An impure Kohen must not eat Terumah

Faith – אֱמוּנָה

• Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 513) teaches that restricting a Kohen from eating Terumah in impurity demonstrates trust in Hashem’s system of sanctity. Even if the food looks physically unchanged, faith requires us to respect spiritual realities.

Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה

• Rambam (Hilchot Terumot 7:5) rules that Terumah must only be eaten in purity, emphasizing that holiness is guarded through strict observance. This reflects the Torah’s insistence that sanctity be treated with reverence.

Purity – טָהֳרָה

• Talmud (Yevamot 74a) derives that impurity (tumah) disqualifies a Kohen from eating holy foods until he immerses and waits for sunset (herav shemesh). This highlights the centrality of purity in accessing holiness.

Priests – כֹּהֲנִים

• Rashi (Leviticus 22:4) clarifies that all Kohanim are subject to this restriction, no matter their rank. This preserves the elevated status of priesthood as conditional on purity.

Mikveh – מִקְוֶה

• The Kohen must immerse in a mikveh to begin purification. This links ritual immersion with restoring access to holiness, showing the transformative role of mikveh in Jewish law.

Justice – צֶדֶק

• By requiring Kohanim to eat Terumah only when pure, the Torah ensures fairness toward Hashem’s sanctified gifts. To consume them in impurity would desecrate what was set apart for holy use.

Community – קְהִלָּה

• The mitzvah maintains community respect for the Kohanim’s service. If they ate Terumah while impure, it would undermine their spiritual role and the people’s trust in them as guardians of holiness.

Agriculture – חַקְלָאוּת

• Since Terumah derives from produce, this mitzvah ensures agricultural gifts retain their sanctity until consumed in purity, elevating farming into an act of holiness.

Terumah / Ma’aser – תְּרוּמָה / מַעֲשֵׂר

• Rambam emphasizes that Terumah carries holiness equal to consecrated items. The mitzvah protects its sanctity by forbidding impure consumption, reinforcing the framework of agricultural separations.

Eretz Yisrael – אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל

• Like all Terumah laws, this prohibition is biblically binding in the Land of Israel (Kiddushin 38b–39a). It reflects the holiness of the land and its produce.

Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם

• This mitzvah is directly about honoring Hashem’s command. It is not interpersonal but about safeguarding His sanctity and showing reverence for His gifts.