Aliya Summary: After giving a tenth of one's crops to the Levite, a
tenth of the remainder -- the "Second Tithe" -- is to be taken and eaten
within the confines of Jerusalem. Provision is made here for people who
live far away from Jerusalem for whom it would be unfeasible to
transport so much produce. Instead they may exchange the produce for
money which is then taken to Jerusalem and spent on food. There is a
three-year tithing cycle. After the conclusion of each cycle, we are
commanded to purge our homes of any overdue tithes, give them to their
intended recipients, and recite a brief prayer.
We must
take the second tithe to Jerusalem and spend it there (forced
vacation), and if it's too much (good problem to have), we may covert it
to cash and spend it as we see fit, within the confines of Jerusalem.
And this is meant for us to learn to fear G-d all of our days (Passuk
14:23). How exactly does this invoke fear? I believe one possible
explanation could be that when we separate tithe from our own produce as
G-d instructed, we've taken the first step of understanding our place
in the world. When we bring it to Jerusalem to enjoy, along with
everyone else who's done the same thing, the experience transforms into a
much more shared communal reality. Suddenly all your senses are
involved: You see the people and produce others bring (and implied
success granted to them), you taste the foods you've brought, you smell
everyone else's imported fruits. These individual experience don't
solicit fear, but they do teach us of the ever-present reach that G-d
has on everything that we have and are. That realization should lead to
love, reverence and ultimately fear of G-d for all that we depend on Him
for.
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