Commentary for Terumot 3:6
הַמַּקְדִים תְּרוּמָה לַבִּכּוּרִים, מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן לַתְּרוּמָה, וּמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי לָרִאשׁוֹן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה עָשׂוּי. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב), מְלֵאָתְךָ וְדִמְעֲךָ לֹא תְאַחֵר:
If one sets aside <i>Terumah</i> before <i>Bikurim</i> [first-fruits that must be given to the priest], or <i>Ma'aser Rishon</i> [first tithe, which must be given to the Levite] before <i>Terumah</i>, or <i>Ma'aser Sheni</i> [second tithe, which must be eaten in Jerusalem] before <i>Ma'aser Rishon</i>, although he transgresses a negative commandment, that which he has done is done, for it is said: “You shall not delay your grain harvests and your grape harvests” (Exodus 22:28).
Bartenura on Mishnah Terumot
שנאמר מלאתך ודמעך לא תאחר – this is what he said: he though he is transgressing a negative commandment, as it states (Exodus 22:28): “You shall not put off the skimming of the first yield of your vats,” nevertheless, what he did is done, as "מלאתך" /”your fullness,” – these are the first fruits, that fill the early seed/first-ripening, and "דמעך"/”full bloom”/”best part” – these are the heave-offerings, and First Tithe has the Terumah of the tithe (i.e., given by the Levite to the Kohen), "לא תאחר"/”do not put off,” you should not change the order.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Terumot
Introduction
Below in mishnah seven we will learn that bikkurim, first fruits, should be taken from produce before one takes out the terumah. Today we learn that if one nevertheless gives the offerings in the wrong order, his actions are valid.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Terumot
He who gives terumah before first-fruits, or first tithe before terumah, or second tithe before first tithe, although he transgresses a negative commandment, that which he has done is done, for it is said: “You shall not delaying the skimming of the first yield of your vats” (Exodus 22:28). In all of these cases the person gives the agricultural offerings in the wrong order. He should have set aside first fruits while the fruits were still attached to the ground, but instead, what he did was first harvest them, then take out terumah and only afterwards set aside the bikkurim. Alternatively, he separated the tithes before the terumah or the second tithe before the first tithe. In all of these cases his actions are valid. One who took terumah out before the bikkurim has transgressed the negative commandment of delaying the giving of his first fruits, which is how this verse in Exodus is understood by the rabbis. However, despite the fact that this is a transgression, he still performed a valid act of separating terumah and he can eat the produce.
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