Radish

Hebrew: צְנוֹן, tsenon
Family: Cruciferae (Brassicaceae)
Scientific name: Raphanus sativus

The radish is an edible annual vegetable with thick roots from the Cruciferae family. Like other plants from this family, oil can be extracted from its seeds for consumption or medicinal purposes. The radish contains various compounds, likely to protect the plant from pests. These compounds are stored in the plant’s cells. When exposed to oxygen, they break down releasing an unpleasant odor and taste.

Although not mentioned in the Scriptures, tsenon appears frequently in the Mishnah. The Sages note that one sign of the wealth of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi (Rabbi Judah the Prince) and Antoninus was that tsenon was never missing from their tables, in any season. Some scholars believe that radishes were eaten even earlier, growing wild and foraged. In the Mishnah, tsenon is classified as a field crop. Today, many wild varieties still resemble the cultivated radish in both look and taste. During the Mishnah period, people increasingly used plants for food and oil, including species like mustard. There is no doubt that the tsenon mentioned in the Mishnah is the same radish we know today.

Kilei zera’im & kilei hakerem (interplanting mixed species – annuals & grapevines): Radish is classified as a vegetable, so it should not be planted too close to other edible annuals or grapevines. The Mishnah notes that radish is a distinct species from nafuts, apparently another species from the Cruciferae family with an edible root.

Shabbat, terumot & ma’aserot (Sabbath, offerings & tithes): The edible section of the radish is its root. In light of this, if the plant is uprooted and reinserted into the ground, it may take root in the soil again. The Sages discussed the cases in which removing radish from the ground is considered uprooting vis-à-vis the laws of Shabbat and the obligation of terumot and ma’aserot in these cases. An additional implication is the obligation of the seeds, which are not eaten on their own, in terumot and ma’aserot.

Sharp foods: The radish is one of the plants classified as the Sages due to the compounds that impart a sharp taste and smell.