Tithing Food and Money

Question

Rabbi, how do you tithe today? Do you do first, second and third tithe? How to properly do this tithes? I am a christian i want to properly tithe to the Lord, can you help me. What other offerings i can do for the Lord? Thank you very much

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    If you are referring to tithing produce, then tithing is a Biblical commandment and it is obligatory for Jews. In Biblical times, the tithe was given to the Priestly Tribe, as they had no source of livelihood outside of the priestly calling. From the time of the destruction of the Temple, the tithing of agricultural produce is no longer Biblical – rather, it is Rabbinical. Today we remove a tithe from all produce grown in Israel. The tithe, called Terumah, which was given to a priest in Biblical times, is slightly more than one percent of the produce. Nowadays, since we are not in a state of ritual Spiritual Purity, it must be disposed of. Another part of the tithe, called Ma’aser, was given to a member of the Levite Tribe, who, like the Kohanim, did not have an external source of livelihood. This tithe was ten percent of the remainder of the crop after having removed the Terumah. Today, this tithe is still separated – however, as there is no means of verifying who is truly a Levite, we can consume it ourselves.

    There is another form of tithing, which is referring to the Commandment of giving a percentage of one’s money to charity. The Torah states explicitly that the reason to give charity is help those in need, Deuteronomy 15:7-8 Leviticus 25:35. The Code of Jewish Law, Yoreh Deah 249, states that one fifth is a maximum amount that should be given to charity and the minimum is one tenth. The amount given should be taken from capital received and calculated from any profits that might be earned each year.

    There are various sources in the Torah for the concept of giving a tenth to charity. Abraham gave Malkizedek a tenth of all he had, Genesis 14:20. Jacob pledged that he would give a tenth of all he had to God, ibid. 28:22. There are numerous mentions of the concept in the Prophets, Midrashim, the Talmud and the Commentaries.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team