Today I received this private message:
Sir, I don’t understand why such a talented man and the compiler of so many study aids is having such a hard time financially. Don’t you have books you can sell? I am embarrassed for you constantly asking for money. Brother, go to the Throne Room, you have that right. I am close to where you are and I will never ask men for help. I will always plead my case before my Father. Please stop!
Here is my response:
Believe me, I would rather spend less time fund raising, and more time with my “nose in the scrolls” doing this great work.
I am a literal laborer in His Word. Am I not worthy of my wage? Should I be ashamed of such? The tithe belongs to YHWH, men are merely it’s custodians. Now if you are a full tither, then that is very good. But if you are not, isnt’t this reaction akin to expecting me to make bricks without straw? And if you do not feel my labor in the word is worthy of support, then please find one that is, and tithe there. And to the degree that I am poor and asking for tzadikah, in Judaism this means I am blessing you by giving you the opportunity to preform a mitzvah. AT the end of the day, no one is forced to donate. But, it would be foolish of me to starve and become homeless and no longer be in a position to do this great work, simply because I did not tell people of the need. Then people would say “why didn’t you tell us, if we had only known, we would have helped.
BTW I have published about twenty books, all total their sales bring in 100 to 150 dollars a month. My translation of Jasher took three months of full time work, and its sales over nearly fifteen years have never even paid me minimum wage for the time spent translating it. I have found a much more successful model is to publish material freely on the internet, with the endeavor paid for by tithes, freewill offerings and tzadikah of those who wish to support the effort. It is also more successful at getting more information out to more people than if I was selling it.
Our rent is due in about ten days, and right now we do not have it!
As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
1 Cor. 9:6-14 says those who labor in the Temple are sustained from the Temple. This is null and void w/o a Temple. It also says Those who proclaim his Good News live off his Good News.
So you would qualify under the second statement. A technicality but similar to the churches’ error of discounting Torah yet coveting the tithe. With that said, yes, indeed you deserve to live off of the Good News. Again, are you out of inventory? Have a fire sale!
You said: “This is null and void w/o a Temple. … similar to the churches’ error of discounting Torah yet coveting the tithe”
This is not actually true. See my blog: Is the Tithe Only for Levites?
In fact Orthodox Rabbinic Jews still pay the tithe today, despite the lack of a Temple.