Terumah (offering)

A terumah (Hebrew: תְּרוּמָה), the priestly dues or heave offering, is a type of offering in Judaism. The word is generally used for offerings to God, but can also refer to gifts to a human.[1]

The word terumah refers to various types of offerings, but most commonly to terumah gedolah (תרומה גדולה, "great offering"), which must be separated from agricultural produce and given to a kohen (a priest of Aaron's lineage), who must eat it in a state of ritual purity. Those separating the terumah unto the priests during the time when the Temple stood were required, as a rule, to do so also in a state of ritual purity, as being unclean could render the terumah unfit for consumption.[2] Today, the terumah is separated and either burnt or discarded.

  1. ^ As in ish terumot, a "[judge] who loves gifts" (Proverbs 29:4; see Concordance).
  2. ^ Mishnah Tohorot 2:4 (commentaries).

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