Forms. Number-Crunching. Headaches. Worry. Going through the year's spending and income and applying it to the nitty-gritty of our tax code often feels like the least religious, least spiritual activity possible. While doing our taxes can be a source of frayed nerves and aggravation, they can also be a spiritual lens that reflects our priorities, values and the effects of our labors on the world.
How we make and spend our money can and should be a spiritual concern. All faiths have profound things to say about money, from the Social Gospels to the concept of zakat and everything in between. My faith's concern with money is manifest most nobly through the eternal Jewish practice of tzedakah: using money to pursue tzedek -- justice -- by providing financial support to individuals and institutions in their struggles against hunger, poverty and injustice.
Tzedakah has been practiced in many diverse ways throughout history. A few thousand years ago, it was expressed agriculturally. The Torah (written law) and Mishna (oral law) detail many tithes that went to the poor, itinerant and those who served the community as educators and priests. As most Jews turned from farming to other methods of supporting themselves, the rabbis devised mechanisms to keep Jews giving tzedakah in consistent, meaningful ways. One of these mechanisms was called ma'aser kesafim (ma'aser means "a tenth," kesafim "money"). This mechanism takes the tithing principle from agriculture and applies it to money, so that one resolves that 10 percent of his or her income now belongs to the poor and is to be donated accordingly. The fraction, 10 percent, is considered by Jewish law as a good median level of giving. The Talmud (Ketubot 50a) considers 20 percent the upper ceiling, unless one has means to give more or someone's life is in immediate danger. Less than 10 percent is considered miserly. Giving 10 percent of your income to make social change is a strong statement, whether you're a millionaire or making minimum wage; Jewish law obligates even those who are poor themselves to give to charity.
Earmarking 10 percent of one's income for the poor can be a spiritual discipline as well, bringing a powerful sense of meaning and purpose to one's finances. As with all Jewish practices, there is discussion and disagreement over many of the details, but here's are some starting points based on the rabbinic sources.
How do I calculate ma'aser kesafim?
Ma'aser kesafim is generally understood as taking 10 percent of all after-tax income or profit one receives from income, business deals, inheritances, gifts, things found or acquired through other means. One is not required to take ma'aser kesafim from stocks, bonds or other assets that rose in value over a given time period if they were not sold. Once sold, ma'aser kesafim is to be taken from the profit, after taxes.
How often should I calculate it?
Ma'aser kesafim can be allocated annually, monthly or even weekly. Generally, whatever is the easiest way to keep track. One suggestion, from Rabbi Jill Jacobs, is to set up a bank account that automatically moves one tenth of every direct deposit paycheck into a separate ma'aser account.
Who should receive my ma'aser kesafim money?
It is generally agreed upon that money designated as ma'aser kesafim should go toward supporting the poor. Some Jewish authorities say that it can also be used to support religious/spiritual activities as well.
Can I count the taxes I give as ma'aser kesafim? Some of those go toward supporting the poor.
Generally, no. Taxes, or other things which one is legally obligated to give might count as tzedakah, especially if they are supporting those in need, but they do not count toward ma'aser kesafim. The reasoning is that since you never really saw the money in the first place, you never experienced it as profit.
Are there any expenses I should deduct from income before I count ma'aser?
Just as with taxes, there are expenses Jewish scholars suggest you deduct from your income before calculating ma'aser kesafim and separating out 10 percent. As noted, ma'aser kesafim is usually calculated after taxes. Other deductions before removing the 10 percent are expenses that go toward enabling you to work and/or your business to function, such as: employee salaries, basic marketing costs, child-care costs if otherwise you wouldn't be able to work, transportation costs to and from work, office expenses, including basic work clothing, etc. If unsure, a good rule of thumb is to take ma'aser kesafim from money you experienced as purely profit.
Tithing has strong roots in the conservative world, but the idea of giving away 10 percent of one's income has not taken root in more progressive religious communities. This is unfortunate. Ritualizing giving in this way pushes us to really put our money where our mouths/values are. When commenting on the seminal Jewish prayer "You shall love God with all your heart, all your mind and your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5), Rashi, the famous medieval commentator, writes that "all your might" refers to money. Together, using the special awareness that tax season brings to our finances, let's strive towards that more perfect world, loving God with our hearts, our minds and our money to build a more perfect world.
Follow Ari Hart on Twitter: www.twitter.com/arihart
Tax Season Gets Trickier for Some Gay Couples - NYTimes.com
Shane Claiborne: Give to Uncle Sam What Is Uncle Sam's: Tax Season ...
The rich give silz. Considering they pay no tax on Appreciation. Where all the wealth is made in the stock market.
Go get them. Oh congress just gave them an 800 Billion tax cut. Figure that?
We are saved through grace, not by works, so no one should boast.
What part of the "red letters" do you attribute to Grace. GOD came to earth in the Body of Jesus for what. Sounds like he wated his time he could have simply sent another arch angel.
Maybe he is a masacist wanted to die on the cross so everyone can ignore the gospels.
Grace to me is you becoming the spirit of GOD itself. Not believing in his name
Romans 8:
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you..
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
I notice neither gave the money back, telling us it was good for us. The got $70,000 and we got $1000
EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWoWWWWWWWWWWWW
No, tithing and Taxes are not the same. One, tithing serves THEE GOD, his laws, and the other - Taxes, can ONLY served the little Caesars god, their own unrighteous laws, created to serve the few, the greedy, at the same time, destroying God's most sacred gift -LIFE, God himself, all who were created in God's very image. What ever you do to the least of my brothers that YOU do unto ME>
Told, why all great empires fell, we are told because their own leaders - forgot God was first in all things (unrighteous shepherds) their greed, their wars and their jealousy.Every great great empire fell since the beginning of time. God names the last one to fall.
Why God says. HE is coming in a wrath, Let Your Gold $$ and Silver$$ save you now. Yes, those in any Congress, on earth, their Leaders are there to serve God, who is their Authority over them, yes they will have much to answer for.
Moses like Jesus chose to remain poor, yes their were those also men who received great prosperity but only because they were Righteous men and gave served many the needs of all around them, thus their blessings were given also as a blessing to others, they did not worship money but God first, and what God gave them, they served God, by giving much much to all.
Unrighteous men, leaders, exchanged the laws of God, by creating their own laws, that serve their own greed, and defraud others of their equality rights also. Which God says, they will be also judged by their own laws they have created also. For God knows, our every thought, pure intention. God calls such as theses, the unrighteous, ungodly, -lawless ones. Their world will end but not the world of the righteous ones and all who have innocently suffered by their very hands. Told Ones own conscience will bare witness against them self.
Not true for the Rich and Small business. All those markups on part and material are call cost. No tax there, but higher prices to you.
Taxes - where created by Caesar to do the opposite. To serve his own greed, worship of wealth as his god. What Caesar worshiped first was $$$, desiring only, his own flesh first, not God first. Caesar wanted to be worshiped as a god, and His desire of greed, $$$ wealth was his god. Caesar used his game system of taxes, to maintain and build his many houses of great wealth, through Caesar's "ill gotten gains,by creating taxes, to defraud others, through his own citizens grevious toils of hard earned labored $$.
What taxes are now repeating today, by all the little Caesars, today, why the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. Why 2% of a Nation citizens hold ALL the wealth of a Nation. There are No Righteous Shepherds, like Moses. But a host of little Caesars. What did Moses do to all those little Caesars in his time? Moses did not dally with such men of greed did he? Congress will have much to answer for you think? Told this would return in the end, and it has. A nation that has been so greatly blessed, will have NO excuse.
There were no wealth tax cuts, in Moses time, I do not think Moses a Righteous man would be dallying long with greed. In Moses time those who had much, were required to GIVE MUCH, and those who had little were to give what they could. But all tithes went to care provided supply the daily needs of others who had far less, no one went hungry with our care, God, Moses, Jesus were and are -Good Shepherds, Righteous Shepherds, Good Socialist, Righteous in all things.
The blessings of others God gives, freely to all, are to be given and shared and a blessing to those who have little. Thus when doing so God Blessings the whole Nation, with prosperity and CONTINUED Blessings, repeat repeat, the circle of life, where all provide for all human beings.
Now Bank America has Usury Tax on Credit Cards, etc.
Our Physical strength, is weak, for it desires only are to serve, the desires of ones own flesh.. first. Physical strength thou weaker then spiritual, wins over, the spiritually, physical strength says NO to the the spiritual strength.
The physical Body is weak (matter) is oppose to the spiritual body. And the spiritual is oppose to the physical body (matter). The sacred gift of life, gets exchanged, degraded to be of lesser value and worship for $$$ first and not trusting in God to care for our needs, when we care and provide for the needs of others.
Love me with all your heart, soul, mind and ( spiritual strength), whole being, spiritually, having the spiritual strength to say NO to the desires lust of the physical strength of the flesh. Serving God first over all things and obedience to His Will and Desire-Feed my sheep. When I was sick, did you care for ME? No, I am serving first my physical strength, my flesh, body matter, first. St Paul who said. I am fighting the good fight, till the end (meant his spiritual battle against the flesh desires of the physical strength)
WE are at war daily within ourselves. Flesh and spiritual, battle daily, within us. Spiritual is oppose to the physical (matter) and the physical (matter) is oppose to the spiritual. "Love me with all your might". Your Mind, heart, soul and all your might.
Are all that make up our spiritual body, spiritual (strength) then there is the physical body, the reason for why all suffer. When our mind, heart soul and all our might (spiritual might) become one, we have conquered our own ev 1ll within us. The battle is over. Mind says no, not good, the heart says no, but the weakness of the flesh, strength wins the battle we choose to do what is not good.
Peace!