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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield
“עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר אֵת כָּל תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ”
(פרק י”ד, פסוק כ”ב)
“You shall tithe the entire crop of your planting.”
When introducing the requirement for one to tithe one’s crops, the Torah uses a “double expression” of “עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר” (literally, “Tithe, you shall tithe”). The חֲתַם סוֹפֵר cites two comments of חז”ל about the מִצְוָה to tithe one’s crops: Reading the second word as “תְּעַשֵׁר,” (“You shall become rich,”) one מִדְרָשׁ states, “Tithe, so that you may become wealthy.” A second מִדְרָשׁ says, “Tithe, so that you will not have less.” Although the second מִדְרָשׁ may be understood as an independent comment- “Tithe, so that Hashem does not take away your money”- the חֲתַם סוֹפֵר suggests, that it is actually intended as an addition to the first מִדְרָשׁ. We are taught by חז”ל that the more material wealth a person has, the more he/she desires. “If he has $100, he will want $200, and if he has $200, he will desire $400…” Regarding wealth that one receives as a special בְּרָכָה from Hashem, however, a פָּסוּק in מִשְׁלֵי states, “The blessing of Hashem makes one wealthy and does not increase sadness with it.” The חֲתַם סוֹפֵר explains, that when one merits Hashem’s בְּרָכָה, Hashem also gives him the מִדָה טוֹבָה (good character trait) of הִסְתַּפְּקוּת, being satisfied with what one has. In this way, one may have more material wealth, but not have the natural feeling of desiring even more. Accordingly, the two מִדְרָשִׁים go together: “Tithe so that you may become wealthy, and wealth from tithing will not make you feel as if you have less and are lacking.”
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תָּחֹג לַד’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ד'” (פרק ט”ז, פסוק ט”ו
“A seven-day period shall you celebrate to Hashem, your G-d, in the place that He will choose.”
When the Torah discusses the יָמִים טוֹבִים of פֶּסַח and שָׁבוּעוֹת, the Torah describes the בֵּית הַמִקְדָשׁ as, “The place that Hashem will choose to rest His Name.” When the Torah discusses סוּכּוֹת, however, the Torah calls it, “The place that He will choose,” omitting the phrase “to rest His Name”. The מֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה suggests the following explanation: In the beginning of the פָּרָשָׁה, the Torah commands us to destroy all עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. The Torah continues, “You shall not do this to Hashem. Rather, only in the place that Hashem will choose to rest His Name shall you seek out His presence.” Idol worshippers believe that Hashem, in His greatness, does not bother to be involved in the running of the world. They believe that, instead, He has left the מַזָלוֹת and other heavenly spheres to influence what happens, for the good and the bad. Therefore, they serve these forces with the intention of accessing blessings. In truth, however, these heavenly forces can be likened to an axe in the hand of a wood chopper, and any effect that they have on this world is guided by Hashem. Therefore, Hashem specifically commanded that there should be no intention of serving, or gaining the good will of, anything other than Hashem. All service is to be rendered only for His Name, which rests in the בֵּית הַמִקְדָשׁ. The תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי states, that even those who worship idols admit that עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה has no power over water. Accordingly, any attempt to access blessings of rain would naturally need to be directed only to Hashem. We can now draw a clear distinction between סוּכּוֹת and the other יָמִים טוֹבִים. On פֶּסַח and שָׁבוּעוֹת, when Hashem judges that year’s grain and fruit crops, one could mistakenly think that the קָרְבָּנוֹת brought are being offered to some power in charge of grain or trees, and not to Hashem. Therefore, the Torah writes that all קָרְבָּנוֹת are brought in the place that Hashem chooses to rest His Name, to Hashem alone. On סוּכּוֹת, however, Hashem judges that year’s water supply and rainfall. It is self evident that only service to Hashem will garner a positive outcome. Hence, it is unnecessary to emphasize that Hashem’s Name rests there.
