Cohn, Jacob. The Royal Table - VWC: Faculty/Staff Web

114 THE ROYAL TABLE
of a small portion of the harvest given to the priest, which
he must eat only when both he and the grain are ritually
or other
clean, that is, undefiled by contact with a corpse
unclean thing. Should terumah become ritually unclean it
must be burned. 17 Inasmuch as no priest can achieve
ritual cleanliness nowadays, since the cleansing process re-
quires the ash of the red heifer which is unavailable since
the destruction of the Temple, it is customary to destroy
terumah. In order to minimize wanton destruction only
the minutest portion is separated, although in Temple times
the quantity given varied from a sixtieth to a fortieth of
the crop, depending on the generosity of the donor. 18 The
next gift is the tithe, known as ma'aser, which must not be
given by mere estimation, but must constitute a measured
tenth of the produce. 19 From this tenth the Levite in
turn gives a tithe to the priest. This gift is known as
terumah of the ma'aser. 20 A second tithe is also separated,
but its disposal is not always the same. The first two
years after the Sabbatical year this tithe is taken to Jerusalem
and enjoyed there by the fanner, his family, and
whomever he may wish to remember. When the journey
is a rough one and it is difficult to transport the produce
it can be redeemed for money and the corresponding sum
spent in Jerusalem. The third year this tithe should not
be used by the producer but should be distributed among
the poor. 21 The next three years the same procedure is
carried out for two years the second-tithe is eaten in
Jerusalem, and on the third year the poor-tithe is given.
17 Numbers XVIH 12; Mishnah Terumoth I; Y. D. 331.
18 Y. D. ibid.
w Numbers XVIH 36; Mishnah Aboth I, 16; Mishnah Terumoth
IV, 5.
80 Numbers ibid.
* Deut XIV 22-26.