The commandment of the Levites to give a tithe from the tithe: That the Levites were commanded to separate a tithe from the tithe they take from Israel and that they give it to the priests, as it is stated (Numbers 18:26), “And to the Levites you shall speak, etc. and they shall give from it a gift to the Lord, a tithe from the tithe.” And this is what is called ‘terumat ma’aser’ (literally, the gift of the tithe) in every place in the Gemara. They called it this expression in the way of the verse, which states, “a gift to the Lord.” But the verse elucidates that he gives it to the priest, and as it states (Numbers 18:28), “and you shall give from it, the gift of the Lord, to Aharon the priest.” And Scripture warns that he separate from the good and the choicest from the tithe, as it states (Numbers 18:29), “from all the fat that you sanctify from it.” Moreover it is stated about this (Numbers 18:32), “You shall bear no sin upon it in separating its fat from it” — teaching that if he takes it out from the inferior [portion], there will be a sin upon them. And this matter is like the matter of a negative commandment that comes by way of deduction from a positive commandment, and therefore it is not to be counted among the negative commandments.
From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need to] preface that there is no doubt that God separated the entire tribe of Levi from the congregation of Israel to always serve Him. And still, within that tribe itself, one [group] was selected to be the head, the officer and the minister over all of them — he and his seed forever, and it is the most sacred of all the tribe — to serve and to minister before God permanently. And He placed the rest of the whole tribe below it, to assist in the service — and as it states (Numbers 18:1), “And the Lord spoke to Aharon saying, ‘You, your sons, and your patriarchal lineage shall bear the iniquity of the Temple — meaning to say, that the entire tribe will receive the guarding of the Temple. “But you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood” — meaning to say that the primary service — that is the priesthood — is upon you. And it is written after it (Numbers 18:2), “Also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring close with you, and they shall accompany you and serve you” — meaning to say that you are primary, and not them. And so [too,] is it written elsewhere (Numbers 3:9), “And you shall give the Levites to Aharon and to his sons; they are truly given to him.” And so, since the priests are “the foundation of the home” in the service of our God, they merited twenty-four gifts that are given to them, which are explicit in Scripture, and as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, enumerated (Chullin 133b) — ten in the Temple, four in Jerusalem and ten [outside]. And the rest of the tribe that was chosen with it to assist it also merited to live [from gifts], without toil, with the tithe of the fruits that they take from all Israel. And in order that they know and contemplate that the cause of their portion being free and of the portion of their brothers is the service to God, they were commanded to give a tenth of all they take from the Children of Israel to the “greater ministers.” And in this way, they will [remind themselves] that there are [others] above them, and that above all of them is the One Who guards all, may He be elevated. With this is also merit, honor and prestige for the Levites, without removing their names from the commandment of the tithe in their portion of the produce. And [the sons of the Israelites] will not [be able to] say to [the sons of the Levites], “You merited the grain, and we the commandment.” And now the response will be, “There is ‘Torah and there is flour.’”
From the laws of the commandment — that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Beitzah 13a) that a [Levite] who took sheaves as tithes, does not give sheaves to the priest from it, but he is fined to pound and winnow [it] and to give him a tithe of the tithe that is a tithe of grain, and he is not obligated to give a tithe of the straw [byproduct], after he pounded everything and winnowed [it]; but if he first tithed the sheaths, and [then] pounded and winnowed [it], he must give [the priest] his portion in everything; that which they said (Mishnah Terumot 11:8) that only priestly tithes from the tithe with [at least] 1/64 of a log must he take to the priest, and so long as the priestly tithe is certain (not in doubt) and pure, [but] if it is less than this, he need not busy himself with taking it to the priest, but he rather throws it into the fire and burns it; that which they said (Mishnah Bikkurim 2:5) that the priestly tithe from the tithe can be separated from that which is not [close], as it is stated (Numbers 18:28-29), “From all the tithes [...] you shall gift,” meaning to say even if you have a tithe in one country and [another] in another country, you may take one gift for all [of them], but nonetheless they, may their memory be blessed, said (Gittin 30a) that Torah scholars should only take it from [what is close]; and the rest of its details — are elucidated in Tractate Terumot, Ma’asrot, and in parts of Demai. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Heave Offerings 1.)
This commandment is practiced in the place that the priestly tithe and the tithe are practiced. And in the Order of Shoftim in the commandment of the separation of the great priestly tithe (Sefer HaChinukh 507), we will explain everything.
מִצְוַת הַלְּוִיִּם לָתֵת מַעֲשֵׂר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר – שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ הַלְּוִיִּם לְהַפְרִישׁ מַעֲשֵׂר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר שֶׁהֵם נוֹטְלִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְשֶׁיִּתְּנוּ אוֹתוֹ לַכֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יח כו) וְאֶל הַלְוִיִּם תְּדַבֵּר וְגוֹ' וַהֲרֵמֹתֶם מִמֶּנּוּ תְּרוּמַת יְיָ מַעֲשֵׂר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר, וְזֶהוּ נִקְרָא בְּכָל מָקוֹם בַּגְּמָרָא תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר. וְכִנּוּ לָשׁוֹן זֶה עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁאָמַר תְּרוּמַת הַשֵּׁם. וּבֵאֵר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁהוּא נִתָּן לַכֹּהֲנִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם כח) וּנְתַתֶּם מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת תְּרוּמַת יְיָ לְאַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן, וְהִזְהִיר הַכָּתוּב לְהַפְרִישׁ זֶה הַמַּעֲשֵׂר מִן הַטּוֹב וְהַנִּבְחָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם כט) מִכָּל חֶלְבּוֹ אֶת מִקְדְּשׁוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ. וְעוֹד נֶאֱמַר עַל זֶה (שם לב) וְלֹא תִשְׂאוּ עָלָיו חֵטְא בַּהֲרִימְכֶם אֶת חֶלְבּוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, יוֹרֶה שֶׁאִם יוֹצִיאוּהוּ מִן הָרַע יִהְיֶה עֲלֵיהֶם חֵטְא, וְזֶה עִנְיָנוֹ כְּעִנְיַן לָאו הַבָּא מִכְּלַל עֲשֵׂה, וְלָכֵן אֵין לִמְנוֹת אוֹתוֹ מִן הַלָּאוִין.
The commandment of the Levites to give a tithe from the tithe: That the Levites were commanded to separate a tithe from the tithe they take from Israel and that they give it to the priests, as it is stated (Numbers 18:26), “And to the Levites you shall speak, etc. and they shall give from it a gift to the Lord, a tithe from the tithe.” And this is what is called ‘terumat ma’aser’ (literally, the gift of the tithe) in every place in the Gemara. They called it this expression in the way of the verse, which states, “a gift to the Lord.” But the verse elucidates that he gives it to the priest, and as it states (Numbers 18:28), “and you shall give from it, the gift of the Lord, to Aharon the priest.” And Scripture warns that he separate from the good and the choicest from the tithe, as it states (Numbers 18:29), “from all the fat that you sanctify from it.” Moreover it is stated about this (Numbers 18:32), “You shall bear no sin upon it in separating its fat from it” — teaching that if he takes it out from the inferior [portion], there will be a sin upon them. And this matter is like the matter of a negative commandment that comes by way of deduction from a positive commandment, and therefore it is not to be counted among the negative commandments.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. הַקְדָּמָה, אֵין סָפֵק כִּי כָּל שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי הִבְדִּיל הַשֵּׁם מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ תָּמִיד, וְאָמְנָם בַּשֵּׁבֶט עַצְמוֹ נִבְחַר בָּהֶם אֶחָד, לִהְיוֹת לְכֻלָּם לְרֹאשׁ וּלְקָצִין וּלְשַׂר הוּא וְזַרְעוֹ לְעוֹלָם, וְהוּא קֹדֶשׁ מְקֻדָּשׁ בַּשֵּׁבֶט לַעֲמֹד וּלְשָׁרֵת פְּנֵי הַשֵּׁם תָּמִיד, וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַשֵּׁבֶט נָתַן תַּחְתָּיו לְסַיֵּעַ בָּעֲבוֹדָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל אַהֲרֹן אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבֵית אָבִיךָ תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת עֲוֹן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, כְּלוֹמַר כִּי כָּל הַשֵּׁבֶט יְקַבֵּל שְׁמִירַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת עֲוֹן כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁעִקַּר הָעֲבוֹדָה, דְּהַיְנוּ הַכְּהֻנָּה עֲלֵיכֶם הִיא, וּכְתִיב בָּתְרֵהּ, וְגַם אֶת אַחֶיךָ מַטֵּה לֵוִי שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ הַקְרֵב אִתָּךְ וְיִלָּווּ עָלֶיךָ וִישָׁרְתוּךָ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאַתָּה הָעִקָּר, וְלֹא הֵם, וְכֵן כָּתוּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (במדבר ג ט) וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַלְוִיִּם לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו נְתוּנִם נְתוּנִם הֵמָּה לוֹ. וְעַל כֵּן בִּהְיוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים עִקַּר הַבַּיִת בַּעֲבוֹדַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ זָכוּ בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מַתָּנוֹת שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ לָהֶם, הַמְּפֹרָשׁוֹת בַּכָּתוּב, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּנוּ אוֹתָם חֲכָמִים זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (חולין קלג, ב): עֶשֶׂר בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְאַרְבַּע בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְעֶשֶׂר בַּגְּבוּלִין. וּשְׁאָר שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁהוּא נִבְחַר עִמּוֹ לְסַיֵּעַ עַל יָדוֹ זָכוּ גַּם כֵּן לִחְיוֹת בְּטוֹבָה מִבְּלִי יְגִיעָה, עִם מַעְשַׂר הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁנּוֹטְלִין מִכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּלְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ וְיִתְבּוֹנְנוּ כִּי כָּל חֶלְקָם בַּטּוֹבָה וְחֵלֶק אֲחֵיהֶם הִיא סִבַּת הָעֲבוֹדָה לַשֵּׁם, נִצְטַוּוּ לָתֵת מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר יִטְּלוּ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֵלֶק הָעֲשִׂירִי לַמְּשָׁרְתִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, וּבְכֵן יִתְּנוּ אֶל לִבָּם כִּי יֵשׁ גְּבוֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם, וְגָבוֹהַּ מֵעַל לְכֻלָּם, הוּא שׁוֹמֵר הַכֹּל יִתְעַלֶּה. גַּם כִּי יֵשׁ בָּזֶה זְכוּת וְכָבוֹד וּמַעֲלָה לַלְּוִיִּם, לְבִלְתִּי יִגָּרַע שְׁמָם מִמִּצְוַת מַעֲשֵׂר בְּחֶלְקָם בַּתְּבוּאוֹת, וְאַל יֹאמְרוּ בְּנֵיהֶם לִבְנֵיהֶם זְכִיתֶם בַּתְּבוּאָה, וַאֲנַחְנוּ בַּמִּצְוָה, וְעַכְשָׁו יִהְיֶה הַמַּעֲנֶה יֵשׁ תּוֹרָה וְיֵשׁ קֶמַח.
From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need to] preface that there is no doubt that God separated the entire tribe of Levi from the congregation of Israel to always serve Him. And still, within that tribe itself, one [group] was selected to be the head, the officer and the minister over all of them — he and his seed forever, and it is the most sacred of all the tribe — to serve and to minister before God permanently. And He placed the rest of the whole tribe below it, to assist in the service — and as it states (Numbers 18:1), “And the Lord spoke to Aharon saying, ‘You, your sons, and your patriarchal lineage shall bear the iniquity of the Temple — meaning to say, that the entire tribe will receive the guarding of the Temple. “But you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood” — meaning to say that the primary service — that is the priesthood — is upon you. And it is written after it (Numbers 18:2), “Also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring close with you, and they shall accompany you and serve you” — meaning to say that you are primary, and not them. And so [too,] is it written elsewhere (Numbers 3:9), “And you shall give the Levites to Aharon and to his sons; they are truly given to him.” And so, since the priests are “the foundation of the home” in the service of our God, they merited twenty-four gifts that are given to them, which are explicit in Scripture, and as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, enumerated (Chullin 133b) — ten in the Temple, four in Jerusalem and ten [outside]. And the rest of the tribe that was chosen with it to assist it also merited to live [from gifts], without toil, with the tithe of the fruits that they take from all Israel. And in order that they know and contemplate that the cause of their portion being free and of the portion of their brothers is the service to God, they were commanded to give a tenth of all they take from the Children of Israel to the “greater ministers.” And in this way, they will [remind themselves] that there are [others] above them, and that above all of them is the One Who guards all, may He be elevated. With this is also merit, honor and prestige for the Levites, without removing their names from the commandment of the tithe in their portion of the produce. And [the sons of the Israelites] will not [be able to] say to [the sons of the Levites], “You merited the grain, and we the commandment.” And now the response will be, “There is ‘Torah and there is flour.’”
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ביצה יג, א) שֶׁבֶּן לֵוִי שֶׁלָּקַח הַמַּעֲשֵׂר שִׁבֳּלִים לֹא יִתֵּן תְּרוּמָתוֹ שִׁבֳּלִים, אֶלָּא קוֹנְסִין אוֹתוֹ לָדוּשׁ, וְלִזְרוֹת, וְלִתֵּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר מַעְשַׂר דָּגָן, וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב לָתֵת מַעְשַׂר הַתֶּבֶן אַחַר שֶׁיָּדוּשׁ הַכֹּל וְיִזְרֶה. אֲבָל אִם תְּחִלָּה הִפְרִישׁ הַמַּעֲשֵׂר שִׁבֳּלִים וְדָשׁ וְזָרָה נוֹתֵן לוֹ חֶלְקוֹ מִן הַכֹּל. וּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (תרומות יא, ח) שֶׁתְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר שֶׁהָיָה בָּהּ אֶחָד מִשְּׁמֹנָה בַּשְּׁמִינִית מוֹלִיכָהּ לַכֹּהֵן, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁתְּהֵא תְּרוּמָה וַדָּאִית וּטְהוֹרָה, פָּחוֹת מִכֵּן אֵינוֹ מִטַּפֵּל לְהוֹלִיכָהּ, אֶלָּא מַשְׁלִיכָהּ בָּאוּר וְשׂוֹרְפָהּ. וּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (בכורים ב, ה) שֶׁתְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר מַפְרִישִׁין אוֹתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא מִן הַמֻּקָּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יח כח) מִכָּל מַעְשְׂרֹתֵיכֶם תָּרִימוּ, כְּלוֹמַר, אֲפִלּוּ יֵשׁ לְךָ מַעֲשֵׂר אֶחָד בִּמְדִינָה זוֹ וְאֶחָד בִּמְדִינָה אַחֶרֶת אַתָּה מַפְרִישׁ תְּרוּמָה אַחַת עַל הַכֹּל; וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (גיטין ל א), שֶׁתַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵין תּוֹרְמִין אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא מִן הַמֻּקָּף. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בְּמַסֶּכֶת תְּרוּמוֹת וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת מִמַּסֶּכֶת דְּמַאי [הלכות תרומות פ"א].
From the laws of the commandment — that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Beitzah 13a) that a [Levite] who took sheaves as tithes, does not give sheaves to the priest from it, but he is fined to pound and winnow [it] and to give him a tithe of the tithe that is a tithe of grain, and he is not obligated to give a tithe of the straw [byproduct], after he pounded everything and winnowed [it]; but if he first tithed the sheaths, and [then] pounded and winnowed [it], he must give [the priest] his portion in everything; that which they said (Mishnah Terumot 11:8) that only priestly tithes from the tithe with [at least] 1/64 of a log must he take to the priest, and so long as the priestly tithe is certain (not in doubt) and pure, [but] if it is less than this, he need not busy himself with taking it to the priest, but he rather throws it into the fire and burns it; that which they said (Mishnah Bikkurim 2:5) that the priestly tithe from the tithe can be separated from that which is not [close], as it is stated (Numbers 18:28-29), “From all the tithes [...] you shall gift,” meaning to say even if you have a tithe in one country and [another] in another country, you may take one gift for all [of them], but nonetheless they, may their memory be blessed, said (Gittin 30a) that Torah scholars should only take it from [what is close]; and the rest of its details — are elucidated in Tractate Terumot, Ma’asrot, and in parts of Demai. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Heave Offerings 1.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁתְּרוּמָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר נוֹהֲגִין שָׁם, וּבְסֵדֶר שׁוֹפְטִים בְּמִצְוַת הַפְרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה גְּדוֹלָה (מצוה תקז), נְבָאֵר הַכֹּל בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם.
This commandment is practiced in the place that the priestly tithe and the tithe are practiced. And in the Order of Shoftim in the commandment of the separation of the great priestly tithe (Sefer HaChinukh 507), we will explain everything.