The Stem of the Pitom
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Question
Is the stem of the pitom on an etrog considered part of the upper third of the etrog concerning 'black' and 'brown' spots, or if the entire third is clean and the stem is slightly affected, is it acceptable? And what is the source for this?
Answer
Hello,
In the rulings of the poskim, it is explained that the 'dad', the upright part of the pitom, is not considered part of the upper third. It does not have a defect of lacking or change of appearance.
However, some differentiate between a 'woody pitom', meaning a branch made of wood, which is not considered defective, and a 'fleshy pitom', made of the same material as the flesh of the etrog, which is considered defective like the flesh of the etrog itself.
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