Question:
- In the garden there is a banana shrub that has very small bananas growing. Rats and mice are attracted to the fruit causing discomfort and worry of disease. Is there an issur of bal tashchis on such a shrub. What about orlah?
- A door that goes all the way up to a high ceiling, and I put the mezuzah in the shlish ha’elyon it will be unnoticable and beyond the shoulder and beyond neshika. Where is the correct place to put the MEZUZAH ??
Answer:
- Regarding bal tashchis, if possible try to get rid of the rodents in some other way. If it doesn’t work , please get back to me.
Regarding orlah, although it is controversial if it is considered a tree or not, regarding orlah the minhag is to be lenient, especially in chutz la’aretz where the halacha is that whenever we have doubt if something is orlah we are lenient. Even in Eretz Yisroel the minhag is not to consider bananas a tree for orlah.
- If the doorway is tall the mezuzah should be put at shoulder height.
Sources:
- Orlah- Birkas Hashem 7- 4 and ftnt. 14. There are many reasons not to consider a bananas plant a tree. Its branches and truck do not last more than a year, and although there are rishinim that argue, the halacha and minhag is like these rishonim.
- Y:D 289, Taz 3, Shach- 4.
