The Joy Of Charity
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Tithing Income

WHAT IS IT

To "tithe" is to take away one-tenth, and "tithing income" refers specifically to giving one-tenth of one's income to charity.

In Hebrew, "tithing income" is "maaser kesafim".

Abraham began the custom when he gave one-tenth of all his possessions to Malkizedek the priest of the Supreme God. (Genesis 14:20) Thus, after the seven commandments for all children of Noah, circumcision, and morning prayer, tithing income became the tenth commandment that was kept by Abraham. Jacob vowed to give one-tenth of all his acquisitions to God (Genesis 28:22), and this has been interpreted as creating a general requirement that tithes should be given from money.

The injunction to tithe income is hinted at in Deuteronomy (14:22):

"You shall definitely tithe all your agricultural produce."

Although agricultural produce is specifically mentioned, the superfluous word "all" is explained as including loan interest, trading and all other profits. This is supported by two other verses and their traditional interpretations (Malachi 3:10):

"Bring all your tithe to the treasure house."; and (Proverbs 3:9) "Honor God from your capital and from the first fruits of all your produce."

Actually, although there is an indisputable Biblical requirement to give charity, it can be argued whether the Bible clearly fixes the amount to be given. More about this can be found in the sources cited in the bibliography. However, Jewish law does state that giving less than one-tenth of one's possessions is considered an ungenerous fulfillment ("evil eye").

Now that you know what tithing is, read on to see how it's done.

		The Joy Of Charity
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