Maaser Sheni
Encyclopedia
The second tithe is a tithe mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
and continued in Orthodox Judaism
. It is distinguished from the first tithe
(Hebrew ma'aser rishon מעשר ראשון), the poor tithe
, and the terumat ma'aser
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem
, the second tithe involved the setting aside of one tenth of specific agricultural produce
from the first, second, fourth, and fifth, years of each seven year cycle, for the purpose of taking it to Jerusalem, and consuming it there.
, along with a different tithe, the poor tithe
, which is performed in the third and sixth years of the seven year cycle; the remaining seventh year is described as the Shmita, the Sabbatical Year
.
As described, the tithe should be of grain, wine
, and olive oil
, but if the distance to Jerusalem made the transfer of these crops unreasonable, the monetary value of the tithe should be brought to Jerusalem instead, and used to purchase anything edible that the owner desired to eat there. (See Deuteronomy 14:26)
The prophet Malachi
connected the observance of tithing obligations with blessings from God:
, in Tractate Rosh Hashanah
, describes four new years for various purposes. The new year for tithes for general crops is the first of Tishrei
(the holiday of Rosh Hashanah
), for animal tithes the first of Elul
, and for the produce of trees the fifteenth of shvat (the holiday of Tu B'shvat). The Talmud
and later commentaries reflect a substantial amount of debate about the start and end of the tithing year for various types of crops in various situations.
and the first tithe were separated. If any of these tithes were not separated, the produce was known as tevel and forbidden for consumption. The owner of the produce was required to separate tithe, of any kind, after the particular kind of produce was finished in its common preparation for ingathering. Unlike the first tithe, the second tithe was only separated on the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the sabbatical year cycle. The poor tithe was separated on the third and sixth years. The produce was required to maintained in a state of purity and eaten in a state of purity in the holy city of Jerusalem, at any time of the year. If the owner did not desire, or was unable to, bring the produce to Jerusalem, he was entitled to redeem the produce on a coin of equal value, in addition to adding a fifth to the value. The ability to redeem produce on money results in money which is mikudash (sacred, as earmarked for Temple purposes), while the produce became desanctified and available for any use. The money could only be used for limited categories of use in keeping with its sacred status. Improper spending of the money was forbidden.
Since the Torah enjoined the owner of the produce to share the second tithe with the poor, needy and disenfranchised, a large portion was shared as a form of charity.
still regards tithe obligations as in effect on produce grown in the Land of Israel
, although the obligations have been somewhat modified since the days of the Hebrew Bible
and Talmud
and proceeds from the tithes are no longer given to a Kohen
or Levite
or taken to Jerusalem. Current practice is for the owner the produce to set aside Terumah, then designate Maaser Rishon, then separate Terumat Maaser, and then, on the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the Shemittah cycle, redeem Maaser Sheni on a coin of minimal value capable of purchasing food, which need not be equal in value to the amount set aside. The coin, and a total of a little over 1% of the produce which cannot be redeemed is set aside or discarded in a way intended to prevent its future use and in a manner consistent with the sanctity of the separated portions. The reason for discarding in such a manner is that the set-aside produce is still considered mikudash or sacred. While dedicated offerings cannot actually be offered in their traditional form in the absence of the Temple, because one must consume Terumah and Maaser Sheni in a state of purity, they also cannot be used for mundane purposes. However, the mundane use of Maaser Sheni was not considered me'ilah (unauthorized or inappropriate use of Temple property/hekdesh).
Every three years, on the mincha (afternoon service) of the last day of Pesach (Passover), they would say the Vidui Maaser (a confession of tithing proscribed specifically in the Torah). The reason this is done at the end of the festival, at the last prayer is because until that time, people were still eating their Maaser Sheni.
), the Maaser Sheni, and Maaser Ani were contrasted with the Maaser Rishon
as entirely different tithes from each other, and for this reason gave the tithes the distinct names they possess.
However, according to the view of some textual scholars
, the latter tithe, which is mentioned in the Priestly Code
, and constitutes an annual tithe given over to the Levites, additionally tithing Cattle
and Wine
, is a conflicting version of the same single tithe as the tithe formed by the Maaser Ani and Maaser Sheni taken together; the Maaser Ani and Maaser Sheni together being the Deuteronomist
's version and the Maaser Rishon being the version of the priestly source
; despite the fact that those tithes appear in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The Jewish Encyclopedia
article (1911) concludes that there is no significant textual evidence that the tithes come from different sources and the theory ignores the role of termuah and terumat maaser, which were separated for the priests. In both alleged "versions" it is required that a portion be given to the Leviim because they had no inhertiance of land, unlike the other tribes, and were considered to be more likely to be supported by others' property. Although the deuteronomist
is generally considered to be a later author than the priestly source
, scholars believe that much of the Deuteronomic Code was a reaction against the regulations introduced by the Priestly Code, and that here it reflects the earlier situation.
Some scholars speculate that Maaser Sheni developed as a tribute to the king; the Books of Samuel
mention that the Israelites were ordered by Samuel (speaking on behalf of God
) to give a tenth of everything to the king, seemingly referring to such a tribute in a passage (1 Samuel 8:15) which textual scholars believe belongs to the monarchial source, and predates both the Priestly Code and the Deuteronomic Code. This is in contrast to the reading of the text which was a warning by Samuel to the Children of Israel about the abuses of power that a king may impose. There is no example of an Israelite king actually imposing such a 10% tax. Further, ma'aser sheni was retained for consumption by the farmer who produced the crop or redeemed by said farmer for money to be used by him and his family. Some scholars speculate that these tributes began to be used for public festivals, often including religious ones, and thus gradually came to be seen as associated with the priests. Once again, this is unlikely as the Levites who received ma'aser rishon were not priests (called "kohanim"). The kohanim received termuah and terumat ma'aser from the Leviim, not ma'aser rishon, as would be thought if they had written the Torah to enhance their own agenda. Moreover, this has nothing to do with ma'aser sheni, which, once again, was retained by the farmer who was liable to separate the tithe.
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
and continued in Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
. It is distinguished from the first tithe
Maaser Rishon
The first tithe is a positive commandment in the Torah requiring the giving of one tenth of agricultural produce, after the giving of the standard terumah, to the Kohen...
(Hebrew ma'aser rishon מעשר ראשון), the poor tithe
Maaser Ani
The poor tithe reflects an obligation to set aside one tenth of produce grown in the third and sixth years of the seven-year sabbatical year agricultural cycle for the poor, in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem....
, and the terumat ma'aser
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
, the second tithe involved the setting aside of one tenth of specific agricultural produce
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
from the first, second, fourth, and fifth, years of each seven year cycle, for the purpose of taking it to Jerusalem, and consuming it there.
In the Hebrew Bible
The second tithe is discussed in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, 26:12, and 28:14 in the Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, along with a different tithe, the poor tithe
Maaser Ani
The poor tithe reflects an obligation to set aside one tenth of produce grown in the third and sixth years of the seven-year sabbatical year agricultural cycle for the poor, in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem....
, which is performed in the third and sixth years of the seven year cycle; the remaining seventh year is described as the Shmita, the Sabbatical Year
Sabbatical year (Bible)
Shmita , also called the Sabbatical Year, is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah for the Land of Israel, and still observed in contemporary Judaism....
.
As described, the tithe should be of grain, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, and olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
, but if the distance to Jerusalem made the transfer of these crops unreasonable, the monetary value of the tithe should be brought to Jerusalem instead, and used to purchase anything edible that the owner desired to eat there. (See Deuteronomy 14:26)
The prophet Malachi
Malachi
Malachi, Malachias or Mal'achi was a Jewish prophet in the Hebrew Bible. He had two brothers, Nathaniel and Josiah. Malachi was the writer of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Neviim section in the Jewish Tanakh...
connected the observance of tithing obligations with blessings from God:
- Bring the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now with this, says the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing, that there shall be more than sufficiency. MalachiBook of MalachiMalachi is a book of the Hebrew Bible, the last of the twelve minor prophets and the final book of the Neviim...
3:10
In the Mishna and Talmud
The MishnahMishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
, in Tractate Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah (Talmud)
Rosh Hashanah is the name of a text of Jewish law originating in the Mishnah which formed the basis of tractates in both the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud of the same name. It is the eighth tractate of the order Moed...
, describes four new years for various purposes. The new year for tithes for general crops is the first of Tishrei
Tishrei
Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days...
(the holiday of Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
), for animal tithes the first of Elul
Elul
Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
, and for the produce of trees the fifteenth of shvat (the holiday of Tu B'shvat). The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and later commentaries reflect a substantial amount of debate about the start and end of the tithing year for various types of crops in various situations.
The practice of the ma'aser sheni
The second tithe is a distinct tithing obligation of 10% of the produce after terumahTerumah
Terumah is a Hebrew word, originally meaning lifted apart, but meaning donation in modern Hebrew. It can refer to:*Heave offerings - a type of sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible...
and the first tithe were separated. If any of these tithes were not separated, the produce was known as tevel and forbidden for consumption. The owner of the produce was required to separate tithe, of any kind, after the particular kind of produce was finished in its common preparation for ingathering. Unlike the first tithe, the second tithe was only separated on the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the sabbatical year cycle. The poor tithe was separated on the third and sixth years. The produce was required to maintained in a state of purity and eaten in a state of purity in the holy city of Jerusalem, at any time of the year. If the owner did not desire, or was unable to, bring the produce to Jerusalem, he was entitled to redeem the produce on a coin of equal value, in addition to adding a fifth to the value. The ability to redeem produce on money results in money which is mikudash (sacred, as earmarked for Temple purposes), while the produce became desanctified and available for any use. The money could only be used for limited categories of use in keeping with its sacred status. Improper spending of the money was forbidden.
Since the Torah enjoined the owner of the produce to share the second tithe with the poor, needy and disenfranchised, a large portion was shared as a form of charity.
In contemporary Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
still regards tithe obligations as in effect on produce grown in the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
, although the obligations have been somewhat modified since the days of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and proceeds from the tithes are no longer given to a Kohen
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
or Levite
Levite
In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"...
or taken to Jerusalem. Current practice is for the owner the produce to set aside Terumah, then designate Maaser Rishon, then separate Terumat Maaser, and then, on the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the Shemittah cycle, redeem Maaser Sheni on a coin of minimal value capable of purchasing food, which need not be equal in value to the amount set aside. The coin, and a total of a little over 1% of the produce which cannot be redeemed is set aside or discarded in a way intended to prevent its future use and in a manner consistent with the sanctity of the separated portions. The reason for discarding in such a manner is that the set-aside produce is still considered mikudash or sacred. While dedicated offerings cannot actually be offered in their traditional form in the absence of the Temple, because one must consume Terumah and Maaser Sheni in a state of purity, they also cannot be used for mundane purposes. However, the mundane use of Maaser Sheni was not considered me'ilah (unauthorized or inappropriate use of Temple property/hekdesh).
Every three years, on the mincha (afternoon service) of the last day of Pesach (Passover), they would say the Vidui Maaser (a confession of tithing proscribed specifically in the Torah). The reason this is done at the end of the festival, at the last prayer is because until that time, people were still eating their Maaser Sheni.
Critical perspectives
In Classical Rabbinical Literature, according to which the entire Torah was principally written by a single author (MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
), the Maaser Sheni, and Maaser Ani were contrasted with the Maaser Rishon
Maaser Rishon
The first tithe is a positive commandment in the Torah requiring the giving of one tenth of agricultural produce, after the giving of the standard terumah, to the Kohen...
as entirely different tithes from each other, and for this reason gave the tithes the distinct names they possess.
However, according to the view of some textual scholars
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
, the latter tithe, which is mentioned in the Priestly Code
Priestly Code
The Priestly Code is the name given, by academia, to the body of laws expressed in the Torah which do not form part of the Holiness Code, the Covenant Code, the Ritual Decalogue, or the Ethical Decalogue. The Priestly Code constitutes the majority of Leviticus, as well as some of the laws...
, and constitutes an annual tithe given over to the Levites, additionally tithing Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and Wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, is a conflicting version of the same single tithe as the tithe formed by the Maaser Ani and Maaser Sheni taken together; the Maaser Ani and Maaser Sheni together being the Deuteronomist
Deuteronomist
The Deuteronomist, or simply D, is one of the sources underlying the Hebrew bible . It is found in the book of Deuteronomy, in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings and also in the book of Jeremiah...
's version and the Maaser Rishon being the version of the priestly source
Priestly source
The Priestly Source is one of the sources of the Torah/Pentateuch in the bible. Primarily a product of the post-Exilic period when Judah was a province of the Persian empire , P was written to show that even when all seemed lost, God remained present with Israel...
; despite the fact that those tithes appear in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
article (1911) concludes that there is no significant textual evidence that the tithes come from different sources and the theory ignores the role of termuah and terumat maaser, which were separated for the priests. In both alleged "versions" it is required that a portion be given to the Leviim because they had no inhertiance of land, unlike the other tribes, and were considered to be more likely to be supported by others' property. Although the deuteronomist
Deuteronomist
The Deuteronomist, or simply D, is one of the sources underlying the Hebrew bible . It is found in the book of Deuteronomy, in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings and also in the book of Jeremiah...
is generally considered to be a later author than the priestly source
Priestly source
The Priestly Source is one of the sources of the Torah/Pentateuch in the bible. Primarily a product of the post-Exilic period when Judah was a province of the Persian empire , P was written to show that even when all seemed lost, God remained present with Israel...
, scholars believe that much of the Deuteronomic Code was a reaction against the regulations introduced by the Priestly Code, and that here it reflects the earlier situation.
Some scholars speculate that Maaser Sheni developed as a tribute to the king; the Books of Samuel
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
mention that the Israelites were ordered by Samuel (speaking on behalf of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
) to give a tenth of everything to the king, seemingly referring to such a tribute in a passage (1 Samuel 8:15) which textual scholars believe belongs to the monarchial source, and predates both the Priestly Code and the Deuteronomic Code. This is in contrast to the reading of the text which was a warning by Samuel to the Children of Israel about the abuses of power that a king may impose. There is no example of an Israelite king actually imposing such a 10% tax. Further, ma'aser sheni was retained for consumption by the farmer who produced the crop or redeemed by said farmer for money to be used by him and his family. Some scholars speculate that these tributes began to be used for public festivals, often including religious ones, and thus gradually came to be seen as associated with the priests. Once again, this is unlikely as the Levites who received ma'aser rishon were not priests (called "kohanim"). The kohanim received termuah and terumat ma'aser from the Leviim, not ma'aser rishon, as would be thought if they had written the Torah to enhance their own agenda. Moreover, this has nothing to do with ma'aser sheni, which, once again, was retained by the farmer who was liable to separate the tithe.
See also
- Teruma gedola, the great tribute
- Terumat HaMaaserTerumat hamaaserThe tithe offering is a rabbinical Hebrew term based on the commandment in the Hebrew Bible to give a tithe maaser of 10% to the Levites. The first term, terumah, means offering...
- Maaser RishonMaaser RishonThe first tithe is a positive commandment in the Torah requiring the giving of one tenth of agricultural produce, after the giving of the standard terumah, to the Kohen...
, the first tithe - Maaser AniMaaser AniThe poor tithe reflects an obligation to set aside one tenth of produce grown in the third and sixth years of the seven-year sabbatical year agricultural cycle for the poor, in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem....
, the poor tithe