How To Separate Trumot & Ma'asrot

Today I had a bunch of produce to take truma and ma'aser from. The produce included some limes which I knew for sure had not had t&m taken, and a bunch of vegetables that I didn't ask about, so I considered safek.

There are a handful of guides online, and in siddurim, but for one reason or another I found them all confusing. However, I think I managed to put it all together, and so here is what I did. I believe this can serve as a useful guide since I had a few different cases in front of me.

Step 1

Figure out which period you are in, in terms of ma'aser ani vs. ma'aser sheni. Rosh Hashana 2007 was a shmita year, which means that RH 2008 was year 1, RH 2009 was year 2, and last RH started year 3.

BUT:

Fruits and veggies have different Rosh Hashanot when it comes to maaser. Veggies (and grains, and all other non-fruit produce) start on RH whereas fruit start on Tu B'shvat.

THEREFORE:

Fruits and veggies picked before RH 2010 were both subject to Ma'aser Sheni. Between RH 2010 and Tu B'shvat 2011, veggies were subject to Ma'aser Ani and fruits were still subject to Ma'aser Sheni. Anything picked between Tu B'shvat 2011 and RH 2011 is subject to Ma'aser Ani. From RH 2011 until Tu B'shvat 2012, fruits will be subject to Ma'aser Ani but veggies will be subject to Ma'aser Sheni.

Comprende?

Step 2

For each produce type, cut off more than 1%. This part will end up getting disposed of while the rest will be yours for the eating. I will explain how.

Step 3

Decide which stuff gets a bracha, if any. In my case, I knew the limes didn't have t&m taken, so they got a bracha, while the rest of the stuff didn't because I simply forgot to ask.

Step 4

Decide if you are going to make one declaration for all your stuff together. My siddur had the optional text of כל מין במינו, so what I did was first I made a bracha and declaration just on the limes, then I made NO bracha and did a declaration on all my remaining food types, including the כל מין במינו phrase.

Step 5

After the bracha/no bracha read the first part of the text in front of you. This first part refers to the part of the cut piece that exceeds 1%. Let's say you cut off 6%. You are saying that the 5% extra is Truma Gedola.

Step 6

Now read the second line. What you are saying here is that the part of the cut piece that equals 1%, plus 9% of the uncut produce (which you are gonna eat) equals 10%, and that is Ma'aser Rishon.

This confused me until I realized that today we're allowed to eat Ma'aser Rishon, we don't have to dispose of it. That's why you don't actually cut off the 9%, you just designate it verbally.

Step 7

Now read the third line. Here you are saying that the 1% in the cut portion is Trumat Ma'aser. That you CAN'T eat, which is fine because it is in the piece you are disposing of anyway.

Step 8

This last part depends on the date. In my case, everything was subject to Ma'aser Ani, so in both the lime batch and the second veggie batch I read the Ma'aser Ani line. In it, you designate a portion of your uncut produce. But you're allowed to eat it because of a loophole that we are all considered poor.

Step 9 (Ma'aser Sheni only)

If you have anything that needs Ma'aser Sheni, you read two lines. Line 1 designates a portion of your uncut produce as Ma'aser Sheni. Line 2 takes the kedusha off of it and puts it on a coin (a 50 shekel coin is good for Israel). If you know for sure that your stuff needs Ma'aser Sheni, make the Ma'aser Sheni bracha. If not, not.

I don't know if this explanation is any less confusing that the ones I read. My main sources of confusion were how to figure out which foods need which Ma'aser and when, and also why I was reading about setting aside 9% for Ma'aser Rishon and another 10% for Ma'aser Sheni/Ani but then I was allowed to eat it. I hope I cleared that up.