עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר אֵּׂת כָּל-תְּבוּאַת זַרְּ עֶךָ הַיֹּצֵּׂא הַשָּדֶה שָּנָּ ה שָּנָּה
Taanis 9a: an encounter between R. Yochanan and Resh Lakish’s young son. R. Yochanan asked the young man (as was customary) to repeat a verse he was taught that day. The young man responded by citing Devarim 14:22, “Aser te’aser eis kol tevuas zar’acha ha’yotzei ha’sadeh shanah shanah – Tithe, you shall tithe the entire crop of your planting, the produce of the field, year by year.”
The young man asked R. Yochanan why the Torah repeats the word aser. The sage replied that the repetition teaches us “aser bi’shvil she’tis’asher” – that if we tithe we will become rich. When the young man asked R. Yochanan how we know this statement is true, R. Yochanan told him to test it out. The young man objected that the Torah (Devarim 6:16) adjures us against testing HaShem: “Lo senase es HaShem Elokeichem ka’asher nisisem bamasah – You shall not test HaShem, your G-d, as you tested Him at Massah.” R. Yochanan replied that this instance is an exception, this is what Rabbi Hoshiah said, "Apart from this [tithing], as it is said, (Malachi 3:10) in which G-d clearly allows the Jewish people to test Him with regard to the mitzvah of ma'aser, promising to open the storehouses of the skies and to pour out blessings without any limits to those who keep the mitzvah properly.
The Holy Alshich explains that the blessing is ten-fold. If you will tithe properly, and give 1/10th, then HaShem will allow you to tithe the total amount of this year's produce next year, "shanah shanah," meaning that you will have ten times as much produce the following year. This is an exception because if HaShem gives us much more in the future, we will likewise be giving more to charity. This should really be the intention of the one who tithes, as indicated by the word "t'asseir," you WILL tithe, future tense. Your intention should be so that in the future you will become wealthy to be able to give more.
The Rema of Pano points out that the word צדקה when transposed using the system of A”T B”aSH comes out with the same four letters. This demonstrates that whatever one gives is bound to return to the giver.
The Reason One May Test HaShem with Maaser
Perisha in the name of the Maharal: Only permitted with Maaser and only to become rich. One is being trusting with a small treasure only.
Radvaz: Allowed to test HaShem in this mitzvah that involves helping the Cohanim and the poor.
Kokeiv MiYaacov: HaShem promises rewards for keeping all the Mitzvos that is beyond our comprehension. However, humans wish to taste a little of the total awards package. Thus, HaShem selected the mitzvah that is counter-intuitive to be tested, that by giving money away one would receive back much more.
Chasam Sofer: Torah “speaks” to counter the Yetzer haRa. It is better that one give Tzedakah for the sake of getting rich which would enable one to study Torah, rather that studying the Torah to be paid in terms of money and honor. The Torah’s purpose is to bring one to fear HaShem.
Smicas Chachumim: Prior to giving Maaser one must actually count the total volume (one does not guess). Usually, a miracle does not occur with an object that is already counted (i.e., counted money in the bank). Nevertheless, permission is granted in this one area to support the concept that all wealth comes from HaShem.
HALACHA
I. Tur
The Rema (Y.D. 247:4) quotes the Tur that whenever ones give Tzedaka one may test HaShem.
II. Beis Yosef
One may only test HaShem with Maaser Kesafim – giving one-tenth of one’s earnings. If one does not already give one-tenth, then cannot test HaShem.
III. Shelah, Yaavetz, and others
The Gemara is not discussing monetary Tzedakah, but Maaser Tevuah – the tithing of grain which was previously mentioned in the Torah.
Conclusion: One should be stringent not to test HaShem with Tzedakah. However, the Aruch haShulchan indicates that one can reasonably assume that one would indeed profit from giving Tzedakah.
Why people who give maaser don't get rich even though the Gemara says you can test HaShem?
- Rabeinu Yona (Shaarei Teshuva 3:30) states that this is basically also a test and it is for your own good not to get rich.
- Ahavas Chesed (19:1) says that there are still other things that bring one to being poor. So, the maaser can help one not to get poor but one may not become rich.
- The promise is only when you know that the recipient is an honest poor man.
- Netziv (Meromei Sadeh R"H 4a) says applies when the maaser is given to people who learn Torah.
- Rav Shlomo Zalman offers that today HaShem is hiding so much that this test doesn't apply (!)
- Rema (249:13) states that if one takes honor for the tzedakah, it is bad.
- May not work if the money given is not "clean" (Chida on Sefer Chasidim)
- Radvaz (3:441) states that only works if given directly to poor people and not used for other Mitzvos.
- It is very difficult to calculate an exact amount since finances are much more intricate today.
Prohibition to Test HaShem
"Do not test HaShem your G-d, like you did at Masah" (6:16).
Rashi explains that this refers to the place Masah u'Merivah, where Yisrael tested G-d saying, "Is G-d in our midst or is He not." According to Targum Yonasan however, it is a warning not to test HaShem again like the ten times that our ancestors tested HaShem in the desert (as mentioned in Pirkei Avos 5:6).
Rabeinu Bachye explains that one is not permitted to try out HaShem, to serve Him on condition that He responds favorably.
Our duty is to serve HaShem faithfully out of (reverence and) love, and to believe that, if things do not go according to plan, this is part of Divine justice, which is always righteous.
They tested Him at Refidim (as cited by Rashi), when they threatened to serve HaShem only if He provided them with water. Moshe demonstrated G-d's displeasure by renaming the place 'Masah u'Merivah' (Trial and Quarrel), and they were immediately subjected to an attack by Amalek.
In fact, R. Bachye concludes, the only area of Torah and Mitzvos where testing HaShem is permitted is that of Tzedakah. There alone, based on a Pasuk in Malachi that indicates that a person is permitted to give charity on condition that G-d pays him back per the Pasuk in Mishlei (3:9-10) "Honor HaShem with your wealth ... and He will fill your storehouses with plenty and your wine-presses will burst with wine."
Testing with Tzedakah
The Gemara in Pesachim (Daf 8a) cites a Baraysa which declares someone who gives a Sela to Tzedakah so that his son should live or so that he will earn a portion in the World to Come is a complete Tzadik.
Tosfos query this from the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (1:3) - that one should not perform Mitzvos in order to receive reward. And they reply that provided one gives the Tzedakah with a full heart and does not retract should his son not live, he is considered a complete Tzadik. Whereas, Pirkei Avos is speaking of the case where he only gives Tzedakah on the understanding that his condition is upheld. In the event that it is not, he regrets having given it.
The Maharsha concludes that the Gemara's query in Pesachim from the case of Tzedakah on the suggestion that someone who searches for Chametz whilst simultaneously searching for a lost needle has not fulfilled the Mitzvah, would make no sense. And as for the Gemara in Ta'anis (that distinguishes between Tzedakah and other Mitzvos) - that is confined to testing G-d exclusively. It does not apply to performing Mitzvos with an ulterior motive.
This is implied by R. Bachye, who supports the Gemara in Taanis's distinction between Tzedakah and other Mitzvos with a Pasuk in Mishlei (50:9-10), which refers to the reward that accompanies the Mitzvah of Tzedakah, but has no bearing on testing HaShem. And the Gemara's query goes like this: If giving Tzedakah with an ulterior motive renders a person a complete Tzadik (or as some commentaries explain, it renders the Tzedakah a complete Mitzvah), then someone who searches for Chametz while looking for a lost needle should at least have fulfilled the Mitzvah (regardless of the fact that the Mitzvah is not complete).
