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Week 26 - Friday - 26 May 2000

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 4: MISHNA 8

One who consecrates his possessions and among them were things that are suitable for the altar, wines, oils and birds - R. Eleazer says, they should be sold for the needs of that kind and should purchase burnt offering with their proceeds, and other assets should fall to the upkeep of the Temple.

Kehati

One who consecrates his possessions - To the Temple, without explicit designation, And among them were things that are suitable for the altar - Such as: Wines - Which are suitable for libations, Oils - and some add in the mishnah, and fine flours - which is suitable for meal offerings, And birds - Turtle doves and pigeons,

R. Eleazer says, they should be sold for the needs of that kind - To people who require wine and oil for libations or birds for a sacrifice, And should purchase burnt offering with their proceeds - The Jerusalem Talmud explains his reason, as it is stated (Lev. 22:18), "all their vow offerings, and all of their donative offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering" - whatever they vow or offer as a donative offering of those things which are suitable to be sacrificed, even wines and oils, and fine flour should be used for burnt offerings. I might think that one may be permitted to use the proceeds obtained for a burnt offering of a bird, or if one consecrated a bird it should be offered as a burnt offering, the Torah therefore states in the following verse, "of the cattle, of the sheep, or of the goats" - from this we derive that only cattle may be offered as a burnt offering. And other assets fall to the upkeep of the Temple - As explained in the previous mishnahs. Rambam writes as the reason for this law: "And why should the proceeds of these be offered as burnt offerings and the proceeds of an unblemished animal be used for the upkeep of the Temple (as stated by R. Eliezer in the previous mishnah, and whom the halakhah follows? Because if an animal consecrated to the altar developed a blemish, it can be redeemed...whereas fine flour and wine and oil and birds which were disqualified cannot be redeemed, as it is stated (Lev. 27:11-12): 'he shall present the animal before the kohen: And the kohen shall value it' - whatever can be presented and valued can be redeemed, and whatever cannot be presented and valued cannot be redeemed" (Hil. Arakhin 5:9). And Radbaz explains that the sanctity of items which can be redeemed is imparted to whatever redeemed them, and can be used to fulfill the obligation; therefore the proceeds go to the upkeep of the Temple. However, if the proceeds of things which cannot be redeemed go to the upkeep of the Temple, their obligation has not been fulfilled at all, and therefore the proceeds should be used for burnt offerings (see Ravad's reservations there).

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 4: MISHNA 9

Once in thirty days, prices are set for the chamber. Whoever undertook to supply fine flour at four, if it stood at three, he must supply at four; for three and it stood at four he must supply at four, for the Temple has the upper hand. And if the fine flour became wormy - it became wormy for him, and if the wine soured - it soured for him. And he does not receive his money, until the altar has accepted.

Kehati

Once in thirty days, prices are set for the chamber - They would set prices for wine, oil and fine flour for the libations and meal offerings, this being the price the chamber will pay its suppliers, and throughout those thirty days they cannot raise their prices. If, however, the prices fell, they would be paid according to the lower price, as explained below. Whoever undertook to supply fine flour - And so, too, wine or oil, At four - Se'ahs of flour per sela, and If afterwards, it stood at three - Se'ahs per sela, because the price of flour increased, He must supply at four - Se'ahs per sela, according to the previous price, For three - If he agreed to supply the flour at three se'ahs per sela, And it stood at four - Se'ahs per sela, because the price fell, He must supply at four - According to the lower price,

For the Temple has the upper hand - And the Temple does not lose, regardless of whether the prices rose or fell. There are those who explain that during the grape, olive and wheat harvest, the Temple treasurers would advance money to the purveyors to supply wine, oil and fine flour throughout the year; and this mishnah tells us that if fine flour was sold then at four se'ahs per sela and the price rose to three se'ahs per sela, the suppliers must deliver the flour at the cheaper rate, for the Temple acquires by the act of giving money, as stated (Lev. 27:19), "he shall add the fifth part of the money of your value unto it, and it shall be his" (on this the Talmud states, when he gives the money, it shall be his). If they undertook to supply at three se'ah per sela and the price fell to four se'ah per sela, they must supply the Temple at the lower price because an individual who can only effect a change of ownership by physical transfer of the goods does not have an advantage over the Temple (Bartenura; Rivevan; Taklin Hadetin; and see Tosefot Yom Tov).

And if the fine flour became wormy - If it became full of worms, even after having been transferred to the Temple treasurer, It became wormy for him - For the supplier, because it is his responsibility, and he must replace it with other fine flour, And if the wine soured - it soured for him - For the supplier, because it is his responsibility, and he must replace it with other wine.

And he does not receive his money - i.e., the money paid by the Temple treasurer is not considered his, and he has not acquired it (Bartenura; Taklin Hadetin), Until the altar has accepted - has effected atonement, i.e., after the libations have been offered on the altar; therefore, if the fine flour became wormy or the wine soured, it is the supplier's responsibility.

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