P, on the other hand, destines this tithe for the Levites Num. It is true that in D the Levites, too, have a share in the tithe Deut.
It may be noticed that in the priestly part of the Book of Ezekiel xliv. Nehemiah instituted such a tithe; and he directed that the Levites should give a tithe of their portions to the priests see Tithe, Biblical Data. Hence it may be concluded that the passages in Numbers and Leviticus regarding tithes were written under the influence of the Book of Nehemiah. That the tithe spoken of in D, and which is termed by the Rabbis "the second tithe" see Tithe in Rabbinical Literature , is more ancient has been concluded by W.
Smith "Rel. Subsequently the tithe became the prerogative of the king I Sam. Those instituted by Nehemiah for payment to the Levites were a development of the heave-offering "terumah" given to the priests. Not only do the terms "terumah" and "ma'aser" often occur together in the Old Testament, but it is stated in Neh. Eleazar b. Azariah held that the first tithe might also be paid to the priest Yeb.
Comparing verse 30 with verse 32 of Lev. Mangey, ii. TITHE :. By: Joseph Jacobs , M. The point is, though, that they do and will have a choice, much as we today have a choice. Interestingly, for those who lived too far from Jerusalem to actually bring a tithe, there was an option to go to the Temple, buy the food there, then join in the festivities.
In the meantime, all of the leftover food, crops and what have you were left for the Levites, who had minimal land to cultivate, and for the stranger, the orphan, the widow — thus everyone benefited from the giving of the tithe. Today, in order for us to obtain corn, oil and wine, we simply head to the nearest grocery store. Back then, it was understatedly more difficult. These three items are mentioned in the Shema prayer, which reflects their importance.
And when you think of it, they play a significant role even in our present-day traditions. That is, it is separated from wine, not grapes — oil, not olives. The percentage of a crop that is designated terumah is left to the discretion of the farmer. This was a gift to the levites. It could be given to any levite. The levites were expected to designate a portion of this gift as terumah for the priests.
After the first tithe was taken, another tenth was separated and this was either the second tithe or third tithe, depending on the year of the sabbatical cycle.
In years one, two, four and five the second tithe was separated and brought to Jerusalem where it was consumed by the original owner. In some cases, the tithe was an optional donation. In other places, it resembled a mandatory tax.
At times, the funds went to the Temple and the priests, with the tithe supporting faith. On other occasions, the money accrued to the king and the monarchy, and underwrote the workings of state as a royal tax.
Some tithes went to the needy. Ancients Jews tithed livestock, produce and hand-manufactured goods. If they traveled someplace to pay it, they may have converted perishables or animals into cash for a donation at their destination. Sometimes they ate an additional tithe themselves. Today Mormons generally tithe; so do members of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In a recent report, more than seven of 10 Baptist congregations self-described themselves as being in good-to-excellent financial shape.
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