Shabbos Parashas Re'eh - 5779

Shabbos Parashas Re'eh - 5779

Rabbi Hal Miller

You shall surely tithe the entire crop of your planting, the produce of your

field from year to year. [Devarim 14:22]

In every seven-year shemittah cycle, we do not plant or harvest in that seventh year, so

there is no tithe. In the other six years, though, we begin with 2% to the Kohen, followed by

10% to the Levi. Then in two of those six years, we give another 10% to the poor. All this

makes sense in an agrarian society based on kindness and taking care of each other. But

in the other four years, we take off ma'aser sheini, another 10%, which we takes with us to

Yerushalayim and eat there. Why are we commanded to eat our own food? Wouldn't it

seem rather obvious that we would eat from our own labors every year?

The Gemora in Taanis [9a] looks at the Hebrew, aser te'aser, typically translated as "tithe,

you shall tithe", meaning "you shall surely tithe". The Gemora explains that this should be

read aser titasher, moving the dot on the Sin to make it a Shin, and translates it as "tithe

so that you will become rich." Many explain that God promised that if we give to those

who need, He will give to us. Kol Dodi notes that giving charity is not just a good idea,

but one who does not do so is evil, bringing as his proof that aser spelled backward is

rasha, meaning "evil one".

All this backs up the Kohen, Levi, and poor. What about our question? Abarbanel asks

the question directly, and answers that the separating, carrying to Yerushalayim, and

eating there are done specifically to observe the Divine will, thus instilling a reverence in

each of us for God. Nechama Leibowitz asks how that follows logically. Sefer HaChinuch,

Rashbam and others then say that it is the being in Yerushalayim, learning Torah there,

seeing what goes on there, that brings one to revere God. Nechama doesn't buy that one

either. Instead of the bringing of the labor of one's own hands, instead of the sightseeing

trip to learn, there is a more clear reason for acquiring reverence. She brings Alshich who

says it is because we are commanded to eat it there before the Lord, our God. The purpose

is for us to recognize that this product of our labor was given to us, it did not originate with

our own work. It is considered holy because it was given directly by God. We are not rich

because we "earned it", as John Houseman used to say in the Smith Barney commercials,

we are rich because God gave it to us. Why? Because we observed His command to

tithe.

Does it apply today? Technically no, it only applies in times of the Temple, may that come

again soon. But the purpose can be applied to all of the mitzvos today.