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The price list in the Torah..

"All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place , even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

A bekah for every man, that is , half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men ."

2. Mose 38. 24, 25, 26

..the Payments of Hashem..

In addition to the classic Tithe, there are a variety of individual payment offers for very specific and concrete occasions, some of which we list on this page.

The classic tithe, on the other hand, refers to the 10th part of the agricultural income that is to be paid each year to the Levites, who are appointed by God as priestly temple servants and have no other income themselves.

In some parts of the Torah, God also writes about the 5th part, i.e. 20% of the wealth gained during the year.

Here, 10% would be for the temple and 10% for the priest. Always remember that this applies instead of taxes and interest, for which well over 90% of your income is required today.

The Torah was given to Moses and the children of Israel to live by. Even if the Torah is somewhat unpopular today, God has laid down simple rules there which, if you keep to them, are given to you for the best. Also, as far as God's easy payments are concerned, God does not want to hit you over the head with your pocketbook, because a worldwide establishment of the Torah is tantamount to the elimination of taxes and interest, which comes from the Roman system.

In return, God asks you in the Torah to test him to see whether your gift required in the Bible comes back to you in excess. In other words: if you keep to the Torah, the flourishing upswing in your life can hardly be prevented.

Maleachi 3,10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it ."

In addition to the individual and concrete payment commandments, money is used in the Torah for many reasons. Be it out of gratitude for grace received, gifts on various occasions, purchase contracts, redemption, debt payments and much more.

An important basis for understanding is that the Hebrew word "כסף" (=Kesev), which stands for MONEY in the Torah, means SILVER in the exact translation.

So whenever the Torah talks about money, it really means silver!

In addition to the general tithe, which is to be paid in silver, there are the following classic individual payments:

Firstborn Payment

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The Levites were given to God in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites. So you are to count all the firstborn of Israel and then count all the Levites given in exchange for the firstborn offering. The difference, the surplus firstborn, is to be redeemed at 5 shekels per head.

"Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them : (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)."

4. Mose 3,47

Silver for purchase contracts

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The first purchase contract in the Torah was made by Abraham for the Machpelah Cave as a burial place for Sarah. A contract of sale of land made with silver is considered an eternal possession.

"And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure.
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city."

1. Mose 23.16,17,18

1 shekel, annual payment or counting

Instead of a direct census of the Israelites, the census is to be carried out indirectly on an annual basis by means of a silver coin.

"This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls."

2Mo 30,13-15

30 shekels if your own cattle kill a slave

Compensation if your animal kills a slave...

"If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned."

2. Mose 21,32

A married woman taken unaware

Abimelech has to pay 1000 shekels because he mistakenly took Abraham's wife Sarah home with him, thinking she was Abraham's sister.

"And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other : thus she was reproved."

1. Mose 20,16

Ransom people according to vow

If you withdraw from a previous consecration to the Lord, you have the opportunity to redeem yourself to the Lord.

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation. And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.
And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels." 3. Mose 27.1-7

Jacob celebrates Sukkot in Shechem and buys a piece of land

Although Jacob actually wants to go to Bethel, he stays in Shechem and buys a piece of land there for 100 kesita (approx. 400 shekels).

"And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem' father, for an hundred pieces of money."

1. Mose 33,18 and 19

Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver

In the course of the Geula, each of the brothers today has the opportunity to make up for this sale of the brother by participating in the repair of the world and buying 20 pieces of silver for the temple or general Zadaka.

"Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt."

1. Mose 37,28

Blessing:

"And Isaac sowed in that land, and gained an hundredfold that year; and the LORD blessed him.
And the man became rich and grew richer until he was very rich." Genesis 26:11+12

Treason:

"Then Judah said to his brothers, 'What profit is it that we kill our brother and cover his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not our hand be on him, for our brother is our flesh he! And his brothers listened to it.
Then Midianite men, traders, passed by, and they pulled him out and brought Joseph up from the cistern. And they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt." Genesis 37:26-28