Search results for: ""Maaser""

Teruma/Ma'aser: Bal Tashchit
Teruma that is separated and destroyed is not considered to be a violation of bal tashchit, since it is done to fulfill a commandment/mitzva.
Teruma/Ma'aser: When To Separate: Cooking Outside
Situation You cook, outside, fruit from a privately owned tree in Eretz Yisrael.
What To Do You must separate teruma and ma'aser if you bring the cooked fruit indoors.
Teruma/Ma'aser: When To Separate: Not on Shabbat
You may not separate teruma and ma'aser on Shabbat since it is “fixing” the food by making it usable.
Teruma/Ma'aser: Quantity: How Much Is Teruma Gedola
Teruma gedola is 1/50th of the total food. But today, since the cohen does not eat it, we remove a smaller amount.
Teruma/Ma'aser: Quantity: On How Much To Separate
Separate teruma and ma'aser on any amount of produce grown in Eretz Yisrael.
 
Teruma/Ma'aser: Ownership: What Is Hefkeir Produce
Halachically ownerless (hefkeir) fruit is fruit that will not be collected or picked by or for the owner, whether the fruit is:
  • Still on the tree or fallen on the ground.
  • Growing on public grounds or privately owned property.
 
Teruma/Ma'aser: Ownership: Separating Hefkeir Produce
“Ownerless” (hefkeir) fruit does not require having teruma and ma'aser separated even after it has been brought into your house.
Teruma/Ma'aser: Types of Plants: Herbs
Separate teruma and ma'aser on herbs grown in Eretz Yisrael.
Teruma/Ma'aser: Location: Grown in Eretz Yisrael
Teruma and ma'aser laws only apply to produce grown in Eretz Yisrael.
More on Teruma/Ma'aser
For more on teruma and ma'aser, including a short form of the text, see kashrus/kk-medi-terumos.htm" target="_blank">Star-K article
Buying Seforim To Pay Charity/Tzedaka
You may use tzedaka (ma'aser) money to buy seforim. Because the books then become public property, you must write in the books that they are ma'aser and anyone may use them. You may only do this if other people who are not in your family will also use them. 
Note You may only use tzedaka (ma'aser) money to buy seforim that are not commonly found in Jewish homes; you may not use this money to buy a siddur, chumash, or Talmud.
Introduction to Agriculture
All of the Jewish festival holidays had an agricultural element to them.
 
Agricultural laws include Kilayim, Orla, Reishit, Teruma/Ma'aser, Shmita, and Yashan, as well as special laws applying only to fruit trees. Some of these laws still apply today by Torah law (d'oraita) while others, such as First Fruits (bikurim), only apply when the Jerusalem Temple stands and so are not practiced now. Others are observed today as "practice" for when the Temple is rebuilt.
Charity at 10\% After Taxes
You must give 10\% of your net, after-tax income or received gifts of money to charity (ma'aser kesafim), by rabbinic enactment. For what is considered income, see Charity/Tzedaka: On What To Give.
Introduction to Firsts (Reishit)
Jews thank God for His blessings by giving Him the “first” (reishit) of various products (as well as a tenth/ma'aser of agricultural and other wealth). 
“First” applies to:
  • First-Born/Petter Rechem
    • First-born male children/petter rechem (redeemed with money; see Introduction to Pidyon HaBein).
    • First-born male kosher domestic animals (calf, lamb, kid)/petter rechem (in Temple times: sacrificed on altar; now, permanent holy status--see Selling Mother Animal before Birth of Petter Rechem.
    • First-born male donkeys/petter rechem chamor (redeemed with sheep/goat; holiness of both the donkey and the sheep or goat then disappears).
  • Dough/Challa
In Temple times, given to cohen; now, see When To Separate Challa (Hafrashat Challa).
  • First Fruits/Bikurim
In Temple times, the Jew (man or woman) brought the bikurim fruits to the area between altar and Temple building; only the man said the
  • First Shearing/Reishit HaGeiz
Portion of sheep's wool (reishit ha'geiz) (given to cohen).
Note All of the above have holy status except for the wool and the human petter rechem.
Charity to Non-Sectarian Causes
You may give small amounts of money or goods to a non-sectarian charity (hospital, school, etc., that is not affiliated with any religion other than Judaism) and it will count as part of your charity (ma'aser). You may give large amounts of money to non-sectarian charities, but you may not count it as part of your ma'aser.
Note  A small amount of money is whatever is common in your area as a minimal amount to give to a person or charity.