Question:
I would like to purchase a fruit tree, so that I can eat the fruits immediately.
The growers sell trees with the “root-ball” intact (the tree’s roots, together with the dirt it grew in) in burlap sack.
1) If I plant this, do I still have to wait three years?
2) If I do not have to wait three years, what age plant must I buy to exempt me from Orlah and permit me to use the fruits immediately?
I live in Chutz LaAretz brooklyn, NY
Thank you
Answer:
As long as the tree could survive for a short time in this dirt, the orlah counting is not restarted. The tree must be three years old to exempt it from Orlah.
Sources:
see here, and here, and here for extensive sources
