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Week 26 - Monday - 22 May 2000

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 3: MISHNA 4

He made the first withdrawal and covered with leather covers, the second and covered with leather covers. The third he would not cover, lest he forget and withdraw from funds from which a withdrawal had already been made. He withdrew the first on behalf of Eretz Yisrael, and the second on behalf of the cities nearby, and the third on behalf of Babylon and in the name of Medea and in the name of the far countries.

Kehati

He made the first withdrawal -Fifteen days before Pesah, and covered with leather covers -and covered the remaining shekels in the chamber with leather covers, so that the new shekels arriving later from those places which did not manage to bring before Pesah would be placed on top of them, and before Shavuot; the withdrawal would be from these. The second -fifteen days before Shavuot, the withdrawal would be made from the shekels on top of the leather spreads, and covered with leather covers -he would again cover whatever shekels still remained in the chamber with leather covers, and those shekels which came after Shavuot from faraway countries would be placed on top of these covers, to be withdrawn fifteen days before Sukkot. The third -after the third withdrawal fifteen days before Sukkot, he would not cover -Again, for there was no further withdrawal. And why did he cover the remaining shekels after the first and second withdrawal? lest he forget and withdraw from funds from which a withdrawal had already been made -from the coins from which a withdrawal had been made the previous time.

He withdrew the first -fifteen days before Pesah, on behalf of Eretz Yisrael -for those living in Eretz Yisrael had brought their shekels before the date of the first withdrawal. Tosefta states that the one withdrawing said: "This (the first withdrawal) is from Eretz Yisrael (from the shekels of those residing in Eretz Yisrael) for all of Israel, and the second -withdrawal, fifteen days before Shavuot, on behalf of the cities close by -those places near Eretz Yisrael, such as Ammon and Moab, and so on, which were able to bring their shekels by fifteen days before Shavuot, and he would say: "These are from Ammon and Moab and from the cities near Eretz Yisrael for all of Israel (Tosefta; Jerusalem Talmud);

And the third -withdrawal, fifteen days before Sukkot, on behalf of Babylon and on behalf of Medea and on behalf of the distant countries -The one who withdrew declared: This (the third withdrawal) is from Babylon and from Medea and from the countries distant from Eretz Yisrael for all of Israel (Tosefta; Jerusalem Talmud). We have already mentioned that the withdrawer had in mind each time to include those coins which had already been collected (which were already in the chambers or were on their way to the chamber) and for those coins which were still to be collected, so that all of Israel would have a share in the offerings. Here the Tanna teaches us that the reason the withdrawals were made at these three dates mentioned in the first mishnah of this chapter was because these were the times when the shekels of all of the Jews, both those in Eretz Yisrael and those outside it, were collected.

We have explained this mishnah according to Bartenura, but Rambam explains it differently. We have already mentioned that according to Rambam, at first all the shekels would be placed in three large chests, each of them of nine se'ahs, and on the three dates specified in the mishnah they would fill three smaller chests, each of three se'ahs from the coins in the large chests. According to this, Rambam explains the present mishnah as follows: He withdrew the first -namely that he filled the small chest which had the letter alef written on it from a large chest, and covered that large chest, with a leather cover -with special leather covers made for this; the second -afterwards he withdrew for the small chest which had the letter bet written on it from the second large chest, and he covered it with leather covers -that large chest as well. The third -afterwards he withdrew for the third small chest, upon which the letter gimmel appeared, from the third large chest, but he would not cover that large chest, so that it would be clear that with that one he had completed the withdrawal, and with that chest he would begin fifteen days before Shavuot, so in such a way in the three times that withdrawal was made during the year, each of the small chests would receive a withdrawal from each of the large chests. And this is what is meant in the mishnah, he did not cover the third lest he forget and make a withdrawal from funds from which a withdrawal had already been made (see Rambam's explanation on the mishnah; Hil. Shekalim 2:5-7).

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 4: MISHNA 1

What did they do with the withdrawal funds? They purchased with it tamid sacrifices and musaf sacrifices and their nesakhim, the omer and the Two Loaves and the Showbread, and all the communal sacrifices. Those who watch the aftergrowth of the shemita year take their salary from the funds withdrawn from the chambers. R. Yose says, Also one who wishes may volunteer as an unpaid watchman. They said to him, You, too, say that they must come only from public assets.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches what were the designated purposes of the shekels contributed to the Temple and which were used to fill the various chests.

What did they do with the withdrawal funds -How did they spend the shekels placed in the chests of the Temple chamber? They purchased with it tamid sacrifices -They would use it to buy lambs for the daily tamid sacrifices (see Ex. 29:38; Num. 28:3), And musaf sacrifices -Animals for the musaf -additional -sacrifices offered on the Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh, and festivals, as detailed in Num. 28:9, And their nesakhim -The meal offerings and wine libations that accompanied them (as detailed there), The omer -The omer meal offering brought from barley on the 16th of Nisan, (Lev. 23:10-11), And the Two Loaves -That are brought on Shavuot (Lev. 23:16-17), And the Showbread -Twelve loaves of bread placed on the Table in the Temple each Shabbat (Lev. 24:5-9), And all the communal sacrifices -Including the incense.

Those who watch the aftergrowth of the shemita year -In the Sabbatical year, during which all produce is considered ownerless. The bet din would hire watchmen to guard certain places where aftergrowths were growing, so as to prevent it being eaten by animals and to inform people that they were required for the Temple service, for the omer on Pesah and the Two Loaves on Shavuot, both of which must be brought from the new crop which grew in Eretz Yisrael; and these guards Take their salary from the funds withdrawn from the chamber -For expenditures necessary for a sacrifice have the status of funds for the offering itself (Bartenura); and there are those who explain that the amount paid to the watchmen is considered as using it for buying the omer and the Two Loaves (Rambam; Hameiri).

R. Yose says, Also one who wishes may volunteer as an unpaid watchman -A person may volunteer to guard these aftergrowths without salary. They -The Sages, Said to him -To R. Yose, You, too, say -You, too, agree, That they -The communal sacrifices, Must come -Are purchased, From public assets -And if one volunteered to guard them from hefker -from their previous ownerless state -so that neither the omer nor the Showbread are being brought from public funds. Even though the volunteer watchman handed them over on behalf of the entire community, the Sages nevertheless hold that the community has not fulfilled its obligation because an individual sacrifice cannot be converted into a public sacrifice, and therefore even though an individual volunteered to guard the aftergrowth without salary and as a result acquired them, if he nevertheless brought them on behalf of the entire community, they may be offered and the community fulfills its obligation with them. The halakhah follows the Sages, but not for the reason we gave, namely that an individual sacrifice cannot be converted to a public sacrifice, for if the individual gave the aftergrowth to the community as an unconditional gift, it is effective. The reason (as brought in Tractate Bava Metzia118a) is that the Sages made a decree against "strong arm" men who might come and make off with the grain that the guards were watching. By decreeing that the guards had to be paid by the Temple chamber, the Sages ensured that everyone would know that that particular growth was for the Temple, and would leave it alone (Rambam Hil. Shekalim 4:6; and note Mishneh Lamelekh there and Tosefet Yom Tov on our mishnah).

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