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In theHebrew Bible, thetithe of the tithes (Hebrew:תרומת המעשרterumat ha-maaser) is amitzvah (biblical requirement) for the recipientLevite to give to thepriest a tenth (10%) of thetithe of produce that the former received from theIsraelites. It applies only to agricultural produce grown in theLand of Israel.
This "tithe of the tithes" is a derivative of thetithe offering (Hebrew:תרומת המעשרterumat ha-maaser) – a rabbinical Hebrew term based on thecommandment in the Hebrew Bible to give a tithemaaser of 10% to the Levites. The first term,terumah, means offering. The termtithe offering,terumat ha-maaser, is alluded to in the Hebrew Bible text under the words "a tithe (tenth) of the tithe" (Numbers 18:26).
The termtithe (Hebrew:מעשרmaaser) occurs ten times in theMasoretic Text of theHebrew Bible, in addition to the termmaasar hamaaser (Hebrew:מַעֲשַׂר הַמַּעֲשֵׂר 'tithe of the tithe', in theSeptuagint Greek:δεκάτῃ τῆς δεκάτηςdekate tes dekates) which occurs once only inNehemiah10:39.[1]
This offering is to be distinguished from the "offering tribute" (Hebrew:תרומת המכסterumat hamekhes) which Moses gave to God inNumbers31:41.
The gift ofterumat ha-maaser was generally not given by the Israelite directly to the priest. Rather, it was given to aLevite, as the recipient ofmaaser rishon ('first tithe'; Hebrew:מעשר ראשון), and then the Levite gave of ten percent of hismaaser rishon gift directly to thekohen. After the edict ofEzra, which directedmaaser rishon to be given to the priest, it became the Kohen's responsibility to give one tenth of hismaaser rishon gift to another priest of his choice.
In the Hebrew Bible, theterumah ('offering') was regarded as a kind of sacredkorban (also 'offering').[citation needed] It could be eaten only byJewish priests and their families, had to beritually pure, had to be eaten while in a state ofritual purity, and could not be taken out of theLand of Israel.
Orthodox Judaism requires takingterumah from produce grown in Israel, although in the absence of a Temple it is no longer given to the priests. In contemporary practice, most of the Terumah and various other biblical tithes (includingfirst tithe andsecond tithe are first set aside. The 'second tithe' (maaser sheni) is then redeemed upon a coin of nominal value (not generally equal to the value of the produce). The coin and the unredeemable portion of the produce are then discarded in a manner that prevents their use. The reason for discarding in such a manner is that taking these tithes are sacred and must be preserved in a state of "purity" (Hebrew:טהרהtahara) and eaten by a priest in a state of purity. In contemporary times, all people are considered to be defiled by a type of "impurity" (Hebrew:טומאהtumah) which can only be purified through the ritual of thered heifer (Hebrew:פרה אדומהparah adumah). It has not been possible to perform this sacrifice since the destruction of theSecond Temple. Since it is forbidden to defileterumah, the produce must be discarded in a manner commensurate with its holiness.