If one says: "I shall give wood" [i.e., if he vows to give wood (for the Temple)], he may not give less than two pieces of wood [of the type that is arranged on the wood pile (of the altar). (Its size was known.) This is the case for one who vows to give wood; but if he wishes to give wood, he may give even one piece.], "frankincense" — he may not give less than a fistful, [this being the amount of frankincense coming with the meal-offering, viz. (Leviticus 6:8): "And he shall lift up from it with his fistful from the flour of the meal-offering and from its oil and all the frankincense" — Just as the lifting of the meal-offering is with a fistful, so the (amount for) the frankincense is a fistful. This is the case for one who vows; but if he wishes to give, he may give even a grain of frankincense.], "gold" — he may not give less than a dinar of gold. [This, if he specifies "coin"; but if he just says "gold," unqualified, he may bring even a tzinora, a kind of small fork.] Six (shofroth) were for gifts. What did they do with it? They would buy burnt-offerings — the flesh to the L rd and the skin to the Cohanim. This medrash was adduced by Yehoyada the high-priest (Leviticus 5:19): "It is a guilt-offering; he was guilty; a guilt-offering to the L rd." [The beginning of the verse seems to contradict the end. For " a guilt-offering" connotes the status and halachah of a gift-offering, i.e., that it is eaten by the Cohanim. And "a guilt-offering to the L rd" implies that it is all for the L rd. And Yehoyada expounded it thus: Whatever comes because of sin and guilt (as when he separated money for a sin-offering or a guilt-offering and there was a surplus), burnt-offerings are bought for that surplus — the flesh to the L rd and the skin to the Cohanim.] This is the rule: Burnt-offerings are to be bought for whatever comes because of sin or guilt. The flesh, for the L rd; the skin for the Cohanim. So that the two verses are satisfied: "a guilt-offering to the L rd" [— the flesh]; "a guilt-offering" to the Cohanim [— the skin]. And it is written [i.e., Where do we find this medrash of Yehoyada?] (II Kings 12:17): "The money for a guilt-offering and the money for sin-offerings shall not be brought into the house of the L rd. It shall be for the Cohanim." [This cannot mean that the Cohanim are to benefit from the monies dedicated for sin-offerings and guilt-offerings. The meaning must perforce be that the proceeds should go for something from which Cohanim do benefit, i.e., burnt-offerings, the skins belonging to the Cohanim.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
לא יפחות מב' גזרים – a person who donates an unspecified [amount of] wood should not donate less than two logs, like those that are arranged on the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple and their measurement is known. And especially, a person who donates an unspecified [amount of] wood, but a person who desires to bring even one piece of wood should bring it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Introduction
The first half of our mishnah explains what one who volunteers to bring wood, frankincense or gold, three of the chests mentioned in yesterday’s mishnah (sections 5-7), must bring.
The second half of the mishnah deals with the eighth section of yesterday’s mishnah, which mentions the six boxes upon which was inscribed “for freewill offerings.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
לא יפחות מן קומץ – for this is the measure of frankincense that comes with the meal-offering as it is written (Leviticus 6:8): “A handful of the choice flour and oil of the meal offering shall be taken from it, with all the frankincense that is on the meal offering, [and this token portion shall be turned into smoke on the altar as a pleasing odor to the LORD].” Just as the lifting of the meal-offering is with a handful, so also the frankincense is with a handful, but if he wants to bring even a particle/drop of frankincense, he can bring it. But a person who donates gold unspecified, should not [bring] less than a Dinar of gold, but this is when he mentioned the shape/form of the coin. But, if he did not mention a coin, but just gold, unspecified, he brings even a hook/curved pin which is a kind of small fork.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
One who says: “Behold, I am obligated to bring wood”, he may not bring less than two logs. [If he says: “Behold, I am obligated to bring] frankincense”, he may not bring less than a handful of it. [If he says: “Behold, I am obligated to bring] gold”, he may not bring less than a gold denar. This section spells out how much wood, frankincense or gold one must bring if one makes a vow to bring one of these items without specifying how much he will bring. If he specifies how much he will bring, then he brings that amount.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
אשם הוא אשום אשם לה' – but this Biblical verse (Leviticus 5:19) is difficult from its beginning to its end. The words "אשם הוא"/”it is a guilt offering implies that his existence and his going, that which is eaten is for the Kohanim and the guilt-offering is for God, implying that it is all for God. But Jehoiada the [High] Priest expounded: "אשום אשם לה'" /”he has incurred guilt before the LORD”: Everything that comes on account of a sin and on account of guilt, for example, he separated monies for a sin-offering and a guilt-offering and there was a surplus from them, he should take that surplus as burnt-offerings. “The meat is for God, and the hides go to the Kohanim and it is found that these two Biblical verses are established. He has incurred guilt before God and a guilt offering to the priests. Where do we find this Midrash concerning Jehoiada, as it is written in II Kings (12:17) regarding Jehoiada? “Money brought as a guilt offering or as a sin offering was not deposited in the House of the LORD; it went to the priests.” But it is impossible to state that the money that was sanctified for the sake of a sin-offering and for the sake of a guilt-offering that the Priests should benefit from it, but by force, this is how it should be understood: They should make of it something from it that the Kohanim will benefit from – that is burnt offerings, for the hides go to the Kohanim.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
“On six [was inscribed] “for freewill-offerings”: What was done with the freewill-offerings? They would buy with them burnt-offerings, the flesh [of which] was for the name [of God] and the hides for the priests. As we learned yesterday, on six of the chests was inscribed “freewill offerings.” The mishnah now teaches that this money was used to buy burnt offerings. The flesh of the offering would be completely burnt on the altar but the hides would go to the priests.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
The following is the midrash which was expounded by Yehoyada the high priest: “It is a guilt-offering; it is a guilt offering, it goes to the Lord” (Leviticus 5:19). This is the general rule: anything which is brought because of a sin or because of guilt, they should purchase with it burnt offerings, the flesh [of which] was for the name [of God] and the hides for the priests. Thus the two verses are fulfilled: a guilt offering for the Lord and a guilt offering for the priests, and it says: “Money brought as a guilt offering or as a sin offering was not deposited in the House of the Lord; it went to the priests” (II Kings 12:17). In this section we read a midrash which explains how we derive the halakhah in the previous section, that the priests receive the hides and the flesh is totally burnt. This is justified through a midrashic reading of Leviticus 5:19, which I have translated to facilitate its midrashic understanding. This verse seems to state that a guilt offering goes to God like a burnt offering, whereas we know from other places that the guilt offering goes to the priests. Yehoyada solves this riddle by stating that any surplus from money dedicated to purchasing a sin or guilt offering is used to buy burnt offerings, the flesh goes to the altar and the hides go to the priest. This is the now the interpretation of the verse in II Kings 12 which contains an extended explanation of how Yehoyada would collect money for the Temple. Verse 17 states that “Money brought as a guilt offering or as a sin offering was not deposited in the House of the Lord; it went to the priests.” This cannot be explained to simply mean that money set aside to purchase guilt or sin offerings went directly to the priests, since they had to buy the sacrifices. Rather the explanation is that if money was left over after the requisite sacrifices were purchased, they would buy with it burnt-offerings as voluntary offerings, and they would keep the hides for themselves.
