Halakhah for Shekalim 4:7

הַמַּקְדִּישׁ נְכָסָיו וְהָיְתָה בָּהֶן בְּהֵמָה רְאוּיָה לְגַבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, זְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, זְכָרִים יִמָּכְרוּ לְצָרְכֵי עוֹלוֹת, וּנְקֵבוֹת יִמָּכְרוּ לְצָרְכֵי זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים, וּדְמֵיהֶן יִפְּלוּ עִם שְׁאָר נְכָסִים לְבֶדֶק הַבָּיִת. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, זְכָרִים עַצְמָן יִקָּרְבוּ עוֹלוֹת, וּנְקֵבוֹת יִמָּכְרוּ לְצָרְכֵי זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים, וְיָבִיא בִּדְמֵיהֶן עוֹלוֹת, וּשְׁאָר נְכָסִים יִפְּלוּ לְבֶדֶק הַבָּיִת. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מִדִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הִשְׁוָה אֶת מִדָּתוֹ, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ חָלַק. אָמַר רַבִּי פַּפְּיַס, שָׁמַעְתִּי כְּדִבְרֵי שְׁנֵיהֶן, שֶׁהַמַּקְדִּישׁ בְּפֵרוּשׁ, כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וְהַמַּקְדִּישׁ סְתָם, כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:

If one makes his property hekdesh, and it includes beasts fit for the altar, male and female — R. Eliezer says: The males are sold to those who need burnt-offerings and the females to those who need peace-offerings and the monies revert with the rest of the property to Temple maintenance. [He holds that "hekdesh," unqualified, reverts to Temple maintenance, even with things that are fit for the altar. But what is fit for the altar does not "evade" the altar. For if one dedicates whole (i.e., unblemished) animals for bedek habayith (Temple maintenance), they are redeemed only for the altar and the monies revert to bedek habayith.] R. Yehoshua says: The males themselves are sacrificed as burnt-offerings and the females are sold to those who need peace-offerings, and burnt-offerings are bought with their monies and the rest of the property reverts to bedek habayith. [He holds that what is fit for the altar may be assumed to have been dedicated to the altar. Therefore, the males themselves are sacrificed as burnt-offerings and the females are sold to those who need peace-offerings, and burnt-offerings are bought with their monies. But they themselves are not sacrificed as peace-offerings. For if one dedicates his property, he wishes it all to go to "on High." Therefore, beasts which are fit to be sacrificed as burnt-offerings are sacrificed as burnt-offerings and females are sold to those who need peace-offerings, and burnt-offerings are bought for their monies. For since they are fit for the altar, the sanctity of the altar attaches to them. And even the females, whose bodies are not fit for what he wishes to dedicate them for (i.e., burnt-offerings), still, since they are fit for offerings, in general, the sanctity of bedek habayith does not attach to them and burnt-offerings are bought for their monies.] R. Akiva says: I see (i.e., I prefer) the words of R. Eliezer to those of R. Yehoshua. For R. Eliezer "equalized his measure" (everything going to bedek habayith) and R. Yehoshua divided it (the animals to the altar; the rest, to bedek habayith)]. R. Papyas said: I heard (the ruling given) according to the words of both: that if one dedicates explicitly, [saying: "My animals and (the rest of) my property to hekdesh"], (the halachah is) in accordance with R. Eliezer. [For since he explicitly distinguished between them and yet did not say: "The animals to the altar and the property to bedek habayith," it is clear that he intended both to go to the same place (i.e., bedek habayith)]; but if one dedicates [all of his property] unexplicitly, (the halachah is) in accordance with R. Yehoshua. [For it may be assumed that his intent is to dedicate each thing for what it is fit. The halachah is in accordance with R. Akiva.]

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