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{{short description|Tenth of produce grown in the third and sixth years of the seven-year sabbatical cycle}}
The '''poor tithe''', or '''poor man's tithe''' ([[Hebrew]]: {{Script/Hebrew|מַעְשַׂר עָנִי}} ''ma'sar<!--"ma'sar"–(NO double “a” – the ע has a Shva, not a ḥaṭaf pataḥ) as in וְכָל-מַעְשַׂר הָאָרֶץ (Lev. 27:30)--> ani''), also referred to as the '''pauper's tithe''' or the '''third tithe''', is a triennial tithe of one's produce, required in [[Judaism|Jewish law]]. It requires that one tenth of produce grown in the third and sixth years of the seven-year [[Sabbatical year (Bible)|sabbatical]] cycle be given to the [[Levites]] and the poor.<ref>Sirach, scrolls, and sages'' p185 ed. T. Muraoka, John F. Elwolde - 1999 "and honouring God was expressed, ''inter alia'', by paying one's dues to the priesthood and by setting aside the 'pauper's tithe'"</ref>
The law applies during the days of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]], and after the Temple's destruction. It applies only to crops that are harvested in the [[Land of Israel]], but during the [[Shmita|Seventh Year]], also applies to crops harvested in Jordan and Egypt, so that the poor of Israel would be supported in the Seventh Year.<ref>[[Mishnah]], ''[[Yadayim]]'' 4:3</ref>
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Thus, this tithe is separated from homegrown crops during the 3rd and 6th year of the seven-year cycle.
The early rabbis, the [[Tannaim]] and [[Amoraim]], understood these texts as describing two separate tithes: the [[first tithe]] (Hebrew: {{Script/Hebrew|מעשר ראשון}} ''ma'aser rishon'') to be given to the Levites and the [[second tithe]] (Hebrew: {{Script/Hebrew|מעשר שני}} ''ma'aser sheni'') in [[Leviticus]] {{Bibleverse-nb|lev|27:30|HE}} to be kept by its owner and to be eaten in Jerusalem, except in the third and sixth years of the sabbatical cycle, when instead of separating the second tithe, the poor tithe (''ma'sar ani'') was separated and given to the poor.<ref>David Instone-Brewer ''Traditions of the Rabbis from the Era of the New Testament'' Page 321 2004 "The rabbis understood these texts as describing two separate tithes: the first tithe (''maaser rishon'') which was for the Levites and the second tithe (''maaser sheni'') which was for eating in Jerusalem except every third year when it became the poor tithe (''maaser ani''). The passage in Leviticus 27 is traditionally interpreted as referring to second tithe because it speaks about redeeming the tithed produce, which was necessary only for second tithe."</ref> The medieval commentator [[Rashi]] also interprets Deuteronomy 26:12 as referring to the third year, when the first tithe was given to the Levite and the poor tithe was given to "the stranger, the orphan, and the widow".<ref>{{cite wikisource |author=Rashi |title=Commentary on Deuteronomy 26:12 |wslink=קטע:רש"י על דברים כו יב |wslanguage=he}}</ref>
== In Josephus ==
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