הלכות מתנות עניים ו׳Gifts to the Poor 6

Chapter 6 of 10 in Gifts to the Poor — 17 halachot

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Halacha 1א׳

מַתָּנָּה אַחֶרֶת שִׁשִּׁית יֵשׁ לָעֲנִיִּים בְּזֶרַע הָאָרֶץ וְהוּא הַמַּעֲשֵׂר שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין לָעֲנִיִּים וְהוּא הַנִּקְרָא מַעֲשַׂר עָנִי:

Another, sixth type of gift for the poor from agriculture is the tithe that they give to the poor, and it is called ma'esar ani [the "tithe for the poor"].

Halacha 2ב׳

וְזֶהוּ סֵדֶר תְּרוּמוֹת וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת. אַחַר שֶׁקּוֹצֵר זֶרַע הָאָרֶץ אוֹ אוֹסֵף פְּרִי הָעֵץ וְתִגָּמֵר מְלַאכְתּוֹ מַפְרִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אֶחָד מִן הַחֲמִשִּׁים. וְזֶהוּ הַנִּקְרָא תְּרוּמָה גְּדוֹלָה וְנוֹתְנָהּ לַכֹּהֵן. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים יח ד) "רֵאשִׁית דְּגָנְךָ תִּירשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ". וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַפְרִישׁ מִן הַשְּׁאָר אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה. וְזֶהוּ הַנִּקְרָא מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן. וְנוֹתְנוֹ לַלֵּוִי. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (במדבר יח כד) "כִּי אֶת מַעְשַׂר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" וְגוֹ' וְנֶאֱמַר (במדבר יח כא) "וְלִבְנֵי לֵוִי הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל":

And this is the system of gift-offerings and tithes: After one has harvested the seeds of the earth or gathered the fruit of the trees and has completed one's labor, one must separate out one-fiftieth, and this is called the terumah gedolah [the "great gift-offering"], and one gives it to a priest. About this it is said in the Torah, (Deut. 18:4) You shall also give him the first fruits of your new grain and wine and oil. Afterwards, one separates from the remainder one-tenth, and this is called ma'asér rishon [the "first tithe"], and one gives it to a Levite. About this it is said in the Torah, (Num. 18:24) For it is the tithes set aside by the Israelites [as a gift to the LORD hat I give to the Levites as their share], and (Num. 18:21) To the Levites I hereby give all the tithes in Israel.

Halacha 3ג׳

וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַפְרִישׁ מִן הַשְּׁאָר אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה וְהוּא הַנִּקְרָא מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי. וְהוּא לִבְעָלָיו וְאוֹכְלִין אוֹתוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם. וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כז לא) "וְאִם גָּאל יִגְאַל אִישׁ מִמַּעַשְׂרוֹ". וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (דברים יד כב) "עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר" (דברים יד כג) "וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר":

Afterwards, one separates from the remainder one-tenth, and this is called ma'asér sheni [the "second tithe"], and this is for the owner to eat in Jerusalem. About this it is said, (Lev. 27:31) If anyone wishes to redeem any of his tithes, [he must add one-fifth to them], and about this it is said, (Deut. 14:22-23) You shall set aside every tenth year [of all of the yield of your sowing that is brought from the field.] 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, in the place where He will choose to establish His name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God forever].

Halacha 4ד׳

עַל הַסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה מַפְרִישִׁין בְּשָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה מִן הַשָּׁבוּעַ וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה וּבָרְבִיעִית וּבַחֲמִישִׁית. אֲבָל בַּשְּׁלִישִׁית וּבַשִּׁשִּׁית מִן הַשָּׁבוּעַ אַחַר שֶׁמַּפְרִישִׁים מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן מַפְרִישׁ מִן הַשְּׁאָר מַעֲשֵׂר אַחֵר וְנוֹתְנוֹ לָעֲנִיִּים וְהוּא הַנִּקְרָא מַעֲשַׂר עָנִי. וְאֵין בִּשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי אֶלָּא מַעֲשַׂר עָנִי. וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (דברים יד כח) "מִקְצֵה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים תּוֹצִיא אֶת כָּל מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא וְהִנַּחְתָּ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ" (דברים יד כט) "וּבָא הַלֵּוִי". וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (דברים כו יב) "כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר":

According to this system, they should tithe, in a seven year cycle, the first, second, fourth, and fifth years, but on the third and the sixth years of the seven year cycle, after one has tithed ma'asér rishon, one should take out from the remainder another tithe [one-tenth] and give it to the poor. This is called ma'esar ani. In these two years there is no ma'asér sheni but instead ma'esar ani.118See Babylonian Talmud Rosh Hashanah 12b. About this it is written, (Deut. 14:28-29) Every third year you shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year, but leave it within your settlements. Then the Levite, [who has no hereditary portion as you have, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your settlements shall come and eat their fill, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the enterprises you undertake.] And about this it is written, (Deut. 26:12) When you have set aside in full the tenth part [of your yield in the third year--the year of the tithe--and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements].

Halacha 5ה׳

שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה כֻּלָּהּ הֶפְקֵר וְאֵין בָּהּ לֹא תְּרוּמָה וְלֹא מַעַשְׂרוֹת כְּלָל לֹא רִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא שֵׁנִי וְלֹא מַעֲשַׂר עָנִי. וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ שְׁמִטַּת קַרְקַע מַפְרִישִׁין בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּבְעַמּוֹן וּבְמוֹאָב מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן וּמַעֲשַׂר עָנִי. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָאֲרָצוֹת אֵלּוּ קְרוֹבוֹת לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהְיוּ עֲנִיֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְמָכִין עָלֶיהָ בַּשְּׁבִיעִית. וַהֲלָכָה לְמשֶׁה מִסִּינַי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מַפְרִישִׁים בְּאֶרֶץ עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב מַעֲשַׂר עָנִי בַּשְּׁבִיעִית. אֲבָל בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר מַפְרִישִׁין בַּשְּׁבִיעִית מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי כְּסֵדֶר רֹב הַשָּׁנִים:

In the Sabbatical year, everything is considered "ownerless" [and thus community property] and there are no gift-offerings or tithes at all, not ma'aser rishon, not ma'asér sheni, not ma'esar ani, and outside of the Land of Israel there is no sabbatical for the land. [However,] they tithe in Egypt, Amon, and Moav ma'asér rishon and ma'esar ani because these lands are close to the Land of Israel so that the poor of Israel may be sustained on it during the seventh year. This is the law of Moses at Sinai119See 3:15. that they tithe in the lands of Amon and Moav ma'esar ani in the seventh year, but in Shinar they separate out ma'aser sheni in the seventh year according to the system of the majority of the years.120See Mishnah Yada'yim 4:3.

…and 12 more halachot in this chapter.

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Mishneh Torah, Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Gifts for the Poor, tr. Joseph B. Meszler, 2003 — CC BY