Your Daily Pesuk Aug. 9, 2018

Parashat Re'eh / פרשת ראה

• Thu, 9 August 2018 = 28th of Av, 5778
• כ״ח בְּאָב תשע״ח

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 (8 p'sukim)

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

22 “You will surely set aside a tenth of all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 You are to eat the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, before Adonai your God in the place He chooses to make His Name dwell, so that you may learn to fear Adonai your God always. 24 Now suppose the way is too long for you, for you cannot carry the tithe because the place Adonai your God chooses to set His Name is too far from you. When Adonai your God blesses you, 25 then you are to exchange the tithe for silver, bind up the silver in your hand, and go to the place that Adonai your God chooses. 26 You may spend the money for whatever your soul desires—cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever your soul asks of you. Then you will eat there before Adonai your God and rejoice—you and your household. 27 But you are not to neglect the Levite within your gates, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. 28 At the end of every three years, you are to bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and store it within your gates. 29 Then the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, along with the outsider, the orphan and the widow within your gates, will come and eat and be satisfied, so that Adonai your God may bless you in all the work of your hand that you do. 

22 עַשֵּׂ֣ר תְּעַשֵּׂ֔ר אֵ֖ת כָּל־תְּבוּאַ֣ת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ הַיֹּצֵ֥א הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה שָׁנָ֥ה שָׁנָֽה׃

23 וְאָכַלְתָּ֞ לִפְנֵ֣י׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בַּמָּק֣וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר֮ לְשַׁכֵּ֣ן שְׁמ֣וֹ שָׁם֒ מַעְשַׂ֤ר דְּגָֽנְךָ֙ תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֔ךָ וּבְכֹרֹ֥ת בְּקָרְךָ֖ וְצֹאנֶ֑ךָ לְמַ֣עַן תִּלְמַ֗ד לְיִרְאָ֛ה אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃

24 וְכִֽי־יִרְבֶּ֨ה מִמְּךָ֜ הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ כִּ֣י לֹ֣א תוּכַל֮ שְׂאֵתוֹ֒ כִּֽי־יִרְחַ֤ק מִמְּךָ֙ הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לָשׂ֥וּם שְׁמ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם כִּ֥י יְבָרֶכְךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

25 וְנָתַתָּ֖ה בַּכָּ֑סֶף וְצַרְתָּ֤ הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ בְּיָ֣דְךָ֔ וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בּֽוֹ׃

26 וְנָתַתָּ֣ה הַכֶּ֡סֶף בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־תְּאַוֶּ֨ה נַפְשְׁךָ֜ בַּבָּקָ֣ר וּבַצֹּ֗אן וּבַיַּ֙יִן֙ וּבַשֵּׁכָ֔ר וּבְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּֽשְׁאָלְךָ֖ נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וְאָכַ֣לְתָּ שָּׁ֗ם לִפְנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֖ אַתָּ֥ה וּבֵיתֶֽךָ׃

27 וְהַלֵּוִ֥י אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תַֽעַזְבֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין ל֛וֹ חֵ֥לֶק וְנַחֲלָ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ׃ ס

28 מִקְצֵ֣ה׀ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים תּוֹצִיא֙ אֶת־כָּל־מַעְשַׂר֙ תְּבוּאָ֣תְךָ֔ בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִ֑וא וְהִנַּחְתָּ֖ בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃

29 וּבָ֣א הַלֵּוִ֡י כִּ֣י אֵֽין־לוֹ֩ חֵ֨לֶק וְנַחֲלָ֜ה עִמָּ֗ךְ וְ֠הַגֵּר וְהַיָּת֤וֹם וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ וְאָכְל֖וּ וְשָׂבֵ֑עוּ לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

עַשֵּׂ֣ר תְּעַשֵּׂ֔ר Asar T'asar  (lit. the Tithe you shall Tithe).  What is Tithing and why is it so important to God?

The Tithe refers here to the "First Fruits" of one's produce.  בִּכּוּרִים  "Bikurim" (lit. First Fruits), the very first/best portion of the crop, grain, seed, fruit. 

Rashi explains:

עשר תעשר: מה ענין זה אצל זה, אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל, לא תגרמו לי לבשל גדיים של תבואה עד שהן במעי אמותיהן, שאם אין אתם מעשרים מעשרות כראוי, כשהוא סמוך להתבשל אני מוציא רוח קדים והיא משדפתן. שנאמר (מלכים ב' יט, כא) ושדפה לפני קמה, וכן לענין בכורים:

"You shall tithe [all the seed crop]: What has one matter to do with the other [i.e., the prohibition of cooking a kid, and tithing]? The Holy One, blessed is He, said to Israel: Do not cause Me to destroy the [developing] kernels (גְּדָיִים) of grain, while they are yet in their “mother’s womb” [i.e., in the husks], for if you do not tithe your produce properly, when it is near ripening I will bring forth an easterly wind, which will blast them, as it is said, “and blast before becoming standing grain” (II Kings 19:26) (Tanchuma). [And just as cooking the kid in its mother’s milk and the tithes are juxtaposed,] so is the topic of the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים) [juxtaposed to cooking the kid in its mother’s milk (see Exod. 23:19, 34:26), to teach us that, if you do not bring your first fruits to the Temple as commanded, your fruit produce will wither]."

The spiritual principle is simple - if we obey and tithe the first fruits of our produce, God promises that it will go well with us and we will be blessed.  But He also promises, that if we neglect the tithe, He will bring forth a curse and our harvest will be diminished.

Some modern believers and even biblical scholars attempt to explain away tithing as something that was only for an agricultural society, and only expected by God when the Temple stood.  This is foolish.  In addition to literal grain and produce offerings, individual also gave CASH directly to the Temple and the Levites.  There was the Half-Shekel tax, also Yeshua used the widow and her mite to demonstrate what "real giving" really was.  Tithing can apply to both cash as well as agriculture.  But the principle of Bikurim (First Fruits) applys to everything.  Even the kneeding of our bread - we are commanded to take the first portion of it and set it aside as Kadosh L'Adonai (Num. 15:20).

So let's put aside the foolish argument that God doesn't expect us to tithe on our income.  But let's look at it from Messiah's point of view:

Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[c] destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick by one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

God wants us to demonstrate to Him our trust in Him over our own money.  Tithing off our income is the only way to prove to God that we really trust Him more than anything or anyone else!

Finally, today, as our pesukim reminds us of the importance of tithing, Messiah tells us to not stop at the "minimum requirement" of simply the "tithe"... but to go further in our tzedakah!

Luke 12:29 “So do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For all the nations of the world strive after these things. But your Father knows that you need these things. 31 Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father chose to give you the kingdom.

33 “Sell your possessions and do tzedakah. Make money pouches for yourselves that do not get old—a treasure in the heavens that never runs out, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let's show Hashem where our hearts are today.  This coming Sunday is Rosh Chodesh Elul (beginning Saturday night Motzi Shabbat)... Let's prepare a special offering above and beyond our tithes for the new month of preparation before the High Holy Days!

Psalm 20

1 For the music director, a psalm of David.

2 May Adonai answer you in the day of trouble!

May the Name of the God of Jacob set you up securely on high.

3 May He send you help from the Sanctuary

and support you from Zion.

4 May He remember all your meal offerings

and accept the fat of your burnt offering. Selah

5 May He grant you your heart’s desire

and fulfill all your plans.

AMEN