Positive Commandment 131 (Digest)
Declaration of Tithes
"And you shall say before G‑d, your G‑d: 'I have removed the holy from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow...'"—Deuteronomy 26:13.
[This mitzvah is observed on the eve of Passover on the fourth and seventh year of the seven-year Shemitah (Sabbatical) cycle.]
We are commanded to declare before G‑d that we have separated the requisite tithes. We must verbally clear ourselves of these tithes, just as we have physically parted with them.
The
131st mitzvah is that we are
commanded to make a proclamation of the kindness G‑d has bestowed upon us; and
that we have separated the obligatory ma'asros
and terumos. We must verbally clear
ourselves from them just as we have physically cleared them from our premises.
This is called vidui ma'aser.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "And you must declare before G‑d your L‑rd: 'I
have removed all the sacred portions from my house; I have given the appropriate
ones to the Levite and to the orphan and widow....' "
The
details of this mitzvah, and the
manner and process of removing the tithes are explained in the last chapter of
tractate Ma'aser Sheni.
Positive Commandment 125 (Digest)
The First Fruits
"The first fruits of your land that ripen you shall bring to the house of G‑d, your G‑d"—Exodus 23:19.
We are commanded to separate the first fruit that ripen and bring them to the Holy Temple, where they are given to the priests.
This mitzvah only applies when the Temple is standing, and only to produce of the "Seven Kinds" [wheat, barley, grapes, figs, dates, pomegranates, and olives] that grew in Israel (on the east or west bank of the Jordan) and certain lands that adjoin Israel.
The
125th mitzvah is that we are
commanded to separate first-fruits [bikkurim]
and to bring them to the Bais Hamikdosh.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "Bring your first fruits to the house of G‑d
your L‑rd."
It
is clear that this mitzvah applies
only when the Bais Hamikdosh is standing; that one brings fruit only from Eretz Yisroel, Syria,
and the east side of the Jordan;
and only fruit from the seven species.
The
details of this mitzvah are explained
in tractate Bikkurim. There it is
explained that bikkurim become the kohen's property.
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