Ma’aser Sheini 3:1
By :
Daniel Nevins 91快播 Alum (Rabbinical School), Former Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School and the Division of Religious Leadership, Adjunct Assistant Professor
Posted On Jan 1, 2008 | Mishnat Hashavua
What religious obligations can be outsourced, and which must be personally performed?
诇讗 讬讗诪专 讗讚诐 诇讞讘讬专讜 讛注诇 讗转 讛驻讬专讜转 讛讗诇讜 诇讬专讜砖诇诐 诇讞诇拽 讗诇讗 讗讜诪专 诇讜 讛注诇诐 砖谞讗讻诇诐 讜谞砖转诐 讘讬专讜砖诇诐 讗讘诇 谞讜转谞讬诐 讝讛 诇讝讛 诪转谞转 讞谞诐:
One should not say to his colleague, 鈥渢ake these [second-tithe] fruits to Jerusalem for me, and keep a portion for yourself.鈥� Rather, he may say, 鈥渂ring them up and we will eat and drink them [together] in Jerusalem.鈥� However, they may always give [second-tithe fruits] to one another as gifts [in Jerusalem].
Comments :
The Israelite farmer was required to pay an elaborate series of gifts to the poor and the clergy (Kohen and Levite) before enjoying his produce. The 鈥渟econd tithe鈥� was either produce or its cash value (plus 20 percent) that could be consumed only on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Our Mishnah imagines a farmer who wishes to designate an agent to perform this mitzvah on his behalf. This is forbidden, but the Mishnah provides for Israelites to assist one another in transporting the second tithe to Jerusalem and also to share the fruits freely with one another.
Questions:
Why can鈥檛 a farmer pay an agent to take his produce to Jerusalem? Why must he complete the pilgrimage and eat his own fruit in the holy city? Should we limit the extent that we pay others to perform mitzvot on our behalf (e.g., building a sukkah or saying kaddish), or is the essential obligation fulfilled either way? What social benefits are bundled into this mitzvah? What would Jerusalem have been like during a festival where all farmers were obligated to consume so much food together?
