When the word spread, the Israelites brought large quantities of grain, wine, oil, honey, and all kinds of agricultural produce, and tithes of all, in large amounts.II Chronicles 31:5 (The Israel Bible™)וְכִפְרֹץ הַדָּבָר הִרְבּוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל רֵאשִׁית דָּגָן תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ וְכֹל תְּבוּאַת שָׂדֶה וּמַעְשַׂר הַכֹּל לָרֹב הֵבִיאוּHear the verse in Hebrewv’-khif-ROTZ ha-da-VAR hir-BU v’-NAY yis-ra-AYL ray-SHEET da-GAN tee-ROSH
v’-yitz-HAR ud-VASH v’-KHOL t’-vu-AT sa-DEH u-ma-SAR ha-KOL la-ROV hay-VEE-u
Physical and Spiritual Nourishment
The gifts brought to the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) are examples of biblical commandments that only apply in the Land of Israel. A portion of the crops grown in the land were dedicated to God, to remind us that despite the tremendous human effort involved in their production, our crops are ultimately a gift from God. Additionally, agricultural gifts were presented to the religious leaders of Israel. Since the religious leadership did not have a portion of the land, they were dependent on the rest of the nation for their physical nourishment. In return, their religious contribution elevated the remainder of the nation's existence in the land. Such is life in the Land of Israel- the physical and spiritual are continuously intertwined.
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