Shekalim may be exchanged for darkonoth because of the burden of the way. [The men of the city, who collected their shekalim, may exchange them for darkonoth, gold coin, viz. (Ezra 2:69): "gold darkemonim," to lighten the burden of the way (to Jerusalem)]. Just as there were shofroth in the Temple, [("shofroth":) chests, whose mouths were narrow on top, like a shofar, whose mouth is narrow on top, and which "broadens out" (this, so that nothing could be taken from them), viz. (II Kings 12:10): "And Yehoyada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid, etc." They stood in the azarah and they would all bring their shekalim and deposit them there], so there were shofroth in the medinah [Jerusalem. (According to Rambam, the other cities of Israel)]. If the men of the city sent their shekalim[with a messenger to take them to the lishkah (the Temple treasury)] and they were stolen or lost — if the contribution had already been taken [(It was the practice to contribute from the (money) chests for the offerings. They would contribute from what had been collected and on account of what would be collected, so that even those who had not yet given their shekalim would have a portion in the offerings.)], they [the messengers] would swear to the (Temple) treasurers. [For since the contribution had been made on account of these monies before they had been lost, it is as if they had been in the possession of the treasurers from the time the contribution had been made — so that when they were stolen or lost, it is from the possession of the treasurers that they were stolen or lost, for which reason the messengers swear (that they were not remiss) and they exempt themselves. And even though oaths are not administered for hekdeshoth (Temple dedications), this oath was instituted by the sages so that hekdeshoth not be treated lightly.] And if not [i.e., If at the time they were lost, the contribution had not yet been made and monies had not been taken from the chests on account of what would be collected, then they had gone lost from the possession of the owners (and not from the Temple treasurers). Therefore,] they [the messengers] swear to the men of the city [and exempt themselves]. And the men of the city give [other] shekalim in their stead, [for the first shekalim that were lost are not accredited them.] If they were found or the thieves returned them, both are shekalim and they are not accredited them for the following year.
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
מצרפין שקלים לדרכונות – the people of the city that gathered together their Shekels can exchange them for Darics (i.e., a Persian gold coin) and this is a gold coin as it is written in Ezra (2:69): “[In accord with their means, they donated to the treasury of the work:] gold-6,100 drachmas, [silver -5,000 minas, and priestly robes – 100],” to ease from upon them the burden/weight of the way.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Introduction
This mishnah contains several laws about the journey that the shekalim will make from the provinces from where they are collected to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
שופרות – chests whose openings from the top were narrow like a Shofar whose top is narrow from the top and continues to widen in order that people would not be able to take from them anything, as it is written regarding Jehoiada (II Chronicles 24:8): “[The king (Jehoash) ordered that] a chest be made and placed [outside of the gate of the House of the LORD],” (II Kings 12:10): “[And the priest Jehoiada took a chest] and bored a hole in its lid….” They were standing in the Temple courtyard, and everyone was bringing his Shekel and giving it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
They may change shekels into darics because of the load of the journey. If people don’t want to shlepp their individual shekels all the way to the Temple, they may pool them together and turn them into larger coins called “darics.” “Darics” are mentioned in Ezra 8:27 and I Chronicles 1:29.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
כך היו במדינה – in Jerusalem, and according to the words of Maimonides, in the rest of the cities of Israel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Just as there were shofar-shaped chests in the Temple so there were shofar-shaped chests in the provinces. When the shekels were brought to their deposit points, they were put into chests that were shaped like a shofar, wide at the bottom and thin at the top. This was to prevent people from being able to pull coins out (like mailboxes, for those of you who remember when we used to send real letters). Just as they had these types of chests in the Temple, they also had them outside the Temple in the provinces. This made collection much easier.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
בני העיר ששלחו שקליהם – by the hand of an agent to bring them to the Temple treasury (for congregational sacrifices).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
The townspeople who had sent their shekels and they were stolen or lost: If the appropriation had already been made [the messengers] swear an oath to the treasurers; But if the appropriation had not yet been made they swear to the townspeople, and the townspeople must pay [new] shekels in the place of the [lost] shekels. [If the lost shekels] were found, or if the thieves restored them, then both [the first shekels and their substitutes] are [sacred] shekels and they cannot be credited [to the account] of the coming year. The mishnah now discusses a scenario in which people’s shekels get lost on their way to the Temple. Three times a year the Temple treasurers would count up the shekels that had already been collected and they would start spending them on buying sacrifices (see below 3:1). When reckoning the shekels, they would also count shekels which they knew were on their way from the provinces (called creative accounting). So if the messenger loses the shekels after this appropriation has already been made, the townspeople who sent their money get credit. The messenger then must make an oath to the treasurers that he did not steal the money himself. However, if the money is lost or stolen before the appropriation is made then the townspeople do not get credit and they must send new shekels. In this case, the messenger swears to them that he did not steal the money himself. If the coins are found or if the thieves are found and return the stolen coins, both the new coins and the original coins go to the Temple. The townspeople who twice had to send shekels do not get credit for the following year.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
אם נתרמה התרומה – as they were accustomed to donate from the baskets for the needs of the sacrifices, they would donate on what was collected and what would in the future be collected, in order hat there would be a part of a the sacrifices, even for those who had yet not given their Shekels.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
נשבעין – the messengers.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
לגזברים – to the treasurers, for since the Terumah had been appropriated on these monies, before they were lost, they are made as if they were in the domain of the treasurers from the time that the Terumah had been appropriated, for if they were stolen or lost, they were stolen or lost while in the domain of the treasurers; therefore, the agents swear to the treasurers and they are exempted/dismissed, for even though they don’t take an oath on the sacred property of the Temple, it is a decree of the Sages in order that they not disregard the sacred property of the Temple.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
ואם לאו – that at the time when they were lost, the Terumah had not yet been appropriated, and they had not removed the monies from the baskets for what would be collected in the future, it was in the domain of the owners that they were not, therefore, the agents swear to the men of the city and are exempted, and the men of the city go back and collect [for donation] other Shekels in their place, for the first Shekalim that were lost don’t count for them.
