דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״א, פסוק ה׳

The royal decree to support those who served God sparked an unprecedented wave of generosity throughout the nation. Far from treating the requirement as a dry legal obligation, the people responded with an extraordinary outpouring of wealth that touched every area of their agricultural and economic lives. The primary approach among commentators is that this initial surge represented the rapid spread and strengthening of the king's command among the people [רש״י, רלב״ג, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others view this as a specific time marker, denoting the exact point when the actual delivery of the gifts began [רד״ק]. Another perspective suggests the surge was driven by a growing number of priests and Levites dedicating themselves to studying the Torah, which required the nation to expand its financial support [מלבי״ם]. A unique approach offers a more spiritual view, explaining that the initial obedience triggered a burst of divine blessing. As the people began to properly set aside their tithes, God sent immense agricultural success. Experiencing this new wealth as a direct result of keeping the Commandment, the people joyfully and wholeheartedly brought even more gifts [חומת אנך].

The initial offerings brought by the people included the first portions of their produce, understood either as the primary heave offering [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג] or as the first fruits [רד״ק]. These gifts consisted of grain, wine, and oil [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alongside these, they brought honey, which most commentators identify as date honey or the date fruit itself, since it is one of the seven special species of the land [רש״י, רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Notably, some commentators emphasize that the people brought this honey as a completely voluntary donation, as it was not strictly required by Torah law [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

This spirit of volunteerism became the defining feature of the nation's response. The commentators agree that the Israelites pushed past the original boundaries of their obligations, bringing donations and tithes from crops that were exempt under Torah law, such as various tree fruits, vegetables, and legumes [רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג, מלבי״ם, חומת אנך]. The expansion of their giving reached its peak as the people began to tithe their property comprehensively. Beyond the standard first tithe given to the Levites, they set aside animal tithes, the second tithe, and even separated portions from items that were already dedicated to God [רלב״ג, חומת אנך]. Some expand the scope of this generosity even further, explaining that the people began to separate a tenth of all their financial profits. Their ultimate goal was to ensure an abundant livelihood for those dedicating their lives to the study of Torah [מלבי״ם].