More About Shemitah and Flowerpots

Q. May one plant seeds or plants outside in a flowerpot that has no hole during a Shemitah year?

A. Plants growing in flowerpots with holes are considered attached to the ground. Plants growing in flowerpots that do not have holes are viewed, from a Torah standpoint, as being detached from the ground according to most poskim. Still, regarding many Halachos, we find that Chazal were strict and have us view the flowerpot as though it is attached to the ground. For example, on Shabbos, one may not detach a plant that is growing in a flowerpot even if there is no hole (Shulchan Aruch OC 336:7). The Gemara (Shabbos 128a) writes that one must separate Teruma and Ma’aser (tithes) from produce that is grown in Israel in flowerpots, even if they have no holes (see also Rambam Hilchos Teruma 5:16). Does this apply to Hilchos Shemitah as well? The Radvaz (b. 1479; Hilchos Shemitah 1:6) writes that the halachos of Shemitah apply even to flowerpots without holes that are filled with dirt, and many poskim have ruled accordingly. The Chazon Ish (Sheviis 22:1) questions this stringency and points out that there is no direct source for this in the Gemara. Still, he agrees that since the earlier poskim have already ruled, and this has become the accepted custom, it is forbidden for us to be lenient. Therefore, during Shemitah, it is forbidden to plant outside in a flowerpot that is filled with dirt, even if it has no holes. (To be continued.)

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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.