A hired worker or a Jewish bondsman of a Kohen must not eat Terumah

Faith – אֱמוּנָה

• Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 511) explains that restricting Terumah to true dependents of a Kohen reinforces faith that Hashem designates holiness, not human arrangements. Employment cannot override Divine boundaries.

Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה

• Rambam (Hilchot Terumot 6:2) teaches that a tenant or hired worker is excluded because their attachment is temporary. This ensures that the sanctity of Terumah remains with those permanently tied to the Kohen.

Purity – טָהֳרָה

• Talmud (Yevamot 66a) compares categories of dependents and stresses that only those within the Kohen’s true household may eat in purity. Excluding temporary workers preserves the sanctity of the food.

Priests – כֹּהֲנִים

• Rashi (Leviticus 22:10) highlights that Terumah is not a perk of employment but a holy inheritance given to the Kohanim and their families. This clarifies the priestly privilege and its limits.

Justice – צֶדֶק

• Allowing only rightful participants to eat Terumah ensures fairness. If hired hands could partake, the Kohen’s family could be deprived of their holy portion, violating justice.

Community – קְהִלָּה

• The mitzvah protects the integrity of the priestly system within the community. It reinforces that sanctified roles are not subject to negotiation or convenience.

Agriculture – חַקְלָאוּת

• As Terumah derives from produce, the mitzvah defines its boundaries of consumption. Agriculture here becomes not only about food but about rightful holiness.

Terumah / Ma’aser – תְּרוּמָה / מַעֲשֵׂר

• Rambam underscores that Terumah is distinct from ordinary wages or provisions. This mitzvah safeguards its unique role in the broader framework of sacred gifts.

Eretz Yisrael – אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל

• Like other tithes and portions, this mitzvah applies biblically in the Land of Israel, reinforcing its sanctity and the agricultural holiness tied to the land (Kiddushin 38b).

Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם

• The prohibition is a direct Divine command, reminding Israel that holiness is determined by Hashem. It is less about social dynamics and more about honoring His framework.