Torah Community Connections

Week 27 - Monday - 29 May 2000

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 5 : MISHNA 5

If one lost his hotam, they have him wait until the evening, if they found for him corresponding to his hotam, they give him; and if not -he did not receive; and the name of the day was inscribed on it because of the defrauders.

If one lost his hotam -If one purchased a hotam and lost it, and informed Yohanan of that fact, they have him wait -They tell him to wait, until the evening -When Yohanan and Ahiyah would meet to work out their accounts, If they found for him corresponding to his hotam -If Yohanan had extra money matching the value of that hotam that he claimed he had lost, they would give him -either the libation or money,

And if not -If Yohanan did not have more money than Ahiyah had seals, he did not receive -anything -the one who claimed he lost his hotam received neither a libation nor money.

And the name of the day was inscribed on them -Each hotam had inscribed on it the day of the week on which it was purchased, because of the defrauders -perhaps one of the administrators or one of the purchasers would lose a hotam and the one who found it would come a day or two later and purchase a libation from Ahiyah; but he would not come the same day, because the one who lost it would be looking for it. Another interpretation : because of the defrauders -perhaps one of the purchasers would hold the hotam in his possession until the price of libations rose (Rambam Hil. Klei Hamikdash 7:12; and see Kesef Mishneh there). And others explain: because of the defrauders -that one should not claim that he lost his hotam, and if Yohanan found that he had extra money matching the hotam, he would give it to that person, and at a later date the person would come to Ahiyah with his hotam and receive a libation (Ravad).

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 5 : MISHNA 6

There were two chambers in the Temple: one -chamber of secrets, and one -the utensil chamber. The chamber of secrets -the sin-fearing would deposit secretly, and the poor of good families supported themselves from it secretly. The utensil chamber -whoever donated a utensil, would throw it into it, and once every thirty days the treasurers would open it, and any utensil for which they found a use for the upkeep of the Temple they left, and the remainder were sold and their proceeds would go to the chamber for the upkeep of the Temple.

There were two chambers in the Temple: one -the chamber of secrets, and one -the utensil chamber. The chamber of secrets -the sin-fearing would deposit secretly -charity, so that no one would know that they had been the donors, and the poor of good families supported themselves from it secretly -would take money out discreetly so that they should not be ashamed that they were being supported by charity. That is the reason it was known as the chamber of secrets.

The utensil chamber -whoever donated a utensil -to the Temple, would throw it into it -Into this chamber, and once every thirty days the treasurers would open it -the utensil chamber -and any utensil for which they found a use for the upkeep of the Temple they left -for the upkeep of the Temple, and the remainder -the other utensils which were not fit, were sold and the proceeds would go to the chamber for the upkeep of the Temple -were sold, and the proceeds went to the chamber holding the funds consecrated for the upkeep of the Temple.

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