Picking Fruit - Terumot and Maasrot
Question
A large group of yeshiva boys is planning to go to a grape harvest in a vineyard in Israel. Each visitor pays about 20 NIS, receives a basket to fill with grapes and take home, and is also allowed by the owner to eat as many grapes as they want while picking in the vineyard. Under what conditions may they eat the grapes in the vineyard during the harvest without needing to separate terumot and maasrot at that time? (They understand that they will have to separate terumot and maasrot from the grapes they take home in the baskets, since that is definite tevel.) I am asking specifically about the halachic conditions for eating the grapes in the vineyard during the harvest without separating terumot and maasrot.
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
Since you need to pay in order to be allowed to eat the grapes, it is considered a mekach, which is kovea for maasrot. Therefore, you would need to separate terumot and maasrot with a brachah.
Wishing you well.
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