayikra 19:24) writes that, “In the fourth year (of the tree’s growth) the fruit shall be sanctified for praising Hashem.” Fruit that blossoms in the fourth year after Tu’bishvat until Tu’bishvat of the fifth year is known as neta rivai. Fruit that blossoms after Tu’bishvat of the fifth year is regular fruit. Chazal state that the neta revai (fruit of the fourth year) has the same sanctity as ma’aser sheini (second tithe). When the Temple stood, neta revai and ma’aser sheini could only be eaten inside the walls of Jerusalem, unless the fruit is redeemed. Today, because the coin must be discarded, one can redeem all the fruit on a single peruta (a small coin with a value of approximately 5 cents).

Shulchan Aruch (YD 294:7) rules that in Israel the laws of neta revai apply to all varieties of fruit trees, but there is a dispute as to whether neta revai applies outside of Israel. The Rema (ibid.) writes that outside of Israel neta revai only applies to vineyards. Because there is a dispute, Shach writes that fruit grown outside of Israel should be redeemed, but without a beracha. Aruch Hashulchan (YD 294:8) notes that neta revai does not generally apply to fruit grown by non-Jews.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.