Today, is maaser sheni eaten or redeemed? What is the process?
Barry Epstein, Dallas, USA
It cannot be eaten for we are all Tamei and the Kedushah of Yerushalayim is lacking. It is redeemed on a Perutah, as any amount of Hekdesh
may be redeemed on a Perutah.
D. Zupnik
What happens to that perutah equivalent today that maaser sheni is redeemed on? Does one throw it away?
The coin cannot be thrown away in the garbage, as it has some degree of sanctity. Rather, it must be placed somewhere where no one will inadvertently use it, such as dropped into the ocean. (It can also be bent, such as with pliers, to ensure that no one uses it.) It can also be redeemed onto another, more valuable coin, which can be kept in a safe place, and on which all small amounts are redeemed (until the value of the larger coin is used up).
Y. Shaw