Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Matthew 23:23 ¶ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 23:23 ¶ "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. |
Subject: What makes a tithe a tithe? |
Bible Note: Dear Ed, As a son of Israel, I can tell you that in the synagogues, tickets are most typically purchased for the high holy days. Interestingly enough, opportunities to read Torah aloud is a great honor, but the privilege to do so is bid upon. The highest bidder for a given time of assembly will be allowed to read. Of course, the more important the day, the higher the bidding. Additionally, there are a variety of ways to render monetary offerings. It is all a bit more formal, but very similar to the Christian notion of designated offerings. You are correct that there is no Temple, but incorrect that there is no priestly order. Of course, with the destruction of the temple and the diaspora, there is certainly no priestly order in precise way directed by Moses. But that has not kept the Jews from trying. One might argue that the genealogy is no longer as certain as it was -- since the records were destroyed in the Temple. But, you will score no points with a Jew by arguing that point! The descendants of Aaron are called kohanim. Often a kohein will have a last name of Cohn, Cohen, or Katz. On some of the high holy days they repeat a blessing over the congregation. A first born son, when he reaches 31 days old, must be redeemed from a kohein by the paying of five silver coins. Levites certainly do not have the responsibilities that they once had in the Temple. However, they regularly recite a blessing over the Torah reading, etc. Some, but not all, Levites have the last name Levi, Levin, or Levine. You might also find it interesting that these roles have nothing whatsoever to do with the beliefs of the individual. Consequently, they are not similar to anything like the Christian calling to the ministry. It is entirely an ancestral matter. I have a friend, for example, who is a kohein, but he is a avowed atheist. Nevertheless, other Jews will still assert his position, even if he doesn't like it! He was in Israel a few years ago, and he went to a friend's funeral. Those attending the funeral angrily put him out of the cemetery, since a kohein becomes unclean if he comes into contact with a dead body (or bones, or the dust of the dead, etc.). He could have cared less, but they insisted on his avoiding becoming unclean. As Christians we see all of this as an attempt to stubbornly hang on to the Judaism prior to the coming of Messiah. Let us pray for the peace of Israel -- not worldly peace, but peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, Doc |