Tithes in Judaism

The tithe is specifically mentioned in the Books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The tithe system was organized in a seven-year cycle, the seventh-year corresponding to the ''Shemittah''-cycle in which year tithes were broken-off, and in every third and sixth-year of this cycle the second tithe replaced with the poor man's tithe. These tithes were akin to taxes for the people of Israel and were mandatory, not optional giving. This tithe was distributed locally "within thy gates" () to support the Levites and assist the poor. Every year, '' Bikkurim'', ''terumah'', ''ma'aser rishon'' and ''terumat ma'aser'' were separated from the grain, wine and oil (). Initially, the commandment to separate tithes from one's produce only applied when the entire nation of Israel had settled in the Land of Israel. The Returnees from the Babylonian exile who had resettled the country were a Jewish minority, and who, although they were not obligated to tithe their produce, put themselves under a voluntary bind to do so, and which practice became obligatory upon all.

The first record of tithing in the Bible appears in , where Abraham gave tithe to Melchizedek.

Terumah (Heave-offering)

The first obligation that was incumbent upon an Israelite or Jew was to separate from his harvested grain, such as wheat, barley, or spelt, wine (including unpressed grapes) and oil (including unpressed olives) the one-fiftieth portion of these products (or one-fortieth, if he were a man of generosity; and one-sixtieth if he were stingy) and to give the same to a ''Kohen'', a priest of Aaron's lineage, who, in turn, would eat such fruits in a state of ritual cleanness, in accordance with a biblical command, ''"...and let him not eat of the holy things, until he bathes his flesh in water. And when the sun goes down, he will be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things because it is his food"'' ().

The tractate Terumot of the Mishnah and of the Jerusalem Talmud formulates the Jewish religious law for this gift, specifying two kinds of ''terumot'' given to the priest: the regular offering, known also as the ''terumah gedolah'' ("great heave-offering"), which the Israelites were required to give to the priest from the produce of their fields, and the ''terumat ma'aser'' ("tithe of the heave-offering"), the gift that the Levites were required to put aside for the priests from the tithe which ordinary Israelites had been required to give to them.

This obligation was contingent upon the fact that such fruits grew in the Land of Israel. Later, the Rabbis made it an obligation to do the same for all fruits and vegetables grown in the Land of Israel, and not only to such fruits as grain, grapes and olives.

After the destruction of the Temple and the cessation of ritual purity, the obligation to separate the ''terumah'' continued, although it was no longer given to a ''kohen'', since the requirements for attaining ritual purity were no longer available. The general practice after the Temple's destruction was to separate the ''terumah'' from all fruits and vegetables by removing even a small amount, and to immediately discard it by burial or some other means of disposal (since it can no longer be eaten in the current state of ritual uncleanness, and those doing so would make themselves liable to extirpation).

First tithe

The ''first tithe'' is the gift of one tenth of the remaining agricultural produce to the Levite after removing from the produce for gift of ''terumah'' to the priests). Historically, during the First Temple period, the first tithe was given to the Levites. Approximately at the beginning of the Second Temple construction, Ezra and his Beth din implemented giving it to the kohanim.

The Levites, also known as the Tribe of Levi, were descendants of Levi. They were assistants to the Aaronic priests (who were the children of Aaron and, therefore, a subset of the Tribe of Levi) and did not own or inherit a territorial patrimony (). Their function in society was that of temple functionaries, teachers and trusted civil servants who supervised the weights and scales and witnessed agreements. The goods donated from the other Israelite tribes were their source of sustenance. They received from "all Israel" a tithe of food or livestock for support, and in turn would set aside a tenth portion of that tithe (known as the ''terumat hamaaser'') for the priests.

The tractate Ma'aserot of the Mishna and of the Jerusalem Talmud formulates the Jewish religious law for the types of produce liable for tithing, as well as the circumstances and timing under which produce becomes obligated for tithing during each of the six years of the tithing cycle.

Second tithe

Unlike other offerings which were restricted to consumption within the tabernacle, the ''second tithe'' could be consumed anywhere within the Walls of Jerusalem. On years one, two, four and five of the ''Shemittah''-cycle, God commanded the Children of Israel to take a second tithe that was to be brought to the place of the Temple (). The owner of the produce was to separate and bring 1/10 of his finished produce to the Old City of Jerusalem, after separating ''terumah'' and the first tithe, but if the family lived too far from Jerusalem, the tithe could be redeemed upon coins (). Then, the Bible required the owner of the redeemed coins to spend the tithe "to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish" (). Implicit in the commandment was an obligation to spend the coins on items meant for human consumption.

Poor tithe

The poor tithe, or poor man's tithe, also referred to as the pauper's tithe or the third tithe, is a triennial tithe of one's produce, required in Jewish law. It requires that one tenth of produce grown in the third and sixth years of the seven-year sabbatical cycle be given to the Levites and the poor.

The law applies during the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, and after the Temple's destruction. It applies only to crops that are harvested in the Land of Israel, but during the seventh year, also applies to crops harvested in Jordan and Egypt, so that the poor of Israel would be supported in the seventh year.

''Terumat maaser''

''Terumat hamaaser'' was given by the Levite to the Kohen, and was one-tenth of what the Levite had received of the first-tithe. It is alluded to in the Hebrew Bible

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases