Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Halakhah הֲלָכָה
Our parashah contains the source for מַעֲשֵׂר (ma’aser, tithing), which means giving away one tenth of what you have:
וְכָל־מַעְשַׂר הָאָרֶץ מִזֶּרַע הָאָרֶץ מִפְּרִי הָעֵץ לַה' הוּא קֹדֶשׁ לַה'׃
All tithes from the land, whether seed from the ground or fruit from the tree, are God’s; they are holy to God.
Here’s another place that this comes up in the Torah:
(כב) עַשֵּׂ֣ר תְּעַשֵּׂ֔ר אֵ֖ת כׇּל־תְּבוּאַ֣ת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ הַיֹּצֵ֥א הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה שָׁנָ֥ה שָׁנָֽה׃
You shall tithe all of your planted crops that come out in the field year by year.
From the word כָּל (kol, all), a midrash teaches that we have to give one-tenth of all our profits, and not just what grows from the ground (Tosafot on Ta’anit 9a). This is the source for מַעֲשַׂר כְּסָפִים (ma’asar kesafim), the mitzvah to give at least 10% of what you earn to צְדָקָה (tzedakah, charity).
Rambam writes that 10% is the ordinary level, and a higher level is to give 20% (Mishneh Torah Matenot Aniyim 4:5). The Shulhan Arukh says you should give as much as you are able (Yoreh Deah 249:1).
Tzedakah is powerful. In Sefer Mishlei (10:2) it says: וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת (u’tzedakah tatzil mi-mavet, and tzedakah can save from death).
- What about kids? Maybe you get an allowance, or you earn money from babysitting. You might get money as a gift for your birthday, or for Hanukkah, or for your Bat/Bar Mitzvah. If you aren’t already tithing from these, you could start!
- Think about causes that you care about. Maybe it’s providing meals to people in need, bringing toys to sick kids, or supporting education in countries far away. Grown-ups can help you find something that inspires you. It’s hard to go wrong because even a little bit of help can make a big difference in the lives of those around you.
Giving ma’aser is a really great way to make the world better, and ensure that our money becomes “holy to God.”
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