The red heifer and the goat that is sent [to Azazel] and the tongue of crimson come from the terumah of the lishkah. [Even though the red heifer is not slaughtered in the azarah, it comes from the terumah of the lishkah, Scripture calling it a "sin-offering." And the goat that is sent to Azazal (also comes from the terumah of the lishkah), for two goats must be taken and it is not known on which of them will fall "the lot to the L rd." The "tongue of crimson" here is the one thrown into the pyre of the red heifer. The same is true for the cedar-wood and the hyssop, but the tongue of crimson alone is adduced to distinguish it from the tongue of crimson of the sent-away goat.] The following come from what is left over in the lishkah: the bridge of the red heifer [They would make two bridges, one on top of the other, because of the (uncleanliness of) "the grave of the depth," from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives, over which they would conduct the red heifer], the bridge of the sent-away goat [They would make a kind of bridge leading outside of the city, over which the "sender" would take out the goat. This, because of the Babylonians, who would tear his hair, saying: "Take it and go (fast), and do not keep our sins here!"], the tongue between its horns [to ascertain if it whitened and the sins of Israel had been forgiven. Since the above are not prerequisites for offerings, they do not come from the terumah which had been separated for offerings, but from what remained in the lishkah after the terumoth had been separated], the water-duct, [which passed through the azarah, if it required repair], the city wall, its towers, and all the needs of the city [the digging of wells, pits, and caves, road repair, the setting up of markets, and the guarding of the city.] Abba Shaul says: The high-priests make the bridge of the red heifer from their own (resources). [The halachah is not in accordance with Abba Shaul.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
פרה אדומה ושעיר המשתלח – [the Scapegoat] for Azazel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Introduction
This mishnah continues to discuss what was done with the appropriation of the chamber and then what surplus money was used for.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
באין מתרומת הלשכה – come from the Temple fund/treasury chamber Even though the [red] heifer is not slaughtered in the Temple courtyard it comes from the Temple fund/treasury chamber, for the All-Merciful calls it a “sin-offering” (Numbers 19:9 – which is translated as “It is for cleansing.”). And the scapegoat – because it requires taking two goats and it is not known upon which of them will come up the lot “for God” (Leviticus 16:10).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
The [red] heifer and the scapegoat and the strip of scarlet came out of the appropriation of the chamber. The red heifer (Numbers 19:2 ff.) and the Yom Kippur scapegoat (Leviticus 16:21) were both purchased with the appropriation money. There are two ceremonies in which the Torah prescribes that a strip of scarlet should be used: 1) the red heifer (Numbers 19:6); 2) and the leper purification (Leviticus 14:4). This strip of scarlet was purchased with the appropriation money.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
ולשון של זהורית – the scarlet yarn/crimson thread that they cast into the burning of the heifer; and the same law applies to the cedar wood and hyssop, but it (i.e., the Mishnah) took the language of the crimson thread alone to distinguish between this crimson thread and the language of the thread upon the scapegoat.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
The ramp for the [red] heifer and the ramp for the scapegoat and the strip of scarlet which was between its horns, and [the maintenance of] the pool of water and the wall of the city and its towers and all the needs of the city came out of the remainder in the chamber. This section lists things which were paid for with money which was left over after the three yearly appropriations were made. We can immediately notice that none of the things on this list are sacrifices. Rather most of them are general issues of upkeep. I will explain each separately. The ramp for the [red] heifer: they would build a ramp to lead the red heifer to the Mount of Olives (this is mentioned in Mishnah Parah 3:6). The ramp for the scapegoat: this was used to get the scapegoat out of the city (see Mishnah Yoma 3:6). And the strip of scarlet which was between its horns: they would take a strip of scarlet and place it between the horns of the scapegoat. We will learn more about this when we learn Yoma 6:4. The remaining items on the list are all maintenance for the major structures of the Temple and Jerusalem. I assume that the shekels were not sufficient for all upkeep, and the mishnah does not say that they were. All that the Mishnah states is that the extra shekels would go to this upkeep.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
כבש פרה – they would make two bridges, one on top of the other because of the grave in the depth (i.e., a covered-up uncleanness discovered) from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives and upon them, they would remove the heifer.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Abba Shaul says: the ramp for the [red] cow the high priests made out of their own [means]. Abba Shaul states that the ramp for the red heifer did not come from money left over from the appropriation but rather from the high priests. According to the Tosefta and the Yerushalmi, whenever a red heifer was burnt, the officiating high priest would build a new ramp rather than use a ramp built by a previous high priest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
וכבש [שעיר] – they would make a kind of bridge until the exit from the city, and upon it would go the scapegoat because of the Babylonians who would pluck out its hair and say: “take and leave so that our sins will not tarry.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
ולשון שבין קרניו – to know if it had turned white and the sins of the Jewish people had been atoned for, and these do not require a sacrifice. Therefore, they do not come from the Terumah/sacred contributions that were separated for the sake of sacrifices but rather, from what remained in the compartment after the separation of the Terumot/sacred contributions.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
ואמת המים – that passes through the Temple courtyard if it needs repair.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
וכל צרכי העיר – to dig cisterns, pits and caves, and the repair of its streets, its marketplaces and the guarding of the city.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
אבא שאול אומר כו'- but the Halakha is not according to Abba Sahul.
