Jews Do Not Teach Tithing Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis, Congregation
Kol Ami, Flower Mound: "The Jewish community isn’t structured around tithing," he said. The concept originally was tied to agricultural
production in Israel, with the tithe a temple tax,
he said. Now, Jewish
worshippers make pledges to meet their budget.
CONTEMPORARY JEWISH TITHING AND TITHE CONCEPT
Jewish Tithing: (1) Melchizedek in Genesis 14 is not referenced. (2) The tithe goes to charity and not to support the synagogue or rabbi. (3) It is not on gross income before taxes. (4) Business expenses and education can be deducted first. (5) Do not give over 20%. It is not wise.
http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_tithe.htm?r=94
ASK RABBI SIMMONS Question According to my friend, one should tithe 30% of his/her income. I don't believe this is correct. What does the Bible say about tithe? Answer Back from the time that Abraham welcomed the strangers into his tent (Genesis chapter 18), charity has been a foundation of Jewish life. The Torah commands us to give 10 percent of our earnings to people in need, based on Leviticus 25:35 and Deut. 15:7-8. This is called Ma'aser, literally "one tenth" (hence the English word "tithe"). This is colloquially called tzedakah (charity), which Maimonides lists charity as one of the 613 mitzvahs. Ten percent of a person's wages after taxes should be set aside for tzedakah. Business expenses and Jewish education costs may be deducted from the 10 percent. (Some people deduct only two-thirds of a boy's Torah education cost.) For those who want to do extra, the Torah allows you to give 20 percent. Above that amount is unrealistic. If you give too much, you'll come to neglect other aspects of your life. To learn more, read "Ma'aser Kesafim - Giving a Tenth to Charity" edited by Cyril Domb (Feldheim), and "Permission to Receive," by Lawrence Kellemen (Targum Press). See also: "Code of Jewish Law" Y.D. 249:2; "Igrot Moshe"(R' M. Feinstein) Y.D. II, 112; "Orchat Rabeinu (R' Y. Kanievsky) I, 302. With
blessings from Jerusalem, JEWISH CHARITY http://www.innerstream.ca/blog Saturday,
February 21, 2009 [He interprets "tithe" in Malachi as "charity."] [He teaches that one's family essentials come first.] Mishpatim: Charity
In A Failing Economy by Rabbi Lazer on February 21, 2009 10:32PM (EST) Trimming Excess For most of us the failing economy has translated only into worry and rhetoric. Though unemployment is up and many homes
have been lost most of us still have bread on our tables and Cable TV in our bedrooms. But there one sector that is already
feeling the pinch, I speak of charitable institutions. Transforming The Daled The Hebrew letters Gimmel, Daled and Hei tell the tale of charity. The Talmud teaches that Gimmel and Daled
represent the words Gemol Dalim, bestow (to the) destitute. The form of the Gimmel is that of a straight vertical
line with a foreleg extended forward and downward, in a walking pattern toward the Daled. The extended foreleg indicates a
willingness to connect with and invest in the Daled. The form of the Daled is that of a person bent deeply at the waist; the
poor man staggering under the weight of his burden. So forlorn is he that he fails even to notice his benefactor’s approach.
He is stripped not only of provision, but of hope itself. Tzedek and Hei The Hebrew word for charity is Tzedakah. The Jewish mystics explained
that the word Tzedakah is comprised of the word Tzedek, which means justice, plus the letter Hei. Charity and justice are
polar opposites: Justice dictates that we are entitled to the money we earn. Charity dictates that we share our hard earned
money with the poor and convert the Daled into a Hei. Indeed, in order to give to charity we must put the Heis of this world
ahead of our sense of justice, our Tzedek. This is why you get the word Tzedakah when you append a Hei to Tzedek. (2) A Deeper Perspective The notion that justice dictates entitlement to the money we earn reflects a secular form of justice. The Torah has
an entirely different viewpoint. The Talmudic sages asked, if G-d loves His children, why are they poor? The answer, so the
wealthy would receive reward for giving Tzedakah. G-d distributes His resources among humanity unevenly to give us opportunity
to reap the rewards that come from providing for the poor. When we find ourselves with extra money we must remember that it
is not ours to keep. It was given to us to distribute to the poor. It belongs to them. To donate it is just, to keep it is
theft. (3) A Necessity We can now appreciate why charity, an obligation at all
times, becomes a necessity during economic turndowns. This is not only true for the recipient, whose plight is more severe
during a recession, but also for the donor, who requires blessing more acutely. As mentioned earlier, charitable contributions
are catalysts for powerful reward. Rewards that are not only spiritual in nature, but also monetary. Who Is The Hei? What if
our families don’t have enough? Do we not have to look after our own before allocating our hard earned dollars toward
strangers? Does charity not begin at home? Footnotes |