(18) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was priest of God the Most High. (19) And he blessed him, and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth; (20) and blessed be God the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.’ And he gave him a tenth of all.
(ח) וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ יקוק מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃ (ט) וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (י) וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֤ה הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־רֵאשִׁית֙ פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תָּה לִּ֖י יקוק וְהִנַּחְתּ֗וֹ לִפְנֵי֙ יקוק אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יתָ לִפְנֵ֖י יקוק אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכָל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ יקוק אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ (ס) (יב) כִּ֣י תְכַלֶּ֞ה לַ֠עְשֵׂר אֶת־כָּל־מַעְשַׂ֧ר תְּבוּאָתְךָ֛ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ת שְׁנַ֣ת הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֑ר וְנָתַתָּ֣ה לַלֵּוִ֗י לַגֵּר֙ לַיָּת֣וֹם וְלָֽאַלְמָנָ֔ה וְאָכְל֥וּ בִשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ׃
(8) And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. (9) And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (10) And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O LORD, hast given me.’ And thou shalt set it down before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God. (11) And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee. (12) When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied,
1. In these Torah texts, we are introduced to the practice of giving ma'aser. Compare and contrast these sources based on
a) why the ma'aser is being given
b) who the ma'aser is given to
c) what the ma'aser actually is (e.g. food, money, etc.)
2. What do you learn about what ma'aser is based on these texts?
(א) אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר. הַפֵּאָה, וְהַבִּכּוּרִים, וְהָרֵאָיוֹן, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם:
(1) These are the things that have no limit: Peah [corner of the field which, while harvesting, must be left for the poor], Bikurim [First-fruits that must be brought to the Temple and given to the priest], the appearance-sacrifice [brought to the Temple on Pilgrimage Festivals], acts of kindness, and the study of the Torah. These are things the fruits of which a man enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one's father and mother, acts of kindness, and bringing peace between a man and his fellow. But the study of Torah is equal to them all.
הפיאה יש לה שיעור מלמטן ואין לה שיעור מלמעלן
Peah does in fact have a bottom limit to ensure a minimum (1/60), but it has no limit on the maximum that one can give
3. In this mishnah and gemara we are presented with a different type of giving than ma'aser, which has the limit of 1/10 built in. The giving presented here, peah and gemilut hasadim are said to have no upper limit. Using the text for evidence, explain why these types of giving are different.
גמילות חסדים: הדא דתימר בגופו אבל בממונו יש לו שיעור ואתייא כיי דמר ר"ש בן לקיש בשם רבי יוסי בן חנינא באושא נמנו שיהא אדם מפריש חומש מנכסיו למצוה
"Gemilut hasadim [has no limit]": This was only said with regard to one's actions, however, there is a limit to how much one should give of their money [in order to prevent people from making themselves poor]. This was taught by Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish in the name of Rabbi Yossi ben Hanina who stated that in Usha the sages voted that a person should not give more than 1/5th of his possessions for any mitzvah...
4. What two values are in tension in this passage?
5. How do you navigate this tension in your own life?
תני ר' ישמעאל זה אלי ואנוהו וכי אפשר לו לאדם לנוואות את בוראו אלא אנווהו לפניו במצות אעשה לפניו לולב נאה סוכה נאה שופר נאה ציצית נאין תפילין נאין
אבא שאול אומר אדמה לו מה הוא רחום וחנון אף את תהא רחום וחנון מעשה ברבי ישבב שעמד והחליק את כל נכסיו לעניים שלח לו ר"ג והלא אמרו חומש מנכסיו למצות?!
Rabbi Ishmael taught, "'This is my God whom I will beautify' (Exodus/Shemot 15:2), is it really possible for a human being to beautify their Maker? Rather [this verse means that] I shall make beauty before God through the mitzvot, I will make before God a beautiful lulav, a beautiful sukkah, a beautiful shofar and beautiful tzitzit".
Abba Shaul said "[this verse means] I will imitate [the beauty of] God. Just as God is merciful so you too shall be merciful, just as God is compassionate so you too shall be compassionate.
There is a story about Rabbi Yeshbab. Once he gave away all his possessions to the poor. Rabban Gamliel sent a message to him saying, 'did not the sages say that only 1/5 should be given to the mitzvot?!'"
6. This text indicates that giving to those in need is more than just another mitzvah. What layer is added here?
7. How does this help explain why it is considered "to have no upper limit" in the texts above?
8. What do you think is the message of the story at the end of this passage?
וּכְשֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה חַיָּב לְהַאֲכִיל לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה עִם שְׁאָר הָעֲנִיִּים הָאֻמְלָלִים. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁנּוֹעֵל דַּלְתוֹת חֲצֵרוֹ וְאוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה הוּא וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מַאֲכִיל וּמַשְׁקֶה לַעֲנִיִּים וּלְמָרֵי נֶפֶשׁ אֵין זוֹ שִׂמְחַת מִצְוָה אֶלָּא שִׂמְחַת כְּרֵסוֹ. וְעַל אֵלּוּ נֶאֱמַר (הושע ט ד) "זִבְחֵיהֶם כְּלֶחֶם אוֹנִים לָהֶם כָּל אֹכְלָיו יִטַּמָּאוּ כִּי לַחְמָם לְנַפְשָׁם". וְשִׂמְחָה כָּזוֹ קָלוֹן הִיא לָהֶם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ב ג) "וְזֵרִיתִי פֶרֶשׁ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם פֶּרֶשׁ חַגֵּיכֶם":
... Anyone, however, who locks the doors of his courtyard and eats and drinks along with his wife and children, without giving anything to eat and drink to the poor and the desperate, does not observe a religious celebration but indulges in the celebration of his stomach. About such people the Tanakh says "their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners. All who eat it will become impure for their food is only for themselves" (Hoshea 9:4). Such celebration is shameful, as it is stated "and I will spread dung on their faces, the very dung of their holiday sacrifices" (Malachi 2:3)
(יז) מוּטָב לָאָדָם לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּמַתְּנוֹת אֶבְיוֹנִים מִלְּהַרְבּוֹת בִּסְעֻדָּתוֹ וּבְשִׁלּוּחַ מָנוֹת לְרֵעָיו. שֶׁאֵין שָׁם שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה וּמְפֹאָרָה אֶלָּא לְשַׂמֵּחַ לֵב עֲנִיִּים וִיתוֹמִים וְאַלְמָנוֹת וְגֵרִים. שֶׁהַמְשַׂמֵּחַ לֵב הָאֻמְלָלִים הָאֵלּוּ דּוֹמֶה לַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נז טו) "לְהַחֲיוֹת רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים וּלְהַחֲיוֹת לֵב נִדְכָּאִים":
(17) One should rather spend more money on gifts to the poor than on his Purim banquet and presents to his friends. No joy is greater and more glorious than the joy of gladdening the hearts of the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the strangers. He who gladdens the heart of these unhappy people imitates God, as it is written: "I am … to revive the spirit of the humble, and to strengthen the heart of the oppressed" (Isaiah 57:15).
9. In these last two sources, Rambam (Maimonides) uses law to express how important giving to those in need is. What is the essence of what he states in source #7?
10. In source #8, how does he echo what earlier sources have commented about the unique nature of giving?
11. This last source also emphasizes the joy of giving. Why is it such a joyful act to Rambam? What are ways you can develop a greater sense of joy in how you give?