Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 303/ספרי דברים ש״ג
אוְנָתַתָּ לַלֵּוִי לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, תֵּן לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי חֶלְקוֹ.
1Pisqa’ 303581. “And you shall give it to the Levite, the migrant, the fatherless, and to the widow” (Dt. 26:12).Give to each his proper share.
בוְאָכְלוּ בִשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְשָׂבֵעוּ, תֵּן לָהֶם כְּדֵי שָׂבְעָם. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: אֵין פּוֹחֲתִים לֶעָנִי בַּגֹּרֶן מֵחֲצִי קַב חִטִּים אוֹ קַב שְׂעוֹרִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה; רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: חֲצִי קַב.
2“And they shall eat to their satisfaction within your gates” (Dt. 26:12).Give them till they are full.59 110.1On this basis they taught:At the threshing floor,they may not give to the poorless than a half qav of wheat or a qav of barley:words of R. Judah.Rabbi says: a half qav [of either].602. “Within your gates” (Dt. 26:12)—this teaches that they do not expel himfrom the Land to beyond the Land.
גאָמְרוּ: מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית נִבְלָטָה הָיְתָה בִּירוּשָׁלִַם, וְנָתְנוּ לָהֶם חֲכָמִים שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת כִּכְּרֵי כֶסֶף, וְלֹא רָצוּ לְהוֹצִיאָם מִירוּשָׁלַיִם.
3They reported:a clan from the family of Nevaltaonce lived in Jerusalem.Sages offered them 600 talents of gold[to remain there],for they didn’t want to expel them from Jerusalem.61 110.1 The toseftan parallel explains the clan’s reluctance to leave Jerusalem, pointing out the antiquity of the clan’s residence in Jerusalem, despite its poverty.
ד(דברים כו יג) וְאָמַרְתָּ, בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן.
4“Then you shall declare” (Dt. 26:13)—in any language.
הלִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, זֶה וִדּוּי מַעֲשֵׂר.
5“Before HASHEM your God” (Dt. 26:13):Here’s the Tithing Confession!
ובִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן הַבַּיִת, זֶה מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי וְנֶטַע רְבָעִי.
63. “I have expunged the consecrated food from my house” (Dt. 26:13)—this refers to Second-tithe and the Fourth-year Orchard62; literally, “a four-year-old tree-planting.” According to Lv. 19:23-25, both tree-fruit and grapes (kerem rev`ai) during their first three years of planting are proscribed as “blocked” or “uncircumcised” ((`orlah). In the fourth year they are considered “sanctified,” and may be eaten only under particular circumstances (see M. MS.5:1-4). By the fifth year the fruit is wholly available for use as people deem necessary. In tannaitic legal texts, as in the case before us, Second tithe and keter/net`a rev`ai are often discussed together because of the similarity of the rules that apply to each.[both of which are divine property until deconsecrated].
זוְגַם נְתַתִּיו לַלֵּוִי, זֶה מַעֲשֵׂר לֵוִי. וְגַם נְתַתִּיו, זוֹ תְּרוּמָה וּתְרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר.
7“Moreover, I have given it to the Levite” (Dt. 26:13)—this refers to the Levitical-tithe.63 also known as ma`aser r’ishon (First tithe).“Likewise, have I given it” (Dt. 26:13)—this refers to the Threshing-floor-offering64 literally, “that which is offered up. Often translated as “Heave-offering,” it is distributed to priests after the harvested crop is piled on the threshing-room floor. See Pisqa’ 72.3.and the Offering from the Tithe.65, taken by Levites from their First-tithe and offered to priests. ma`aser lewi is given by commoners to Levites, who then give a tenth to the priests as terumat ma`aser.
חלַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, זֶה מַעְשַׂר עָנִי לֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מְעַכְּבִים אֶת הַוִּידּוּי.
8“To the migrant, the fatherless, and the widow” (Dt. 26:13)—this refers to the Pauper’s-tithe, Gleanings,the Forgotten-sheaf, and the Corner-offering,even though [their absence from the rite]does not impede the confession.
טמִן הַבַּיִת, זוֹ חַלָּה.
9“From my house” (Dt. 26:13)—this implies the Dough-offering[for dough is made in the home].66
ידָּבָר אַחֵר מִן הַבַּיִת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִפְרַשְׁתּוֹ מִן הַבַּיִת אֵין אַתְּ נִזְקָק לוֹ לְכָל דָּבָר.
10Another word:“From my house” (Dt. 26:13)—having removed it from the house,you have no further need for it[and it may be destroyed].67
יאכְּכָל מִצְוָתְךָ, שֶׁאִם הִקְדִּים מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי לָרִאשׁוֹן אֵין בְּכָךְ כְּלוּם.
11“In full compliance with Your commandment” (Dt. 26:13)—thus, if he separated Second-tithe before First-tithe,he might as well have done nothing.
יבאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי, לֹא נְתַתִּיו לְמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לוֹ.
12“Which You commanded me” (Dt. 26:13)—I’ve given none of itto any one who isn’t entitled to it.
יגלֹא עָבַרְתִּי מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ, לֹא הִפְרַשְׁתִּי מִמִּין עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִינוֹ, לֹא מִן הַתָּלוּשׁ עַל הַמְחֻבָּר וְלֹא מִן הַמְחֻבָּר עַל הַתָּלוּשׁ, וְלֹא מִן הֶחָדָשׁ עַל הַיָּשָׁן וְלֹא מִן הַיָּשָׁן עַל הֶחָדָשׁ.
13“I have not transgressed Your commandment” (Dt. 26:13)—I’ve not separated [the Tithe]from one type of produce on behalf of another;or from the uprooted on behalf of the still-rooted;or from the still-rooted on behalf of the uprooted;or from the new harvest on behalf of the old;or from the old harvest on behalf of the new.
ידוְלֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי, לֹא שָׁכַחְתִּי מִלְּבָרֵךְ וּמִלְּהַזְכִּיר שִׁמְךָ עָלָיו.
14“I have not forgotten” (Dt. 26:13—that is, I haven’t forgotten to recite a blessing[before separating the Tithe],or to call to mind Your Name upon it.68
טו(דברים כו יד) לֹא אָכַלְתִּי בְאֹנִי מִמֶּנּוּ, הָא אִם אֲכָלוֹ בַּאֲנִינָה אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְוַדּוֹת.
15“I haven’t eaten from it during my mourning” (Dt. 26:14)—thus, if he ate from it while in mourning,he is unable to make the confession.
טזוְלֹא בִעַרְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ בְּטָמֵא, לֹא שֶׁאֲנִי טָמֵא וְהוּא טָהוֹר וְלֹא שֶׁאֲנִי טָהוֹר וְהוּא טָמֵא.
16“Nor have I expunged any of it while unclean” (Dt. 26:14)—not while I was unclean and it was clean,and not while I was clean and it was unclean.
יזוְלֹא נָתַתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ לְמֵת, לֹא לָקַחְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ אָרוֹן וְתַכְרִיכִים לְמֵת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: אִם לְמֵת, אַף לְחַי אָסוּר. מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לְמֵת? שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱלַפְתִּיו אֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר טָהוֹר.
17“Nor have I offered any of it to the dead” (Dt. 26:14)—I didn’t purchase with [its proceeds] a coffin or shrouds for a corpse:69Words of R. Eliezer.Said to him R. Akiva:If [this is taught] of a corpse,won’t it apply as well to a living person?Why, then, does the Teaching state:“To the dead” (Dt. 26:14)?So that I don’t exchange a clean item[for one already rendered unclean by the corpse].
יחשָׁמַעְתִּי בְּקוֹל ה׳ אֱלֹהָי, וַהֲבֵאתִיו לְבֵית הַבְּחִירָה.
18“I have obeyed the voice of HASHEM my God” (Dt. 26:14)—by bringing it to the Chosen Abode.
יטעָשִׂיתִי כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי, שָׂמַחְתִּי וְשִׂמַּחְתִּי בוֹ.
19“I have accomplished all that You have commanded me” (Dt. 26:14)—by rejoicing and enabling others to rejoice.70
כ(דברים כו טו) הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ, עָשִׂינוּ מַה שֶּׁגָּזַרְתָּ עָלֵינוּ, עֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ מַה שֶּׁהִבְטַחְתָּנוּ: הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ וְכוּ׳.
20“Gaze out from your holy Dwelling” (Dt. 26:15)—we have done what You decreed upon us;now, do for us what You promised us!“From the Heavens, and bless Your people, Israel.” (Dt. 26:15)—{with sons and daughters}.71