Hydroponics and Shmitah

Large scale hydroponics and Shmitah

Source:  mi yodea https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/61611/large-scale-hydroponics-and-shmita

The gemara in Nedarim 59 (among many other places) discusses the concept of shmita produce and plants grown from them retaining their status when the original "seed" isn't destroyed when planted. In discussing this point, it brings down that the kedusha of shmita is caused by the land itself. This would imply that objects "not grown in the land itself" would not have shmita upon them even IF they were "grown in Israel.”

Nominally, this would exclude things like hydroponics or pot grown vegetables.

However, we also have a halacha that a large enough vessel is considered equivalent to the ground itself, as it comprises an immovable object. As such, a date tree (say) grown in a sufficiently large planter WOULD, in fact, have all the requirements of shmita.

Given that there are concerns in general with hydroponics and their status re: making a bracha, would the "large container" concern still apply to render such produce kodesh lishmita?

• Source for " a halacha that a large enough vessel is considered equivalent to the ground itself, as it comprises an immovable object", please. And even more for "As such, a date tree (say) grown in a sufficiently large planter WOULD, in fact, have all the requirements of shmita". – Danny Schoemann
  Jul 29 '15 at 11:33
  
  
  @DannySchoemann For the clearest example, look in Kelim for examples of that principal - large enough kelim are considered land, and therefore are not mekabel tumah (much like a house not being mekabel tumah except for tzara'as habayis). Conversely, a TREE planted in a closed pot is STILL considered connected to the ground (Rambam Ma'aser Sheni 10:8, S"A Y"D 296:26) as it will eventually grow through the pot wall. There are also discussions around hothouse planting during shmita that I haven't gotten into here. – Isaac Kotlicky
  Jul 29 '15 at 19:27
  
  
  "large enough kelim are considered land, and therefore are not mekabel tumah" would need a source. "Certain large vessels are not mekabel tumah as they are not able to be carried and therefore not like a Sack" is the classic explanation. See keilim 10:1 כֵּלִים גְּדוֹלִים הַבָּאִים בְּמִדָּה שֶׁמַּחֲזִיקִים אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה בְלַח שֶׁהֵן כּוֹרַיִם בְּיָבֵשׁ, דְּלֹא מְקַבְּלֵי טֻמְאָה, דְּבָעִינַן דּוּמְיָא דְשַׂק שֶׁמִּטַּלְטֵל מָלֵא וְרֵיקָן, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהֵן גְּדוֹלִים כָּל כָּךְ אֵין מִטַּלְטְלִים מְלֵאִים – Danny Schoemann
  Jul 30 '15 at 10:51
  
  
  As to your Rambam - it says הַנּוֹטֵעַ בְּעָצִיץ שֶׁאֵינוֹ נָקוּב חַיָּב בְּעָרְלָה. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְּאֶרֶץ לִזְרָעִים הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאֶרֶץ לְאִילָנוֹת - so sometimes it's not like the ground. Since you're discussing produce, the שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְּאֶרֶץ לִזְרָעִים would be more relevant. – Danny Schoemann
  Jul 30 '15 at 10:54
  
  
  As to hothouse planting - that depends on whether a hot house is a house (allowed) or just a covered field. That's how Rav D.A. Morgenstern explained how Rav Elyashiv explained it, IIRC. – Danny Schoemann
  

Hydroponics – Allowed on Seventh Year?

Would hydroponics be allowed in Israel on the seventh year, when there are additional restrictions on farming the land?

Yes they are allowed.

Due to the special status of Eretz Yisroel, generally, vegetables grown there must have ma’asros, tithes, separated. However, if the AeroGarden kit is used to grow vegetables in Eretz Yisroel, ma’asros need not be separated from the vegetables. This is because hydroponically-grown vegetables are free from the obligation to separate ma’asros.11 In addition, they may be grown during the Sabbatical year of Shmitta.12

Source: http://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/1121/hydroponics/

What bracha should be made on hydroponics/aeroponics?

Hydroponics is a method of growing food (mainly vegetables) with their roots in water, not soil. Aeroponics is when it is grown in air, with the roots being sprayed.

What bracha should be made on food grown in these ways?

Normally, vegetables get the bracha of borei pri ha'adamah -- "Who creates the fruit of the ground". But here, it's not grown from the ground -- it's in water/air. In that case, perhaps it should be shehakol, a “catch-all".

It's actually a machloket haposkim (argument among the decisors), with the point of contention exactly that raised in the question.

From the CRC:

Some (Chayei Adam 51:17 & Nishmas Adam 152:1, Yechaveh Da’as 6:12, and Machzeh Eliyahu 25-29) hold that the bracha is shehakol because the wording of the bracha “Boruch…who creates the fruit of the earth” (borei pri ha’adamah) is inappropriate for items that grow unattached to the firmament or that grow in a non-earthlike media (e.g. water, coconut coir). Rav Schwartz ruled that one should follow this opinion.

Others argue that the bracha of borei pri ha’adamah was instituted for all vegetables regardless of exactly how they grew. This is the opinion of Chazon Ish, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Vezos HaBracha, Birur Halacha #24), Shevet HaLevi (1:205), Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 2:149, and Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky (Kovetz Halachos, Pesach 24:6).

The Star-K paskens according to the first opinion, that it is shehakol, but adds a caveat:

Still, unless one knows definitively that the produce was grown hydroponically, one should assume it was earth-grown and recite Hoadama (Yechaveh Da'as 6:12).

“ […] could not find anything that specifically addresses aeroponics, but it seems to me to that it should have the same halacha as hydroponics."