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Judaism

Parashah of the week: Re'eh

“You shall consume the tithes of your new grain and wine and oil, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the Lord your God... so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God forever” Deuteronomy 14:23

August 26, 2022 12:18
Reading the Torah

What’s the point of a gift, if it isn’t actually given to another person, but kept for yourself? What does it mean to have a tithe that is “donated” to oneself?

Abarbanel, the great Italian Bible commentator of the 15th century, raises this question in response to the tithe described above. Unlike other tithes, which are separated by the owner and given to priests, Levites or the poor, the “second tithe” is separated and then eaten by the owners themselves. Why carry them to Jerusalem — to "the place where [God] will choose to establish the Divine name" — only to eat them yourself? Why exert yourself to travel, if you are the intended recipient of the “gifts” anyway?

The verse makes clear that there is a pedagogic element to this mitzvah. Bringing these foods to the Temple is designed to help the traveller learn. Chizkuni, a 13th-century commentator, argues that “so that you may learn” refers to “reverence for the Lord becoming something natural, a daily occurrence, part of your everyday life, not something restricted to when one visits the synagogue and prays intently. When people observe… huge crowds coming to Jerusalem and being exposed to priests in great numbers, this will make a deep impression on them and be an unforgettable experience.”

In other words, the trip constitutes an investment in one’s own Jewish education. This tithing practice is what we might now describe as an immersive Jewish experience, designed to create a rich and multi-sensory encounter with Jewish life and Jewish ideas.

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