Saturday, December 6, 2014

Rambam's musings on Tithing


The Mishneh Torah is a code of Jewish religious law (Halakha) authored by Maimonides, or otherwise known as Rambam), a notable Rabbi of Judaism in the Middle Ages about the time of Thomas Aquinas.  I wanted to post this section of the Mishneh by Rambam.  Notice what he writes in the Teramot section of the Mishneh about tithing, that is that it is primarily connected to the land of Israel. 

 

Halacha 1

According to Scriptural Law, [the obligation to separate] the terumot1 and the tithes2 applies only in Eretz Yisrael.3[It applies] whether the Temple is standing or not.4 The prophets ordained that these obligations should be observed in Babylon as well, because it is adjacent to Eretz Yisrael and the majority of the Jewish people journey to and from there.5 The Sages of the early generations6 ordained that they also be observed in the lands of Egypt and the lands of Ammon and Moab, because they are on the peripheries of Eretz Yisrael.

 

Yes there is a reason why Hebrew Roots of the faith is important to understand. If someone tries to apply Galatians 1 & 2 to a Christian that is left the true Gospel for another then he does not understand Galatians at all.  Galatians was about a heresy in true conversion of the faith and never does not teach an abrogation of the tutor (the Torah).  Also, when one is strict to the teachings of the Torah they will apply them correct as it relates to the Gentile assemblies.  If a pastor teaching tithing especially THIS YEAR not only is he misapplying passages like Malachi 3, the pastor is misapplying the principles in tithing AS STATED IN THE TORAH.  Not only is there an issue of timing but also there is also by Rambam's instructions a geographic consideration to take into account with instructions on tithing.  By analysis of Rambam's teaching, this teaching on tithing is clearly associated with the land of Israel. 

No comments:

Post a Comment