Part 1. Maaser (tithing) - Selected Excerpts from the Sources

1. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.

- Genesis 28:22

2. You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.

- Deuteronomy 14:22

3. Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord

- Leviticus 27:30

4. “You shall tithe.” It was interpreted, “Give tithing so you will grow rich.” But how did our sages explain the commandment in the verse in a way that is Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], meaning that the intention is that he would give charity so as to get? It should be said, as was said, “We will do and we will hear,” meaning that through the act they will achieve the state of “We will hear,” meaning the act affects the intention.

It follows that when a person gives tithing, meaning an act of giving, he should aim “to get rich,” meaning to be rewarded with a desire and yearning to give. That is, as the act is giving and not receiving, so he will be rewarded with the thought and intention being only to give and to receive anything in return.

We should also say, “You shall tithe,” meaning “tithe” on the action, where if he performs an act of giving, “You will get rich,” for then he will be rewarded with his intention also being that of bestowal and not that of reception.

And what happens afterwards? “So you will grow rich,” since it is impossible to receive from the Creator the delight and pleasure, called “wealth,” before one has equivalence of form. At that time, when he is rewarded with his aim being to bestow, as well, he will be rewarded with the wealth called “so you will grow rich.

- RABASH, Assorted Notes. Article No. 536, "You Shall Tithe"

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"The point is that we can enter spirituality through equivalence of form. Equivalence of form can occur when we are in a state of giving like the Creator. We can change our attributes to be in order to bestow gradually through the upper force by working in a group. In short, it is possible. It's not simple, but it is possible.

However, wherever we operate, we cannot correct what belongs to Malchut itself. We can elevate all parts of Malchut to Bina, except for Malchut of Malchut, Malchut itself. And this part, which we cannot correct, we are obligated to dedicate to the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah, to the correction of the world, and not to use it otherwise.

That is to say, we work, we earn, regardless of how much or how each one earns, but from the money, from everything we receive in life, we must set aside a tenth, 10%, to the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah, meaning for the correction of the world. Because no matter what we do, no one can dedicate more than 90% in order to bestow, and these 10% in any case will never be in order to bestow and will not have a beneficial outcome. Therefore, we must from the outset set aside 10% from our salary, from each individual's income, and give it to the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah, to the correction of the world. This is what it's about and this is called "tithe" - Maaser."

 - Rav Michael Laitman, from the daily Kabbalah lesson, Sep 4, 2021

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Question: What does it mean when I separate the tithe, do I need to focus the intention in order to bestow? It is written, "in order to become rich." What does this mean?

Rav M. Laitman: "If I separate 10% from the material things, which corresponds to Malchut, and give it to influence for the correction of the world, then it brings me closer and connects me to the general correction of the whole world. And this is called that I become rich. Because with the 10%, I acquire the entire world."

(From the daily Kabbalah lesson, Sep 4, 2021)

5. Concerning donations and tithing, these are given specifically from possessions, from what man has acquired and possessed, and then he gives a tithing from this. Hence, there is a tithing of the beast, which is given from the quality of “beast,” which is the soul, and there is one from the fruits of the tree, which is the quality of “man.”

The time of the giving of tithing begins once ripening or planting is visible, when it is certain that he has gained.

- RABASH, Assorted Notes. Article No. 904, "Man Is the Tree of the Field"

6. By tithing [giving ten percent of one’s earnings], which is doing without knowledge, and saying that this tithing is holy, thanks to this he has wealth elsewhere, meaning he receives knowledge, called “wealth,” from things.

For this reason, he will have nine qualities, meaning that in these nine qualities he receives knowledge, and the tenth will be dedicated to the Creator. In other words, he is entirely for the Creator, and he has no attainment in it. This is why it is called “to the Lord.” The quality that the landlord receives, called “will be for him,” is what the owner can attain.

This is the meaning of “‘Test Me please by this,’ said the Lord of Hosts, ‘if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you an endless blessing.’” “This” means the above-mentioned wealth. If you accept this above reason, will not all the wealth in the world flow to you?

- RABASH, Assorted Notes. Article No. 817, "The Meaning of “Poor”"

7. Through the commandment of maaser [tithing], you will be rewarded with not diminishing the quality of being content with one’s share, and it will always appear to you that you are not devoid of any abundance. This is the power of the masser, and then you will truly be called “rich,” as it is written, “Who is rich? He who is happy with his share.” This is where one should aim when giving the maaser in order to become rich, meaning in order to come to the quality of being content with one’s share through the sanctity of this commandment. It is not a plea, but on the contrary, it is to be rewarded with the degree of being happy with one’s share and to be called “rich.”

- Ma’or Eynaim, Portion Re’eh

8. One must not cease tithing. He should give them properly - from the field and from the household, and from everything that comes into one’s hand in any matter in the world.

- The Menorah of Light

Part 2. The Structure of the Upper Worlds

Items 33-35 from the "Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah" >>

33) Now we shall clarify the matter of the clashing of inner light and surrounding light on one another, which causes the refinement of the screen and the loss of the last phase of coarseness. As these two lights are opposite yet connected through the screen in Malchut of the Rosh of AK, they beat and strike one another.

Interpretation: The coupling by striking in the Peh [mouth] of the Rosh of AK, in the screen in Malchut of the Rosh, called Peh, which was the reason for clothing the inner light of AK by the reflected light it raised (see Item 14), is also the reason for the exit of the surrounding light of AK. Because it detained the light of Ein Sof from clothing phase four, the light came out in the form of surrounding light.

In other words, that whole part of the light that the reflected light cannot clothe, like phase four herself, emerged and became surrounding light. Thus, the screen in the Peh is the reason for the surrounding light, as it is the reason for the inner light.

34) We have learned that both the inner light and surrounding light are connected to the screen, but in opposite actions. And to the extent that the screen draws a part of the upper light into the Partzuf through the reflected light that clothes it, so it drives the surrounding light away from clothing in the Partzuf.

And since the part of the light that remains outside as surrounding light is very large, due to the screen that detains it from clothing in AK, as written in Item 32, it is considered that it strikes the screen that removes it, since it wants to clothe within the Partzuf. In contrast, it is considered that the force of coarseness and hardness in the screen strikes the surrounding light, which wants to clothe within it, and detains it, as it strikes the upper light during the coupling. These beatings that the surrounding light and the coarseness in the screen beat on each other are called the clash of surrounding light and inner light.

Yet, this clash between them occurred only in the Guf of the Partzuf, since the clothing of the light in the vessels, which leaves the surrounding light outside the vessel, is apparent there. However, this clash does not apply to the ten Sefirot of the Rosh, since the reflected light is not considered vessels there whatsoever, but as mere thin roots. For this reason, the light in them is not regarded as limited inner light, to the point of discerning the light that remains outside as surrounding light. And since this distinction between them does not exist, there is no beating of inner light and surrounding light in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh.

Only once the lights extend from the Peh down to the ten Sefirot of the Guf—where the lights clothe in vessels, which are the ten Sefirot of reflected light from the Peh down—is there beating there between the inner light inside the vessels and the surrounding light that remained outside.

35) This clash continued until the surrounding light refined the screen from all its coarseness and elevated it to its upper root in the Peh of the Rosh. This means that it refined all the coarseness from above downward, called “screen and coarseness of the Guf,” leaving it with only the root of the Guf, the screen of Malchut of the Rosh, called Peh. In other words, it had been refined of its entire coarseness from above downward, which divides between the inner light and the surrounding light, leaving only the coarseness from below upward, where the distinction between the inner light and surrounding light has not occurred yet.

It is known that equivalence of form unites the spirituals into one. Hence, once the screen of the Guf has been refined of all the coarseness of the Guf, leaving in it only the coarseness that is equal to the screen of the Peh of the Rosh, its form was equalized with the screen of the Rosh. Thus, it was incorporated and became literally one with it, since there was nothing to divide them into two. This is considered that the screen of the Guf rose to the Peh of the Rosh.

Since the screen of the Guf was incorporated in the screen of the Rosh, it was incorporated once again in the coupling by striking in the screen of the Peh of the Rosh and a new coupling by striking was made on it. Consequently, ten new Sefirot emerged in it at a new level called AB of AK or Partzuf Hochma of AK. This is considered “a son” and a consequence of the first Partzuf of AK.