Trust in the LORD and Do Good by Sabbath and Tithes

[2] "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness" (Psalms 37:3). Rabbi Chaggai in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak rearranged this verse: "do good and trust in the LORD." This is like a tax assessor who went out to assess the measures, and a certain man saw him and began to hide from him. He said to him, "Why are you hiding from me? Assess your measures and do not be afraid." This is what is written, "do good and trust in the LORD" (Psalms 37:3). "Dwell in the land" (ibid.): the Divine Presence of the land will be made to dwell. Therefore sow, therefore plant. "Cultivate faithfulness" (ibid.): tend the faithfulness of the fathers, "My eyes are upon the faithful of the land" (Psalms 101:6). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: by the merit of two things Israel is made beloved before the Omnipresent, by the merit of the Sabbath and by the merit of tithes. By the merit of the Sabbath, from where? "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath" (Isaiah 58:13), and what is written after it? "Then you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights" (Isaiah 58:14). By the merit of tithes, from where? "And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your household, you and the Levite and the stranger who is in your midst" (Deuteronomy 26:11). Another interpretation: "And you shall rejoice in all the good" (ibid.) and "good" means nothing other than words of Torah, for it is written, "For I have given you a good teaching; do not forsake My Torah" (Proverbs 4:2). Therefore Moses warns Israel and says to them, "You shall surely tithe" and so forth (Deuteronomy 14:22).