CLD #769

In Masechet Terumot in mishnayot, the mishnah explains a law regarding Terumah. Terumah is the portion or percentage an individual takes from their produce that they must give to the Kohen (priest tribe) according to the Torah. Our Hachamim taught that it is 2% of the entire produce. There are certain restrictions regarding the consumption of this 2%, or Terumah.

For example, if an individual who is not a Kohen benefits in anyway (including eating) from the Terumah, they are liable the punishment of karet (which is a form of cutting off the individual from the Jewish nation). Therefore, if an amount of Terumah is mixed with regular food, there are cases where the food is also considered forbidden to certain individuals who are not allowed to benefit from Terumah (mostly people who are not Kohanim).

The Mishnah in Terumot 10:7 explains that if olives that were placed aside as Terumah and put in brine with olives that aren’t terumah (called hulin), sometimes the entire can is forbidden to non-Kohanim (zarim). The olives are forbidden to everyone only if the Terumah olives were crushed and the Hulin olives were whole. The commentator on the Mishnah, Rav Ovadia MeBartenura, explains that the whole olives which are Hulin ARE STILL ALLOWED even if they are mixed with Terumah only because they are whole!

What does this teach us? Besides for the human nature and will to be whole and complete with ourselves and at a point of serenity and happiness, we are only truly successful when we reach a point of wholeness. How do we reach this wholeness? Only through the power of following Torah and Mitzvot, as David HaMelech wrote in the worldwide famous Tehillim The law of Hashem is perefect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Hashem is faithful, making the simple one wise (Tehillim 19:8), translation: chabad.org. 

Another wonder from this Mishnah is the fact that whenever we are in a state of being forced to mix with others, we can always stick to our Jewish roots by holding onto this wholeness, because when you are at a balanced state of mind from the power of the Torah only success will befall you! When you are honest with yourself to say “I believe in Hashem, I believe in the Torah,” you become untouchable.

Judaism=Think.

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