3,241. Taking Too Much (or Too Little) Terumah

Terumos 3:5

If one takes more terumah than necessary, what he has separated is terumah so long as he has left some of the crop as regular produce. However, if he declares all of his produce to be terumah, his words are meaningless. If he intended to take 1/10 as terumah but he took 1/60, what he took is terumah (because if he had taken what he intended, this produce would have been included). However, if he intended to take 1/60 as terumah but he took 1/50, what he took isn’t terumah (because his actions didn’t match his intentions).

Terumos 3:6

If someone separates terumah and he happens to take 1/20 of the harvest, what he took is terumah. If it happened to be 1/60 (which is a valid terumah) and he subsequently added to it, intending the extra to be terumah, maaser must be taken from that surplus that he added (because the owner already fulfilled his obligation of terumah with the 1/60). The kohein must separate tithes, after which he can eat that surplus produce. If someone took terumah and it happened to be 1/61 of the harvest (just slightly too little), what he separated is terumah, but he must take more to complete the volume that he had intended to give. He may do so by measuring, weighing or counting (which is normally frowned upon). He should only take the additional terumah from the same area as the first batch.