3,246. The Minimum Volume of Terumas Maaser

Terumos 3:15

If a Yisroel tells a Levi, “My father said, ‘I have maaser for you,’” we’re not concerned that the maaser might include terumas maaser. Rather, we assume that the father took the terumas maaser, therefore instructing his son to give all the maaser to a Levi. However, if the Yisroel tells the Levi, “My father said, ‘I have a kor (a certain measure of volume) of maaser for you,’” then we are concerned that the maaser may include terumas maaser.

Terumos 3:16

If terumas maaser is an eighth of an eighth of a log in volume (several spoonfuls), the owner must deliver it to a kohein; if it’s less than that, we don’t trouble him to do so. Rather, he can just throw such a small volume in the fire and burn it. When it comes to wine and oil, however, even the smallest volume must be brought to a kohein so long as it is definitely terumas maaser and ritually clean. If it was ritually unclean or from doubtfully tithed produce (demai), then he need not trouble himself for less than the minimum measure and he may burn it.