Orlah (First Three Years)

Orlah is the prohibition against eating the fruit of a tree in the first three years after it is planted. In the fourth year, the fruit is holy and must be eaten in Jerusalem, and only from the fifth year onward is the fruit permitted for ordinary use. This mitzvah applies to every fruit tree, whether in the Land of Israel or abroad, but its laws are more stringent in the Land. The counting of the years is tied to the Hebrew calendar, and the Tu Bishvat festival marks the new year for trees. Orlah teaches patience and faith: the farmer plants and tends the tree, but waits years before enjoying its fruit, dedicating its first yield to holiness.