2 Friday, January 29, 1982
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
President Reagan Teaches
Nation About Tithe (Maaser)
At his press conference Jan. 19, President Ronald Re-
agan revived an interest in the ancient Jewish principle of
Maaser = the Tithe.
\
A question posed at this
session was: "Mr. President.
In New York last week you
called upon the rich to help
the poor in this present eco-
nomic difficulty. Are you
planning to increase your
own contributions to pri-
vate charity, to set an
example to the rich people of
this country to do more for
the poor?"
The President's reply was
that he gives the prescribed
tithe, the tenth of income,
although it is not publicized
and not used for tax de-
ductions.
RONALD REAGAN
He has thus drawn atten-
tion to an old principle, the well known Jewish dedication
to the ideal of Tzedaka — a term that means justice but is
applied to charity — imbedded in what had been termed as
the obligation of "giving Maaser."
In "A Book of Jewish Concepts," Dr. Philip Birnbaum
defined Maasarot, the three categories of tithing in
prescribed Jewish obligations. In that brief essay, Dr.
Birnbaum explained:
Three categories of tithe are mentioned in the
Torah: 1) first tithe which must be given to Le-
vites, who, in their turn, must give a tenth of it
(terumah) as a contribution to the priests; 2) sec-
ond tithe which the owner must consume in
Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 14:22-27); 3) poorman's
tithe which takes the place of the second tithe in
the third and sixth year of the seven-year cycle
culminating in the sabbatical year.
A definition of the Maaser-tithe principle was provided
in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia by Dr. Joseph Mar-
cus. In it he stated in part:
The earliest law was in Deuteronomy, and in
accordance - with its provisions the tithe was
shared by priests and laymen, the only new fea-
ture being the duty of sharing with the poor every
third year. The provision in Numbers represents a
modification intended to provide a support for
the Levites who, because of the fusion of the local
shrines into a central sanctuary, had lost the
shares of the sacrifices which in the time of the
Second Temple fell to the priests. The tithe of
animals in Leviticus seems to have been an exten-
sion of the tithe, made because the other forms did
not afford sufficient support for the Temple and
its officiating priests and Levites. Apparently this
was the situation at and after the time of Ezra and
Nehemiah .. .
The obligations imposed by these two tithes —
amounting to as much as 20 percent for many
individuals — made the collection of these contri-
butions difficult to enforce, as is indicated in the
passages in Nehemiah and Malachi . . . Hence
there arose the problem as to whether agricul-
tural products on sale in the markets could be
eaten by the pious, as it was uncertain whether
they had been tithed or not; such produce was
known as Demai ("doubtful").
The Pharisees (Haberim) were particularly
scrupulous about the payment of the tithes, and
later Hasmonean kings; beginning with John
Hyrcanus (135-104 BCE), enforced their collec-
tion. After the destruction of the Temple (70 CE)
many priests, deprived of their revenues, began to
claim the tithes for theinselves rather than for the
Levites; there are hints in the Talmud as to dis-
putes over this claim. For some time after the de-
struction of the Temple tithes continued to be
paidjn Palestine, Syria and Babylonia.
Pious Jews and Christians have often imposed
upon themselves a voluntary tithe of their income,
given either in support of religious institutions or
to charity. The Shulhan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 249:1)
regards the tenth of one's capital the first year
and thereafter the tenth of one's income as oblig-
atory, and holds that it should be given solely to
the poor; Joel Sirkes, however (Bayith Hadash to
the passage), regards it as a custom, and volun-
tary.
A platform is created at the democratically-principled
Presidential press conferences for delving into the practical
hard facts of life and also the idealistic. Introduction of the
tithe theme proved it.
As indicated, the Maaser was considered obligatory in
Jewish identification with the larger community. That's
President Reagan Revives Interest in the Tithe and the Duty
Philanthropically Generated by the Established Jewish Ideal
Known as Maaser ... Rabbi Donin's Gifts as Teacher, Leader
how it was expected to be treated in the Shtetl, the average
Eastern European Jewish community. That's how it was
expected to be applied to Eretz Yisrael. When Dr. Chaim
Weizmann came to this country in 1920 to campaign for the
fulfillment of the Zionist dream, after the San Remo deci-
sion, there was a lot of talk about Maaser for the redemp-
tion of Jewish statehood. Of course, it was a lot of talk —
and nothing more. But the terminology was resorted to as
Maaser-tithe as an ideal. And few ideals are seldom fully
adhered to.
Rabbi Haim Halevy Donin:
Scholar and Guide
Haim Halevy Donin was a leader possessed of many
qualities.
He primarily honored the meaning of the title Rabbi.
He was truly a teacher in his domain. He was much more
than a sermonizer. He was a guide to the troubled and he
instructed those who sought Jewish knowledge.
He proved the latter when he commenced to publish
definitive works on Jewish traditions and historical ex-
periences. It is no wonder that his several descriptive vol-
umes became best sellers. They continue to enlighten the
readers and to fill great needs.
His qualities were not limited to teaching. He had
organizational abilities. He proved it when he became one
of the founders of the Akiva Day School. He knew that
shortcomings in Jewish educational trends could not be
solved in the three-day-a-week afternoon school. He be-
came a leading advocate of the day schools and his vision
has been ascertained in that dedication.
There is one other major aspect in his life that receives
recognition and gains high respect for his idealism. He
went on aliya to Israel with his family. He became a crea-
tive factor within Israel in the traditional ranks.
These are unforgettable qualities for which the mem-
ory of Rabbi Donin will always serve as a blessing to his
family, to all who cooperated with him in his high spirited
endeavors.
The New Habit of Making
Begin an Available Target
It seems to have become a habit in the media to utilize
the very name of Menahem Begin as an available target for
character slaughtering.
An otherwise commendable editorial in the Detroit
Free Press (Jan. 21) concluded with the following:
Above all, we need proof that Palestinian au-
tonomy can be achieved through negotiation and
goodwill, not through violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Menahem Begin, largely
to satisfy the conservative coalition to whom he
owes his current office, has often seemed bent on
proving the opposite. Fortunately, his negotiators
and their Egyptian counterparts are giving dip-
lomacy a good name in the Sinai.
A well-informed editorial writer should know that the
policies commended by him could not have gained ground if
it were not the brainchild of the very man criticized. Why,
then, the selection of Begin for condemnation? Apparently
it is because he is the available target for character assas-
sination.
Good Advice on Leadership
From Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King left his legacies for the American
people. He spoke for the blacks, and his oratory at the same
time invited the entire nation's attention to the need to
make the libertarian ideals genuine and Workable.
His name figures prominently again with legislation
pending to make his birthday a national holiday.
It is well to recall much of what he said. He spoke out
against violence. His ideas are as applicable now as on Dec.
1, 1957, when he delivered his famous speech pledging
adherence to non-violence.
In that speech he also spoke of the qualities of leader-
ship. That portion of a great speech needs perpetuating. As
he said:
May I stress the need for courageous, intelligent
and dedicated leadership? I can never overlook
this, for if we are to make a desegregated society a
reality in the future we will have to have dedi-
cated, courageous and intelligent leaders.
In this period of transition and growing social
change, we will need leaders who are positive and
yet calm. Leaders who avoid the extremes of hot-
headedness and Uncle Tom-ism. Leaders who
somehow understand the issues. Leaders of
sound integrity. Leaders not in love with publicity
but in love with justice. Leaders not in love with
money but in love with humanity. Leaders whom
the lust of office does not kill, leaders whom the
spoils of life cannot buy. Leaders who possess
opinions that are real. Leaders who will not lie.
Leaders who can stand before the demagogue
and damn his treacherous flatteries without
weeping. This is one of the great needs of the hour.
By Philip
Slomovitz
All elements in the population have a lesson to learn
from these dramatic assertions. Would that they could be
applied to all peoples, all occasions!
There is need for quality leadership. It was defined by
Martin Luther King. It added glory to his inerasably bril-
liant record.
UN's Platform for Hatred
Summarizing a single day's venom at the United Na-
tions, a New York Times analysis carried the heading:
"Arabs Agree on a Common Foe, But Only at the UN."
The facts of the current era's experiences are in-
trenched in this brief headline. The Arabs are split and
divided. They always find unity in a common hatred: for
Israel usually, especially in the UN, also of Jews because
they are linked to Israel.
Lately, almost unanimously in Arab ranks, the hate
also is directed at the U.S.
And it is in the UN that they find a platform i
( te
venom.
The Ralph Bunch 20c Stamp:
Merited Tribute for Diplomat
A new U.S. 20-cent postage stamp bears the name and
photo of Ralph Bunche.
It is a highly-merited choice and it revives an interest
in a most distinguished American diplomat and the serv-
ices he rendered in efforts for peace in the Middle East.
Dr. Bunche, who
was born in Detroit,
who rose to high
rank in the United
Nations as an asso-
ciate of Count Folke
Bernadotte, was the
brilliant negotiator
who brought Jewish
and Arab represen-
tatives together on
the Island of Rhodes
in the first agree-
ment that ended the
Israel-Arab conflict
in 1949. He pos-
sessed the skills of
diplomacy, was able to bring antagonists together, had
displayed non-partisanship that led to proper understand-
ing under most difficult circumstances.
It is no wonder that he was chosen for the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1950.
At the annual dinner of the American Friends of the
Weizmann Institute of Science, in 1949, at the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel in New York, Dr. and Mrs. Bunche were
among the notables in attendance. Dr. Chaim Weizmann
was honored on that occasion and the event was marked by
a demonstration of affection for the Weizmanns, the
Bunches and scores of eminent statesmen and scientists.
The patience, amicability and diplomatic skill of Dr.
Bunche would have been in good stead in these troubled
times. Now his memory is properly blessed.
Poland in Kremlin's View
Vis-a-vis U.S. Involvement
Soviet Russia's bitterness over the U.S. involvement in
the Polish crisis drew an interesting insinuation.
The Russian ideologues rebuked this nation's leaders,
asserting that Poland is not the 51st state of the U.S.
This is reminiscent of similar attacks on this country
when the antagonists to the U.S.-Israel friendship chal-
lenged with the question whether Israel is the 51st state.
Any argument finds an echo when needed to underline
the efforts to attain human rights.
Game Reserve in Israel
s
- iAL
4
.
A baby hippopotamus and other African animals
are shown at the 225-acre Tel Aviv/Ramat Gan
Zoological Center where visitors can observe the
animals in their natural environment.
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