Update: Today through Purim, all donations to Sefaria will be matched 1:1! Help Sefaria prepare for more users and meet your learning needs this holiday, and year-round.   
×
Terumah is the tithe, or heave offering, taken from produce grown in the land of Israel and given to the kohanim, or priests.
Notable Sources
All Sources
A
Validating Terumah from a Cistern
MISHNAH
The conditions under which terumah taken from a cistern is considered valid are crucial for maintaining ritual purity and proper religious practice. The Mishnah, a foundational text of Jewish oral law from around 200 CE, provides detailed rulings on the safety and purity of terumah, including the opinions of Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Yose.
The Priest's Wife and Religious Purity
TALMUD
The dilemma of whether a priest's wife who claims she is defiled can partake of teruma highlights the tension between religious purity and preventing rumors about the priest's children. The Talmudic debate in tractate Nedarim explores the conflicting views of Rav Sheshet and Rava on this issue.
The Stringency of Terumah
MISHNAH
Jewish law imposes some greater stringencies on terumah than on sacrifices, especially regarding the trustworthiness of an unlearned person in maintaining its purity. The Mishnah in tractate Chagigah discusses the differences between the laws pertaining to sacrifices and terumah.
The Cost of Impurity
TOSEFTA
A non-priest who eats terumah must compensate the priest from whom they took it, even if that terumah was unusable due to ritual impurity. The Tosefta, a late 2nd-century compilation of Jewish oral law, delves into the intricacies of terumah, including the restitution required for consuming it after it has become impure.
Divine Approval of Tithing
MIDRASH
The Israelites' decision to continue giving tithes after their return from Babylon, while not technically required, was divinely approved. The Midrash Tanchuma, a collection of homiletic teachings from the early medieval period, recounts this pivotal moment in Jewish history.
Maintaining Ritual Purity
TALMUD
There are specific requirements for ritual purity related to handling and consuming terumah. The Talmudic tractate Chagigah details the levels of hand washing and immersion required for consuming various types of food and for handling purification waters.
Terumah and Tithes in the Diaspora
TALMUD
The commandment to take terumah from produce is relevant only within the land of Israel, but some tithing practices were maintained in the diaspora as well. The Jerusalem Talmud explores the complexities and leniencies of these practices, highlighting differing rabbinic opinions and historical contexts.
Eating Terumah Before Complete Atonement
COMMENTARY
Even though terumah is forbidden to the ritually impure, a priest undergoing the ritual rehabilitation process may eat terumah even before completing the final atonement sacrifice. Rashbam, a medieval French Torah commentator, provides a detailed account of Talmudic discussions on ritual purity in his commentary on the book of Leviticus.
Timing of Terumah and Tithes
TALMUD
The timing of separating terumah and tithes is crucial, especially around Rosh HaShana, to ensure proper fulfillment of this mitzvah. The Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah explains the significance of the first of Tishrei as the new year for vegetables, tithes, and vows, emphasizing the importance of not mixing produce from different harvest years.
Synagogue Donation Recorder (used to note donations from those called to the Torah on the Sabbath), Printer: M. Cohen, United States 1913, Purchase: Phil and Norma Fine Foundation Fund. The Jewish Museum, New York.
Synagogue Donation Recorder (used to note donations from those called to the Torah on the Sabbath), Printer: M. Cohen, United States 1913, Purchase: Phil and Norma Fine Foundation Fund. The Jewish Museum, New York.
We use cookies to give you the best experience possible on our site. Click OK to continue using Sefaria. Learn More.OKאנחנו משתמשים ב"עוגיות" כדי לתת למשתמשים את חוויית השימוש הטובה ביותר.קראו עוד בנושאלחצו כאן לאישור