Rosh Hashanah 15 - Etrog - a tree or a vegetable?

The etrog is similar to a tree in three ways, and it is similar to a vegetable in one way. The etrog is treated as a tree fruit for the laws of orlah: for the first three years, the fruit of any tree in Israel cannot be eaten or even used. For the laws of revai: in the fourth year, the fruit is taken to Jerusalem and eaten there. For the laws of shmita: the fruits of the seventh year are free for all.

However, the etrog is like a vegetable for the laws of tithing. That is, the tithing obligation begins at the moment when it is picked. That is because, as a vegetable, the etrog keeps absorbing water and uses it for growth all the time until it is harvested. This opinion is not unanimous, and there were different practices regarding the etrog. For Rabbi Akiva, this was a practical issue. Once, he separated the tithes two times, according to two different opinions. The Talmud discusses whose opinions these were and what did his actions mean.

Art: The lemon by Edouard Manet