The journey continues with part 15!
258. Rambam has, “An impure priest must not eat food set aside for a priest.”
“Any man of the offspring of Aharon, who is a leper or has a discharge, does not eat the set-apart offerings until he is clean…” (Leviticus 22:4)
The literal command here is that a descendent of Aaron, within the context of acting as a priest, would not be allowed to eat the offering while unclean. This falls under love Elohim, cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “The offspring of Aaron does not eat the set-apart offerings until he is clean.”
259. Rambam has, “A desecrated woman must not eat food set aside for a priest.”
“And when a priest’s daughter is married to a stranger, she does not eat of the set-apart offerings.” (Leviticus 22:12)
The offerings were eaten by the priest and those who presented the offerings, remembering that the tribe of Levi had no land to cultivate crops. If the daughter of a Levite married someone outside of the tribe, indicated here by ‘strange man’, then now she has the means to work the earth to produce food. She is no longer under her father, but under her husband, who may have farmland to sustain his family. This falls under love Elohim, cannot be fulfilled today (though I suppose in a sense it is since there are no daughters of priest eating the set-apart offering), and in my notes, I put “A priest’s daughter who is married to a stranger, does not eat of the set-apart offerings.”
260. Rambam has, “Set aside a tithe each planting year and give it to a Levite.”
“But the tithes of the children of Yisra’ĕl, which they present as a contribution to יהוה, I have given to the Lĕwites as an inheritance. That is why I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Yisra’ĕl they have no inheritance.” (Numbers 18:24)
Tithes were always produce, not money, and most of the time they went to the Levitical priesthood because they had no means to make their own food. Their sole responsibility was to the temple of Yah, serving the creator for the rest of Israel. Other tithes went to the widows, the poor, orphans, the stranger, and Levites without a hereditary portion. This falls under love others, and cannot be fulfilled today as there is no earthly priesthood, and in my notes, I put “Tithe to the Levites.”
261. Rambam has, “Set aside the second tithe.”
“You shall tithe without fail all the yield of your grain that the field brings forth year by year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22)
The actual command here is to tithe. Since there are several tithes, as mentioned above, I don’t feel right saying this command is the same as the one before it. Where the last command was specifically about the tithes for the Levites, this one is the over-the-top view of the need to tithe. While stating that, I do recognize the argument that the command to tithe would encompass all other tithing commands. This falls under love others, and cannot be fulfilled in the sense of a Levite but can be for the poor, widowed, orphans, and strangers. In my notes, I put “You shall tithe without fail.”
262. Rambam has, “Do not spend the money from selling the second tithe on anything but food, drink, or ointment in Jerusalem.”
“I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for any unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of יהוה my Elohim, I have done according to all that You have commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 26:14)
“The verse Rambam listed does not show the command he stated; however, it is found in Deuteronomy 14.
“But when the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to bring the tithe, or when the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to put His Name is too far from you, when יהוה your Elohim is blessing you, then you shall give it in silver, and shall take the silver in your hand and go to the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses. “And you shall use the silver for whatever your being desires: for cattle or sheep, for wine or strong drink, for whatever your being desires. And you shall eat there before יהוה your Elohim, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.” (Deuteronomy 14:24-26)
I have some thoughts on this command. The place where Elohim chose to place his name was Jerusalem where His temple was located. Yet, if the person could not make it to Jerusalem with their tithes, they were supposed to sell their tithes and then spend it on whatever they liked which Elohim chose. This could mean, that transporting the tithes to Jerusalem would be too cumbersome so it would be better to sell the tithes and take their money to Jerusalem. It could also mean that Jerusalem is too far for the person, so they should sell their tithes where they are led to. This falls under love others, cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “Spend the money from selling your tithe in place Elohim chooses.”
263. Rambam has, “Do not eat the second tithe while impure.”
“I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for any unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of יהוה my Elohim, I have done according to all that You have commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 26:14)
The section Rambam pulls from states not to remove it for any unclean use, not necessarily eating it while impure. Though I suppose that could include eating it while impure. This falls under love others, cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “Do not remove any of tithes for unclean use.”
264. Rambam has, “A mourner on the first day after a death must not eat the second tithe.”
“I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for any unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of יהוה my Elohim, I have done according to all that You have commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 26:14)
The implied command is to not eat the tithe while in mourning, which can last longer than a day. This falls under love others, cannot be fulfilled today and in my notes, I put “Do not eat of the tithe while in mourning.”
265. Rambam has, “Do not eat second tithe grains outside Jerusalem.”
“You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or of the firstlings of your herd or your flock, or of any of your offerings which you vow, or of your voluntary offerings, or of the contribution of your hand. “But eat them before יהוה your Elohim, in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim in all that you put your hands to.” (Deuteronomy 12:17-18)
The literal command is to not eat the tithe other than the place that Elohim chooses, which would have been the temple in Jerusalem. This falls under love others, cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “Eat the tithe and offering where Elohim chooses.”
266. Rambam has, “Do not eat second tithe wine products outside Jerusalem.”
“You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or of the firstlings of your herd or your flock, or of any of your offerings which you vow, or of your voluntary offerings, or of the contribution of your hand. “But eat them before יהוה your Elohim, in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim in all that you put your hands to.” (Deuteronomy 12:17-18)
This command is the same as number 265.
267. Rambam has, “Do not eat second tithe oil outside Jerusalem.”
“You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or of the firstlings of your herd or your flock, or of any of your offerings which you vow, or of your voluntary offerings, or of the contribution of your hand. “But eat them before יהוה your Elohim, in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim in all that you put your hands to.” (Deuteronomy 12:17-18)
This command is the same as number 265.
268. Rambam has, “The fourth-year crops must be totally for holy purposes like the second tithe.”
“And when you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall reckon their fruit as uncircumcised. For three years it is as uncircumcised to you, it is not eaten. ‘And in the fourth year all its fruit is set-apart – praises to יהוה. ‘And in the fifth year you eat its fruit, so that it increases its yield to you. I am יהוה your Elohim.” (Leviticus 19:23-24)
The command appears to be specific to the time when the Israelites entered their promised land. Does this imply that every four years all fruit should be dedicated to Elohim? It could, however, in my understanding, this command pertains only to the period when the Israelites entered the land. This falls under love Elohim, cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “When the Israelites entered into the land, their fourth-year fruits were dedicated to Elohim.”
269. Rambam has, “Read the confession of tithes every fourth and seventh year.”
“Then you shall say before יהוה your Elohim, ‘I have put away the set-apart portion from my house, and also have given it to the Lĕwite, and to the stranger, and to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Your command which You have commanded me. I have not transgressed Your commands, nor have I forgotten. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for any unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of יהוה my Elohim, I have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look from Your set-apart dwelling place, from the heavens, and bless Your people Yisra’ĕl and the land which You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 26:13-15)
Most lists have this command listed under love others, however, given the nature of the prayer I see this as loving Elohim. This cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “Say the prayer of tithing.”
270. Rambam has, “Set aside the first fruits and bring them to the Temple.”
“Bring the first of the first-fruits of your land into the House of יהוה your Elohim. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (Exodus 23:19)
A key piece of information I want to point out in this commandment, is that Elohim gets our best and He gets it first. He does not want our scraps. This is a physical example of us trusting in Him to provide for us by giving up the best we have to offer first. This commandment falls under Love Elohim, cannot be fulfilled today, and in my notes, I put “Bring the first of the first-fruits into the House of Yah your Elohim.”
271. Rambam has, “The priests must not eat the first fruits outside Jerusalem.”
“You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or of the firstlings of your herd or your flock, or of any of your offerings which you vow, or of your voluntary offerings, or of the contribution of your hand. “But eat them before יהוה your Elohim, in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim in all that you put your hands to.” (Deuteronomy 12:17-18)
This command is already wrapped up in number 265 and can be seen as an unstated premise in number 270.
272. Rambam has, “Read the portion of Scripture pertaining to the presentation of first fruits.”
“That you shall take some of the first of all the fruits of the soil which you bring from your land that יהוה your Elohim is giving you, and shall put it in a basket and go to the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell there. “And you shall come to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I shall declare today to יהוה your Elohim that I have come to the land which יהוה swore to our fathers to give us.’ “And the priest shall take the basket from your hand and place it before the slaughter-place of יהוה your Elohim. “And you shall answer and say before יהוה your Elohim, ‘My father was a perishing Aramean, and he went down to Mitsrayim and sojourned there with few men. And there he became a nation, great, mighty, and numerous. But the Mitsrites did evil to us, and afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us. Then we cried out to יהוה Elohim of our fathers, and יהוה heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression. And יהוה brought us out of Mitsrayim with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great fear and with signs and wonders. “And He brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” And now, see, I have brought the first-fruits of the land which You, O יהוה, have given me.’ Then you shall place it before יהוה your Elohim, and bow down before יהוה your Elohim, and shall rejoice in all the good which יהוה your Elohim has given to you and your house, you and the Lĕwite and the stranger who is among you.” (Deuteronomy 26:2-11)
I believe Rambam did an excellent job with naming this commandment, however, he did only list Deuteronomy 26:5 but I think it’s beneficial to add 2-11 to see the whole interaction. This falls under love Elohim, cannot be done today, and in my notes, I titled it the same as Rambam.
That’s all for this section, thank you so much for stopping by and giving it a read! May Yah bless you and keep you, and may the Ruach Hakodesh lead you into all truth.
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