Shalom everyone, here is my short study on everything you need to know about tithing. While we can't truly fulfill this command today without the Levitical Priesthood set up, we can honor this arrangement and give to the poor and needy as well as those doing Yah's work. I hope this information blesses you like it has me. 

Before the Levites

• Avram gave Malkitsedeq a tenth of all the spoil. (Ge 14:20; Heb 7:1-10)
• Ya'aqov made a vow saying: “of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” (Ge 28:20-22)

 
General Principles

• Tithe the produce of the field: seeds, fruit, grain, new wine, oil, dough, and honey. (Lv 27:30; Dt 12:27; Dt 14:22; 2 Ch 31:4-12; Ne 10:37)
• Tithe of cattle pass under a rod and the tenth one is holy, don’t inspect it, don’t exchange it. (Lv 27:32-33)
• Traditionally only applies only to produce grown in the land of Israel.
• Not tithing was robbing Elohim. (Mal 3:8-9; Ne 13:5-12)
• Elohim promises to “open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” and provide insect control for your crops if you tithe. (Mal 3:10-12)
• If you redeem your tithe (take it back for a common use), replace it with an additional 20%. (Lv 27:31)
• No tithing in sh'mita or yovel years [every seventh year and every fiftieth year]. (Lv 25:1-22)
• Traditionally tithe years start on Yom Teruah [the first day of the seventh month].
• Giving to the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or prisoners is like giving to Yeshua. (Mt 25:31-46)
• Do the weightier matters of the Torah, as well as tithing. (Mt 23:23; Lk 11:42; Lk 18:9-14)

 
First Tithe (Ma'aser Rishon)

• Eaten by the Levites. (Lv 27:30; Nu 18:21; Nu 18:23-24; Ne 12:44)
• Levites give 10% of the tithes they receive to Aharonic priests. (Terumat Ma'aser) (Nu 18:25-29; Ne 10:38)
• Levites may eat this anywhere. (Nu 18:30-32)
• Do not forsake the Levites. (Dt 12:19; Dt 14:27)

 
Second Tithe (Ma'aser Sheni)

• Eaten by the individual and their family. (Dt 12:5-7, Dt 12:12, Dt 12:18)
• Must rejoice when eaten! (Dt 12:12; Dt 12:7)
• Eaten where YHVH chooses, not to be eaten within your gates. (Dt 12:5; Dt 12:11; Dt 12:17-18; Dt 14:23)
• If the journey to the place YHVH chooses is very far, then you may exchange your tithe for money. (Dt 14:24-25)
• You can spend this money on whatever you want [food, alcohol, etc.]. (Dt 14:26)

 
Poor Tithe (Ma'sar Oni)

• Every third year in a seven year cycle, the second tithe is stored up within your gates for the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widows. (Dt 14:28-29)
• At the end of the third and sixth years remove all tithes from your house. (Dt 14:28)
• After you do this, you say the Vidui Ma'aser [Confession of Tithing]. Traditionally said the last day of Pesaḥ in the 4th and 7th years in the afternoon as the last prayer. (Dt 26:12-15)

Heave Offering/Great Offering (Terumah Gedolah)

• Given to the Aharonic priesthood. (Nu 18:8)
• Eaten by the Priest and his family in a clean state. (Nu 18:11)
• The best of the oil, wine, grain, dough, and the fleece of your sheep. (Nu 18:12; Dt 18:4)
• The first thing you separate, before first tithe is separated. (Nu 18:12; Dt 18:4)
• Also done with the first of your dough. A cake as a gift. (Nu 15:18-21)
• The amount of the offering is not specified. Traditionally to be about 2%.  

Shalom everyone,  this is a excerpt from a book called "Truth Verses Man's Religious Systems" by our friend and Brother Terry W. McHenry. Enjoy!

1. Be a giver, not a taker.
2. Think community first, others next, and yourself last.
3. Be a part of community building, not a part of community destruction (i.e., be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem).
4. Recognize we are each a work in progress, at different stages. We each receive, and wrestle with, the revelation of our Hebraic roots at different times, and in different ways.
5. Be humble, and not right for right's sake. No one has all the answers.
6. Value your brother or sister in Messiah for what you can mutually learn together, and then practice hand in hand, to become more Messiah like. We need each other to mature in our walk. Realize differing perspectives can actually be healthy in a learning environment. They nurture growth–so long as they are dealt with correctly. 
7. A healthy community is a training ground, not simply a social gathering, not a forum to impress others.
8. Be committed and sincere in your walk, not simply partially engaged. 
9. Be prideless in what you know, not prideful of what you know. Remember: understanding and wisdom are required for life application of Elohim's instructions. 
10. Knowledge without understanding is at best dangerous, at worst it can become a cancer within a community setting.
11. Seek understanding for wisdom, not knowledge for power.
12. Be respectful of others, and considerate, merciful, compassionate, edifying, forgiving, caring, and humble.
13. Be loving toward others, not lording over others (Remember 1 Cor. 13).
14. Be aware at times we all make mistakes, or miss-speak, or miss-judge, or offend others. Be prepared and open for the Holy Spirit to correct you, and to repent and do teshuva.
15. Be aware that wounded, damaged, or hurting people often tend to wound, damage, or hurt other people. Satan often uses the wounded as vessels for his deceptions and evil intentions. We must be sensitive, loving, and compassionate but cautious that we don't get pulled down, either individually or corporately. 
16. Remember that the enemy (Satan) hates biblical community, and will do anything or use anyone to destroy it. 
17. Don't engage in L'shon Harah (the evil tongue), and be conscious of anyone who attempts to engage you in it.
18. Look around and be sensitive to what needs to be done to work together as community. Pitch in and help, for example, with setup and cleanup. 
19. Realize we can only change ourselves. Whereas, the Holy Spirit can change us all, but it will be in His timing and manner, and done with infinitely more wisdom than we possess.
20. Informed study of the Scriptures is a wonderful and fulfilling pursuit for gaining deeper truths Elohim desires for us to see in his Word. However, there is an inherent danger in the wonderment and enthusiasm of learning these deeper truths–Pride. And pride of course is a sin, as Scripture clearly informs us.

In Conclusion
Prayerfully ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you desire to be a part of a healthy community, grounded in Elohim's Word?
2. Are you willing to commit to this community by contributing your part in building a healthy community? 
3. Are you aware that from time-to-time we will be tested as a community; will we pass the testing? 

Here is a list of crimes punishable by death in the scriptures. These are the things Elohim said were so bad you shouldn't live any longer if you do them. It is not an exhaustive list, I'm sure there are some I missed, but this has a lot in here that you might not know. Let's all resolve in our hearts to never do any of the wicked acts; but if you have, repent and pray to the Father for forgiveness and resolve in your heart to turn away from this evil. Let us put all filth and wickedness aside in our walk with Yah.

-Worshiping other gods (Du 13:5, Du 17:2-7, Nu 25:1-5, Ezekiel 18:12)
-Sacrificing to other gods (Ex 22:20)
-Child sacrifice [Abortion] (Lv 20:1-5, Lv 18:21)
-False prophecy (Du 18:20-22)
-Consulting with wizards or familiar spirits (Lv 20:27)
-Witchcraft (Lv 22:18)
-Blasphemy (Lv 24:10-16)
-Unauthorized access to the Tabernacle/Temple of Elohim (Nu 3:10, 3:38)
-Offering strange fire (Lv 10:1-2)
-Breaking Shabbat [Sabbath] (Ex 31:14-15, 35:2, Nu 15:32-36)
-Adultery (Du 22:22, Lv 20:10)
-Rape of engaged women (Du 22:25)
-Consensual sex with a engaged women [both people killed] (Du 22:23-24)
-Loss of virginity by a women prior to marriage while falsely claiming to be a virgin (Du 22:13-21)
-Marrying a wife and her mother (Lv 20:14)
-Incest with your father's wife or your daughter in law (Lv 20:11-12)
-Daughter of a priest playing the whore (Lv 21:9)
-Homosexuality (Lv 20:13, Ro 1:32)
-Bestiality (Ex 22:19, Lv 20:15-16)
-Murder (Ge 9:6, Ex 21:12-14, Lv 24:17, Nu 35:9-34)
-Hitting a parent (Ex 21:15)
-Cursing a parent (Ex 21:17, Lv 20:9)
-Persistent disobedience to parents (Du 21:18-21)
-Kidnapping (Ex 21:16, Du 24:7)
-Negligent property liability resulting in death (Ex 21:28-32)
-Contempt of court (Du 17:8-13)
-False witness to a capital crime (Du 19:15-21)
-Oppressing a widow or fatherless child and they cry out to Elohim (Ex 22:21-24)
-Charging interest to poor people (Eze 18:13)
-Oppressing the poor (Eze 18:12)

by Ken Rank

The Hebrew Roots Movement might very well stand as one of the greatest examples to date of how man can take something intended as a blessing from God and turn it into a destructive force.

The Bible offers many contrasts through which God is able to declare His will for His people. This dichotomy is one way that God can give cause for man to turn from his fleshly desires toward living a more righteous life that is pleasing to his Creator. One of the more obvious examples is found in Deuteronomy 30:19 which states: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” (NKJV) Polar opposites placed before us from which we are able to choose between a path that leads to God’s blessing, or a path that leads away from it.
​
Christianity as an entity has been quite dichotomous throughout its history. I remember during one of the very first sermons I attended before my adult baptism that the pastor seemed concerned about those Christians who “were saints on Sunday and lived liked hell the rest of the week.” But traits like hypocrisy are easy enough to spot and hypocrisy is certainly not confined to Christianity. Throughout the gospels we read Yeshua’s rebukes toward certain Pharisees who honored God with their lips but denied Him with their actions. Or even others who told the laypeople to do one thing while they themselves went and did another. As one who studies people and how they interact with their surroundings, I sadly conclude that hypocrisy is a trait that all of humanity, for one reason or another, is constantly in battle with. Consider Yeshua’s words in Matthew 7:5, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” I don’t know of one saint who hasn’t, at some point, forgotten to remove a plank from their own eye before trying to correct another.

Continue reading here.

Shalom people of the most high Elohim. Today is the first day of the 6th biblical month Elul. It is traditional to spend this entire month reflecting on our lives and the habits that are holding us back from the kingdom and true repentance.

In the interest of "spreading the love" so to speak I thought I would share an article from eliyah.com about loving our brothers in Messiah. With the cares of this life and Hasatan's world constantly batting for our attention, we need to focus on the important issues: love for the Father and his Son and love for our brothers and sisters of faith. It is easy to love our heavenly Father, he always does what is right and never lets us down, he is perfect in all his ways. What about our fellow believers? Unfortunately we are not perfect, we stumble, make wrong choices, say the wrong things, and generally show off the weakness of the flesh. But we are called to love none-the-less.

​Let us put this calling at the forefront of our minds and examine ourselves as to how we can better love one another and truly serve in the kingdom of YHVH.

Article here. 

Hanukkah Teaching by Chaim Goldman [Repairing the Breach]​

Shalom everyone, we had a great time at our first monthly San Diego Shabbat Meeting last Shabbat. It was a joy to visit with everyone. During this meeting I gave a teaching about Love and Unity in the Body and I wanted to post it here for anyone who might have missed it or wanted a copy. It covers how our pride and emotions can get in the way of the unity in the body of Messiah and the scriptures that deal with this issue. We all need to step back from time to time and realize that this walk isn't about us and our egos it is about Yah and his kingdom. May this teaching bless you in your walk.

Hello friends! If you have not been introduced to Jeff Benner then you are in for a treat. Here is a very interesting video explaining the origins of our alphabet (Aleph Bet) and how it came from Hebrew. This video is part 7 of a series and if you like this one then do yourself a favor and watch the whole series. Jeff has lots of other great videos and I encourage anyone who is interested in this type of research to drive right in. Once you realize it is an upside down ox head, you will never look at the letter "A" the same again.

Shalom brothers and sisters, our beloved brother Paul shared with us a video explaining the discrepancy in our Bibles over the length of time the Israelites were in Egypt. This is a very well done presentation as well as short and to the point. Enjoy.

This last Shabbat we read an article from eliyah.com titled "Galatians proves that we should observe the Torah" check it out here. This is an important letter of Paul to understand correctly since it is used by many Christians to "prove" that we do not need to follow the Torah and are free to break Yah's commandments. I have heard a couple explanations for Galatians but this one seems to be one of the best. Check it out and leave a comment on what you think.

Shalom Brothers and Sisters, this last Shabbat we read an article by 119 Ministries called "The Great Commission - What Does It Really Mean?" which can be found here. There is lots of good information about what our calling really entails. The best part of this article were the wealth of scriptures listed that really spell out the foundation of why us as Torah Observant / Hebrew Roots / Messianic types believe in the great benefits and joy that is found in following Yah's Torah.

Below is an excerpt from the article listing many important scriptures for us to have on hand so that we can "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15b)

This week we talked about love and explored a short article on the Life-Changing Hebrew Roots of love along with 100 Bible verses about love.

Love is typically defined as an intense emotion that we have towards others we care about. In the scripture we can see that "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV) These words are definitely truth, but do they tell us what love is? They tell us about how love works and give us insight into its correct application, but not so much what is consists of. Is it an emotion? A feeling inside? What does scripture tell us?

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3 ESV) Here we find the definition of what love is. Our Father's commandments are the definition of love, the specifics of love. The commandments of the Most High are given out of love for the purpose of love. They tell us how to love. If you truly love someone you will not kill them, steal from them, testify falsely against them, or covet their belongings. If you truly love Yah you will not hold up other gods in his face, worship idols, use his name in a worthless way, or forget his Sabbath day to dishonor it. His commandments teach us what love is and how to love.

These commandments are not put in place to be a burden to us as some falsely teach. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV) They are put in place for our benefit and are profitable in all aspects of our lives. When one lives by them and loves them they can easily see that our Father had our best interest at heart when he gave us the law, it is truly born out of love for love. 

This week we read a short article on the origin and use of the word Amen in the Scriptures called: The Last Word, “Amen” —Its origin, use, and meaning. Sometimes we can take a word for granted in its use and fail to fully understand its meaning. Please take a minute to read this short article on the subject.

Hello friends, here is a quick run down on how to keep the Shabbat holy. What are the requirements that our creator made for us? Thou shalt eat challah bread? Well, there are traditions associated with this weekly holy day that run very deep. Traditions have a place and they definitely make the day more special, but it is important for us to realize that these are just traditions and not requirements. It is when we elevate tradition to the level of commandment that we can be in err.

Here are the hard and fast, low down, carved in stone, nitty gritty, bare bones, meat and potatoes, nuts and bolts, absolute bare minimum requirements for keeping Yah's Shabbat holy in your home for your consideration.