Halakhah for Deuteronomy 6:16

“Bring ye the whole tithe into the storehouse etc.… And try Me now herewith” (Mal. 3:10). So important is tithing, that here the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Try Me,” unlike all other instances where it is forbidden to test Him, for it is written “Ye shall not try the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:16).¹Taanith 9a. That tithe alluded to is the poor man’s tithe, to give to the poor a tithe from everything wherein a person profits, whether from interest or his own hire or from anything which comes to a person profitably. If he found or they returned to him goods stolen from him,²Valuables that he had given up for lost. he must tithe, as it is written in Scripture.³The words “whole tithe” is taken to imply all sorts of revenue accruing from all sources, foreseen and unforeseen. (Perush.) For Israel had not yet been among the nations of the world lending at interest.⁴The Bible does not mention income from interest since it was then not prevalent. Woe unto them that withhold their tithes, for ultimately nothing will remain in their hands but the poor man’s tithe, as it is written, “And everyman’s hallowed things shall be his” (Num. 5:10).⁵Berakoth 63a.

It is from the roots of the commandment [that] since God, may He be blessed, chose the tribe of Levi from among his brothers for his service in the Temple always, therefore it was from His kindness to them to give them their sustenance in an honorable way. As so is it proper for the servants of the King that their meals should be readied for them by others - that they should prepare it for them and that [the Levites] should not have to toil in anything besides the precious service of the King. And even though they were twelve tribes - and according to their equal portion, it would have been fitting that they take one twelfth part - this advantage to them is also for their glory. As since they are from the house of the King, it is fitting that their portion be more than all [the rest] of them. And it is a big advantage that the tenth part come to them free from all of the expenses of the land. And the blessing of God, may He be blessed, rests upon everything that belongs to the one who sustains the servants of God with his money. And this is what they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishnah Avot 3:13), "Tithes are a safeguarding fence around wealth." They, may their memory be blessed, also said (Taanit 9a) that it is forbidden for a person to think in his heart and say, "I will test if God does good to me [for] my involvement in His commandments"; and about that which is similar to this is it stated (Deuteronomy 6:16), "Do not test the Lord, your God" - except for in this commandment. As it is permitted to test if God will bless him [for] his doing it and [for] his being alacritous about it. And it is made explicit by the prophets, as it is stated (Malachi 3:10), "Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse, etc. and put Me to the test with it, said the Lord."

To not test a true prophet more than is necessary: That we have been prevented to not test a prophet that rebukes the nation and teaches the ways of repentance more than is necessary, once the truth of his prophecy be known. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 6:16), "Do not test the Lord, your God, as you tested Him at Massah," meaning to say, "Do not test the rewards of God and his punishments about which He has informed you through His prophets in a way that shall be sufficient for you."