Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 14:22/רמב"ן על דברים י״ד:כ״ב
אעַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר, גַּם זוֹ מִצְוָה שֶׁיְּבָאֵר, כִּי אָמַר (ויקרא כז ל) וְכָל מַעְשַׂר הָאָרֶץ מִזֶּרַע הָאָרֶץ מִפְּרִי הָעֵץ לַה' הוּא קֹדֶשׁ לַה', וְאָמַר (שם פסוק לא) וְאִם גָּאֹל יִגְאַל אִישׁ מִמַּעַשְׂרוֹ חֲמִשִׁיתוֹ יֹסֵף עָלָיו, וְאֵין זֶה מַעְשַׂר הַלְוִיִּם, כִּי בּוֹ נֶאֱמַר (במדבר יח לא) וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֹתוֹ בְּכָל מָקוֹם, וְהוּא חֻלִּין, וּמָה טַעַם לְפִדְיוֹנוֹ. וְעַתָּה בֵּאֵר כִּי הוּא יְחַיֵּב לְעַשֵּׂר כָּל תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ, שֶׁיֹּאכַל אוֹתוֹ הוּא עַצְמוֹ וּבָנָיו לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם, לְמַעַן תִּלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת הַשֵּׁם, כִּי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַשּׁוֹפְטִים הָעוֹמְדִים שָׁם לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם מוֹרֵי הַתּוֹרָה יְלַמְּדוּהוּ יִרְאָתוֹ וְיוֹרוּהוּ הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת. וּפֵרֵשׁ בְּטַעַם הַפִּדְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר שָׁם, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי לִפְעָמִים יִהְיֶה הַמַּעֲשֵׂר הַרְבֵּה, כִּי יְבָרֶכְךָ הַשֵּׁם, וְהַדֶּרֶךְ יִהְיֶה רַב מִמֶּנּוּ, וְטוֹב לִפְדּוֹתוֹ בְּכֶסֶף וּלְהַעֲלוֹת שָׁם כֶּסֶף הַפִּדְיוֹן. וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר הַחֹמֶשׁ, שֶׁכְּבָר הֻזְכַּר. וְטַעַם הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה, וְכָל הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר מִזֶּרַע הָאָרֶץ מִפְּרִי הָעֵץ, וְטַעְמוֹ הַיֹּצֵא מִן הַשָּׂדֶה. וְאֵין הַכַּוָּנָה בְּכָל תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ, שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר כָּל הַתְּבוּאָה מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר זָרַע וְלֹא כָּל הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַשָּׂדֶה שָׁנָה שָׁנָה. אֲבָל טַעַם הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר בַּמִּינִים הַמְחֻיָּבִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂר כָּל תְּבוּאָתוֹ וְכָל הַיֹּצֵא בָּהֶן מִן הַשָּׂדֶה, יַזְהִיר שֶׁלֹּא יְעַשֵּׂר מִן הַבָּא בְּיָדוֹ מֵהֶם הַמִּקְצָת וְיִפְטֹר לוֹ הַמִּקְצָת, אֲבָל יְעַשֵּׂר בֵּין הַמִּדּוֹת שֶׁזָּרַע בֵּין הַנִּתְוַסֵּף עֲלֵיהֶם הַכֹּל בֶּאֱמוּנָה. וְאַחַר כָּךְ (דברים י"ד:כ"ג) הִזְכִּיר הַמִּינִים הַמְחֻיָּבִים לְהִתְעַשֵּׂר, מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ, וְכֵן יַזְכִּיר בְּכָל מָקוֹם (דברים י"ב:י"ז) לֹא תוּכַל לֶאֱכֹל בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וְגוֹ', וְכֵן אָמַר בְּפָרָשַׁת מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה (במדבר יח יב) כֹּל חֵלֶב יִצְהָר וְכָל חֵלֶב תִּירוֹשׁ וְדָגָן רֵאשִׁיתָם אֲשֶׁר יִתְּנוּ לַה', כִּי אֵלּוּ בִּלְבַד הֵם הַחַיָּבִים בִּתְרוּמָה וּבְמַעַשְׂרוֹת מִן הַתּוֹרָה. וְכֵן מָה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא כז ל) וְכָל מַעְשַׂר הָאָרֶץ מִזֶּרַע הָאָרֶץ מִפְּרִי הָעֵץ לַה' הוּא, לֹא יְצַוֶּה שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר כָּל זֶרַע הָאָרֶץ וְכָל פְּרִי הָעֵץ, אֲבָל טַעְמוֹ כָּל אֲשֶׁר תְּעַשֵּׂר מִזֶּרַע הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁהוּא דָּגָן, וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ, שֶׁהוּא תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר, יִהְיֶה לַה'. וְכַלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה כָּתַב רַשִׁ"י (שם), מִזֶּרַע הָאָרֶץ, דָּגָן, וּפְרִי הָעֵץ, תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר. וִיקַצֵּר הַכָּתוּב שָׁם, כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ מְקוֹם הַמִּצְוָה לְחַיֵּב שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר, אֲבָל הוּא מִצְוָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַמַּעֲשֵׂר קֹדֶשׁ לַה' עַד שֶׁיִּפָּדֶה בְּתוֹסֶפֶת חֹמֶשׁ. אֲבָל הַמִּצְוָה בַּתְּרוּמוֹת וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת בְּכָל מָקוֹם הֵן דָּגָן תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר. וּפֵרוּשׁ דָּגָן בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ חֲמֵשֶׁת הַמִּינִין הַיְּדוּעִין בַּתְּבוּאָה. וּפֵרוּשׁ תִּירוֹשׁ הַיַּיִן הֶחָדָשׁ אֲשֶׁר יָשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים. וְיִצְהָר הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶן. וְאֵין מִין אַחֵר בְּכָל הַזְּרָעִין וּבְכָל פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן חַיָּבִין מִן הַתּוֹרָה כְּלָל, לֹא בִּתְרוּמוֹת וְלֹא בְּמַעַשְׂרוֹת. וְיֵשׁ בָּרָיְתוֹת שְׁנוּיוֹת בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (בחקותי פרק יב ט) וּבְסִפְרֵי (ראה קה) לְאַסְמַכְתּוֹת, וְהֵן מֻטְעוֹת, אֲבָל הַדָּבָר הַמִּתְבָּאֵר בַּגְּמָרָא מִן הַתַּלְמוּד הַבַּבְלִי (ברכות לו) וְהַיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי (חלה פ"ד ה"ד) וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא כָּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ זֵיתִים וַעֲנָבִים מַעֲשֵׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם אֵינוֹ מִן הַתּוֹרָה עַד שֶׁיֵּעָשׂוּ תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר. וְתִהְיֶה בָּזֶה נִזְהָר, שֶׁכְּבָר טָעוּ בּוֹ מִגְּדוֹלֵי הַמְּחַבְּרִים (עי' רמב"ם הלכות תרומות פ"ב ה"א). וְטַעַם שָׁנָה שָׁנָה, שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר אוֹתוֹ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים זוֹ אַחַר זוֹ, כֵּן קַבָּלַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ר"ה יב). וְאַחַר כָּךְ (דברים י"ד:כ"ח) פֵּרֵשׁ כִּי מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים תּוֹצִיא מַעֲשֵׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ שֶׁל הַשָּׁנָה הַהִיא וְתַאֲכִילֵהוּ לָעֲנִיִּים, לוֹמַר כִּי הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית שֶׁל מַעְשַׂר עָנִי הוּא. וְאָמַר תּוֹצִיא וְגוֹ' וְהִנַּחְתָּ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, לְלַמֵּד עַל הַבִּעוּר, וְשׁוּב יְבָאֵר אוֹתוֹ בְּפָרָשַׁת כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר (דברים כ"ו:י"ב). וּמִדְרַשׁ חֲכָמִים (בתנחומא ראה יח) בִּלְשׁוֹן עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר, עַשֵּׂר בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁתִּתְעַשֵּׁר, עַשֵּׂר שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְחַסֵּר, רֶמֶז לִמְפָרְשֵׁי יַמִּים לְהוֹצִיא אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה לַעֲמֵלֵי תּוֹרָה:
1THOU SHALT SURELY TITHE ALL THE INCREASE OF THY SEED. This also is a [previously stated] commandment that he [Moses] now explains. For He stated, And all the tithe of the Land, whether of the seed of the Land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Eternal’s; it is holy unto the Eternal,226 and He further said, And if a man will redeem aught of his tithe, he shall add unto it the fifth part thereof.227, Verse 30. Now these verses do not refer to the tithe of the Levites [i.e., the First Tithe], for of that it is said, And ye may eat it in every place,228 and it is unconsecrated food, and what reason is there for its redemption? And now he explained that He obligated [them] to tithe all the increase of thy seed [i.e., to set aside the Second Tithe] in order that he himself and his children eat it before G-d, that thou mayest learn to fear the Eternal.229 For the priests and judges who stand there before the Eternal,230 the teachers of the Torah, will instruct him in the fear [of G-d] and teach him the Torah and the Commandments. And he explained [here] the meaning of the redemption He mentioned there:227, Verse 30. it is because sometimes the [Second] Tithe will be abundant because the Eternal will have blessed you and the way will be too long for you, and [therefore] it is better to redeem it with money and to bring the redemption-money [to Jerusalem for use in buying food]. He did not mention [here] the fifth [that is added to the value of the Second Tithe when redeeming it] because it has already been mentioned [there in Leviticus].227, Verse 30.The purport of the expression, that which is brought forth in the field is “‘and all’ that which is brought forth in the field,” [so that the phrase does modify ‘the increase of thy seed,’ and adds additional categories of produce to the requirement of the Second Tithe], just as He has said, whether of the seed of the Land, or of the fruit of the tree,226 and the sense thereof is “that which comes forth ‘from’ the field.” Now the intent of the expression all the increase of thy seed is not that he is to tithe all produce from whatever he seeded, nor everything that is brought forth in the field year by year. The sense of the verse is that one is to tithe, of those species which are liable to the tithe, all of his produce [these being grain, wine, and oil, as will be explained] and all that was brought forth of them in the field. He is warning that he is not to tithe only a small part of that which cometh to his hand231 and thus exempt only a small quantity of the produce, but instead he is to tithe both the measures of seed that he planted and the increase upon them [in the process of growing], all of it faithfully. Then he mentions the species which are obligated to be tithed: the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil,229 and so he mentions in all places, as it is said, Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thine oil etc.232 And so He said in the section on the gifts to the priesthood, All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the corn, the first part of them which they give unto the Eternal,233 for of these only we are obligated by the law of the Torah234 to set aside the heave-offering and the tithes. Similarly, what Scripture states, And all the tithe of the Land, whether of the seed of the Land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Eternal’s226 [does not mean] that He commanded that one tithe all the seed of the Land and all the fruit of the tree, but rather the meaning thereof is as follows: “Whatever you tithe of the seed of the Land, which is corn, and of the fruit of the tree, which is wine and oil, are the Eternal’s.” In this identical language Rashi writes there: “Of the seed of the Land — corn. Or of the fruit of the tree — wine and oil.” Now Scripture abbreviates the matter there [in Leviticus] because it is not the place of the commandment obligating that one tithe, but it merely commands that the [Second] Tithe shall be holy unto the Eternal227, Verse 30. until he redeems it by adding a fifth thereto. But the commandment regarding the heave-offerings and the tithes applies everywhere [in the Torah] to corn, wine and oil [exclusively and to no other produce of field or tree]. Now the term dagan (corn) in the Sacred Language applies to the five well-known species of grain;235 tirosh (wine) applies to the new wine in the overflowing vats,236 and yitzhar refers to the oil therein.236 No other kind of seedling or fruit of the trees at all, are obligated by law of the Torah neither in heave-offerings nor in tithes. Now, there are Beraithoth237 taught in the Torath Kohanim and in the Sifre that are Scriptural supports for Rabbinic ordinances, and they are misleading [because the Beraithoth indicate that Scripture requires heave-offerings and tithes from other produce as well]. However, the principle that emerges clearly from the Gemara of the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud238 and the plain meaning of Scripture is this: that even tithes of olives and grapes are not [required] by law of the Torah until they have been made into wine and oil. Be heedful of this matter, for some of the greatest authors239 are all products similar to these — that are used as food, and are guarded, and grow from the soil — that they too are to be tithed by law of the Torah (Hilchoth Terumoth 2:1). have erred concerning it.And the meaning of the expression year by year is that we are to set aside this [Second] Tithe in two consecutive years, one after the other [i.e., in the first and second years of the Sabbatical cycle, and again in the fourth and fifth years]. Such is the interpretation accepted by our Rabbis. And afterwards he explained that at the end of three years240 you shall bring forth the tithe of your increase of that [third] year and feed it to the poor, thus declaring that the third year [and the sixth year as well] the tithe is for the poor [unlike the Second Tithe which is to be eaten in Jerusalem, it is given to the poor anywhere in the Land]. He states thou shalt bring forth … and shalt lay it up within thy gates240 in order to teach us concerning the removal thereof [from the house], and he will yet explain it in the section of When thou hast made an end of tithing.241The Midrash of the Sages relative to the expression aseir t’aseir (thou shalt surely tithe) is:242 18. “Aseir (give tithes) so that tithasheir (you may become rich);243 give tithe so that you may not be deprived [of your belongings]. This is a hint to those who make their way through the seas [i.e., to merchants who travel abroad] to set aside one tenth [of their profits] for those who toil in the Torah.”244