Permissible Cases of Cutting Down a Fruit Tree
Greater Value
20. The Torah only forbade cutting down a fruit tree in a destructive, wasteful manner. If, however, it is for a specific purpose which is much more valuable than the fruits are currently worth (ברכת השם סי' א' אות ל''ט), one may cut down the tree (גמ' ב''ק דף צ''א ע''ב, רמב''ם פ''ו מלכים). See below (33) regarding sakanah.
21. Needs the wood. Thus, if a tree’s wood is more valuable than its fruits, e.g., it can be used in construction (רש''י שם, שו''ת ערוגת הבשם יו''ד סי' קי''ט), sold, used as fuel, or used for other purposes, one may cut down the tree (רמב''ם, ס' ברכת השם סי' א' מקה''ב אות פ''ה).
22. Current need. If the fruits are technically worth more than the wood, but at the moment, one has a great need for the wood and it is more valuable to him for this purpose, e.g., he is cold and needs wood to make a fire for warmth and has no other wood at the moment, the poskim argue whether the “greater value” heter applies. Some say the wood is considered to have greater value and he can cut down the tree (רש''י שם כפשוטו ועוד ראשונים, רמב''ן עה''ת, שו''ת מהר''י באסאן תשו' ק''א, שו''ת השיב משה יו''ד סי' ל''ז).
23. Others say it is assur to cut it down since the wood is only worth more to him at the present moment, whereas for this heter, the wood must always be worth more to him (רמב''ם פ''ו מלכים, כס''מ ולח''מ שם ה''ט, שו''ת בית יצחק יו''ד סי' קמ''ב אות ד').
Damaging Other Trees
24. Sometimes, a tree’s presence weakens the earth, thereby harming other, better trees (רמב''ם פ''ו מלכים ה''ח); a tree’s shade ruins plants underneath it (שו''ת אבני צדק סי' מ''ב); or many trees crowded together cause too much of a burden on the earth, and the trees are not properly producing fruit (שו''ת מהרש''ם ח''ז סי' קע''ח). In these cases, one may cut down the harmful tree(s). If other trees are being harmed, why should these trees be more important (שו''ת משיב דבר ח''ב סי' נ''ו)?
Damaging Other Things
25. Many poskim hold that even if a tree is harming something other than another tree, one may cut down the tree. Some examples: a tree’s roots are damaging a house’s foundation (שו''ת הרשב''א ח''ז סי' תק''י); one is irritated by the many flies a tree’s presence is attracting (שו''ת חקרי לב מה''ת יו''ד סי' י''א); or a tree is preventing light from entering a window. If one is able to cut only the branches in the way, that is preferable (שו''ת חות יאיר סי' קצ''ה).
Damaging Kevarim
26. Sometimes, there is a fruit tree near a kever and its roots are entering the kever, causing damage to the gravestone and the actual kever. The poskim offer some reasons to allow cutting away the roots or the tree to save the kever: it is a mitzvah purpose (below, 29); it might be assur to benefit from the fruits since they grew by a kever (רמ''א יו''ד סי' שס''ח ס''א), in which case there is no issur to destroy them (דעת משה דפוס חדש סי' ל''ז); and other reasons (שו''ת שבט הלוי ח''ב סי' ר''ח, שו''ת חוקי חיים ח''ב בכתב''י).
Needs the Space
27. One may cut down a fruit tree if he needs the area to be clear (רא''ש פ' החובל סע' ט''ו, רבינו ירוחם מישרים ח''ב נתיב ל''ב) or to build a house there (ט''ז יו''ד סי' קט''ז ס''ו, כנה''ג יו''ד שם, שו''ע הרב הל' שמירת הגוה''נ, שו''ת בנין ציון סי' ס''א, שו''ת חת''ס יו''ד סי' ק''ב) if that is a great need that is more valuable than the tree to most people.
28. Somewhat of a need. Some poskim say that if one wants the extra space, e.g., for improved aesthetics or light or as a place to stroll, although it is not a true need, he may cut down the tree since many people would spend money on this extra benefit (שו''ת מהר''י באסן סי' ק''א, שו''ת חיים שאל סי' כ''ב ד''ה אמנם). However, others are machmir (שו''ת חו''י סי' קצ''ה, שו''ת בית יצחק יו''ד סי' קמ''ב).
Mitzvah Purpose
29. One may cut down a tree for a mitzvah purpose if there is no other way to fulfill the mitzvah. If there is a heter for greater value, all the more so for a mitzvah, which is priceless. Some examples: to expand a shul (שו''ת שאילת יעב''ץ ח''א סי' ע''ו, גידולי טהרה סי' כ''ט הובא בדרכ''ת סי' קט''ז סקנ''ד) or build a mikvah, which is also a public need (שו''ת דברי חיים ח''ב יו''ד סי' נ''ז).
30. Branches over a sukkah. If a tree’s branches are making a sukkah posul, the poskim allow cutting them to fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah (שו''ת ויעתר יצחק סי' ס''ד), particularly if he is only cutting off some branches, which is subject to a machlokes whether it is part of the issur in the first place (above, 16-17).
Old Tree
31. One may cut down an old fruit tree that does not produce a lot and is not worth the effort to maintain it (רמב''ם פ''ו מלכים ה''ט). It is no longer called a fruit tree as it does not grow a proper amount of fruit. It has the status of a non-fruit-bearing tree (ברכת השם סי' א' מקוה''ב אות קמ''ז).
32. Amount. Chazal determined what is considered a small enough amount that is not worth the effort: For an olive tree, less than a quarter kav of olives (ב''ק פ''א :); for a date palm, less than a kav of dates per year more than the expenses (שיטמ''ק). One may not cut down a grapevine that produces any amount of grapes due to its importance (רא''ש שם). Regarding other trees, some say it depends on their importance (רא''ש ויש''ש שם); others say we use the figure for a date palm – a kav per year (הג' מהרש''ם שם בשם פיה''מ פ''ד שביעית, תפא''י שם).
