3,172. A Lone Tree Among the Rows

Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 5:25

Let’s say that an olive tree stands alone among the rows, with three rows of olive trees on three sides of it. A row for our purposes can be as few as two olive trees. If the owner forgets the lone olive tree in the middle, it’s not shich’cha because it was concealed by the rows. This halacha was only applied to olive trees because they were an important crop in Israel in Talmudic times.

Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 5:26

Shich’cha applies to a trellis when its owner has passed by enough that he can’t just reach out and take the grapes. In a vineyard, shich’cha applies when he has passed a vine or vines and forgotten them. When it comes to a vine draped over a pole or a palm tree, shich’cha applies once he has climbed down from it. Regarding other trees, shich’cha applies once the owner has turned and walked away from it. This is when he hasn’t yet started harvesting it; if he started harvesting it and then forgot it, it’s not shich’cha until he harvests everything around it.