RICHARD RHEINS halakhic justification for rabbinic fees. B) Rabbinic tax and business benefits

We have already learned how the Talmud halakhically justified certain fees and payments to the rabbis. But sekhar batalah and tirha can be seen as compensations for loss and not actual benefits. However, special rights and privileges were granted to the rabbis, for example, the benefit of tax-exemption.*

In order to extend their rights and benefits, the rabbis, as depicted in the Talmud , were understood to be the natural inheritors of the privileges previously belonging to the Temple priests.” The following passages link the rights and privileges of the rabbis to those of the kohanim(the Temple priests):

"Rabbi Yonah gave tithes to Rabbi Acha bar‘Ulla, not because he was a priest but because he studied the Torah ."

"Raba said,“A rabbinical scholar may assert,| am a rabbinical scholar; let my business receive first attention, as it is written,‘And David's sons were kohanim[of course, David's sons were not kohanim, but this verse in II Samuel 8:18, simply is used to show that just as David's sons received priestly privileges, though they were not priests, so, too, should rabbis receive priestly privileges;’”’; just as a priest receives first, so does the scholar receive first.” And from where do we know that a priest receives first? Because it is written,‘Thou shall sanctify him; for he offers the bread of thy God. ”*

The benefit of tax-emption was defended staunchly. Rabbi Nahman ben Isaac even declared that the right of rabbis to exemption from poll-taxes was d'oraita(Biblical) and not simply a rabbinic ruling.” The following passage shows to what lengths the rabbis may go in order to avoid paying the poll-tax:

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