Checklist of separating Terumos Umaasros

Checklist of separating Terumos Umaasros

1. Verify the status of your produce from which you wish to separate Teruma and Maaser:

• Is the fruit Arala or Neta Rivaiy? If Arla, it may not be eaten.[1] If Neta Rivaiy, it may be eaten after it is redeemed[2] without needing to separate Terumos and Maasors.[3]
• Is the fruit obligated in Terumos/Maasros? Is it certain or a doubt? Did it grow in the Halachic borders of Eretz Yisrael? Was it grown by a gentile?[4] Was it possibly already tithed. In all cases that it is not for certain that it was grown by a Jew within the Halachic borders of Eretz Yisrael, or if it was but there is doubt as to whether it was already tithed, then the Terumos and Maasros are to be removed without a blessing.
• Does the fruit/vegetable belong to the Maaser Sheiyni year or Maaser Ani year?[5] In the 1^st, 2^nd 4^th  & 5^th years of the Shemita cycle, Maaser Sheni is given and Maaser Ani is not. In the 3^rd & 6^th year of the cycle, Maaser Ani is given and Maaser Sheni is not. Aside for knowing which year of Shemita one is in [vegetables follow the 1^st of Tishreiy while fruits follow the 15^th of Shevat], one must also know when the vegetable was picked, and when the fruit has blossomed to determine which Shemita year it belongs to. This is known as Onas Hamaasros. [If you are in doubt, or don’t know how to verify this, then simply separate both tithes of Maaser Sheiyni and Maaser Ani due to doubt, but without a blessing.]

2. The Nussach:[6]
   • The Nussach is printed in most Israeli siddurim and can be read from there. See our English Nussach brought below.
   • The short Nussach: In case of need [such as if he does not know the Nussach], it is also possible to suffice with cutting off a little more than 1% of the food and simply saying, “I want the Hafrashas Trumos and Maasros and redemption of Maaser Sheiyni to be done as it appears in the siddur.”[7] It is still necessary to put aside a coin for purposes of the Maaser Sheni even when saying the short Nussach, if the food belongs to the Maaser Sheiyni year.

3. Wet the fruit:[8]

• One is to wet the fruit so that he can burn/discard the Teruma [and be Podeh Maaser Sheiyni in Jerusalem[9]].

4. Min Hamukaf:

• The produce being tithed is to be in same room and near each other.

5. Cut off piece:

• First, we cut off a little more than 1% of the food that we want to fix. [i.e. 1 and ¼ apple for every 100 apples. This will contain the Truma Gedola and the Trumas Maaser that will have to be discarded as mentioned above.]
• If one is tithing more than one species of food, then it is necessary to cut off a bit more than 1% of each of the species. [i.e. more than 1% of all the carrots, and more than 1% of all the cucumbers]

6. Say Blessing:

• When the produce is certainly obligated in tithes, one says the following blessing. If there is doubt if it is obligated in tithes, such as perhaps it was already tithed, then no blessing is said and one skips to the next step.
• The blessing:[10] Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech Haolam Asher Kidishanu Bemitzvosav Vetzivanu Lehafrish Terumos Umaasros.
• Standing versus sitting:[11] The blessing may be said while sitting.

7. Designate the Teruma Gedola:[12]

• One designates the Teruma Gedola onto the excess of the 1% of the piece that we have cut off.
• The Nussach: One holds onto the cut piece and says: “The part of this separated piece on its northern side that is in excess of 1% of all the food should now become Teruma Gedola.”
• It makes no difference which side is designated [north or south], although the same side cannot be used for two different tithes, and that is why we designate different sides for each tithe.

8. Designate the Maaser Rishon:[13]

• This consists of both 1% of the food (the remainder of the piece that we have cut off) and 9% of the remaining food. [i.e. the one apple separated already and another 9 apples from the remaining 98.5 apples, if one started with a batch of 100 apples]
• The Nussach: One holds onto the cut piece and says: “This separated piece which is 1% of all the food, and another 9 quantities like it on the northern side of the remaining food should now become Maaser Rishon.” [Previously we spoke about the northern side of the separated cut off piece and now we mention the north side of the remaining food which will eventually be eaten.]

9. Designate the place of the Terumas Maaser:[14]

• This consists of the 1% piece that we have cut off, not including the excess of the 1% that was already designated as Teruma Gedola.
• The Nussach: One holds onto the cut piece and says: “This separated piece, which is 1% of all the food, that I have made Maaser Rishon should now become Terumas Maaser.”

10. Designate the Maaser Sheni or Maaser Ani:[15]

• Maaser Sheiyni: In the case of the Maaser Sheni, we say, “Let 10% of the remaining food on its southern side now become Maaser Sheni”
• Maaser Ani: In the case of the Maaser Ani, we say, “Let 10% of the remaining food on its southern side now become Maaser Ani.”
• Doubt: If one is uncertain which year the food is from [Ani or Sheiyni], then say the following: “If it is necessary to take off Maaser Sheiyni then let 10% of the remaining food on its southern side now become Maaser Sheni and if it is necessary to take off Maaser Ani then let it be Maaser Ani.”

11. Redeem the Maaser Sheiyni [in years that Maaser Sheiyni is removed]:[16]

• The redemption coin: Before redeeming the Maaser Sheiyni, have a coin designated for it to be redeemed on. Any currency coin may be used, although it may only be used for the amount of Peruta worth that it contains. The value of a Peruta fluctuates according to the price of silver, however on average for the last decade it has been at the 6 agurot range [i.e. 1.4 cents]. Thus, on a 5 Shekel coin one can redeem Maaser Sheiyni 83 times! Each time that one redeems Maaser Sheiyni on the coin one should mark it down. [As good advice, place the coin in an envelope and simply mark on the envelope each time that you do a redemption, so you keep count of how many redemptions remain.] When the coin gets full, one can transfer the Maaser Sheni in the coin to a single peruta coin [i.e. 5 cents, or 10 Agurot] and again reuse the original coin, and refill it. One is to discard the single Peruta coin that was used to redeem the original coin in a way that it will never be found. Alternatively, one can redeem the Maaser Sheiyni coin on a Peruta worth of sugar and then boil the sugar and spill it in the gutter.[17] According to the Chazon Ish, if the Maaser Sheni itself is worth less than a peruta, then a regular coin cannot be used and a peruta chamura (a coin that has had some Maaser Sheni already redeemed on it) is required. Other Poskim dispute this requirement. A peruta chamura can be obtained at various Hashgachos or you can become a member in a Keren Maasros (an organization that has in its possession a large number of these coins that it gives permission to its members to use).
• Blessing:[18] By definite Tevel one says the following blessing prior to redeeming the Maaser Sheiyuni: Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech Haolam Asher Kidishanu Bemitzvosav Vetzivanu Al Pidyon Maaser Sheiyni.
• The Nussach: Then say: “Let the Maaser Sheiyni and an additional fifth be redeemed on a peruta in the coin that I have set aside for this purpose.”

12. Discard in garbage after wrapping:

• After the above process is completed, one is to take the separated piece which has now become Terum and Terumas Maaser and wrap it in a bag and discard it in the trash. Some keep it aside and wait for it to rot, and only then discard it.

[1] See Michaber Y.D. 294

[2] Michaber Y.D. 294:6; Rambam Maaser Sheini Vineta Rivaiy 2:4

[3] Rambam Maaser Sheini Vineta Rivaiy 9:4

[4] See Michaber 331:3-5

[5] Michaber 331:19; 125-126

[6] Michaber 331:28

[7] Hakashrus 15:27

[8] Rama 331:19 and 135; Hakashrus 15:21

[9] Rama 331:135

[10] Michaber Y.D. 331:78

[11] Admur 8:2; Siddur Admur; Michaber 8:1

The reason: As all blessings said over Mitzvos must be recited in a standing position. [Admur 8:2; Beis Yosef 8 in name of Yerushalmi and Orchos Chaim Tzitzis 27; Haittur Zohar Tetzaveh brought in P”M 8 M”Z 1; M”B 8:2] The reason for this is because a blessing is considered similar to Avoda in the Mikdash. [Eshkol 83; Abudarham; Bach] This however is with exception for the blessings made over Shechitah and Challah, being that these two Mitzvos don’t hold the same weight as other commands, as they are done merely for the sake of being able to eat food. [Admur ibid; M”A 8:2]

[12] Michaber 331:19

[13] Michaber 331:19

[14] Michaber 331:20

[15] Michaber 331:19

[16] Michaber Y.D. 331:133-139

[17] See Michaber Y.D. 331:133; Sefer Eretz Yisrael 5; Kerem Tziyon Ozter Haterumos 41:15; Hatorah Veharetz p. 32

[18] Michaber Y.D. 331:137