Shekalim 5

אֵלּוּ הֵן הַמְמֻנִּין שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, יוֹחָנָן בֶּן פִּנְחָס עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת, אֲחִיָּה עַל הַנְּסָכִים, מַתִּתְיָה בֶּן שְׁמוּאֵל עַל הַפְּיָסוֹת, פְּתַחְיָה עַל הַקִּנִּין. פְּתַחְיָה, זֶה מָרְדְּכָי. לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פְּתַחְיָה. שֶׁהָיָה פּוֹתֵחַ בִּדְבָרִים וְדוֹרְשָׁן, וְיוֹדֵעַ שִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. בֶּן אֲחִיָּה עַל חוֹלֵי מֵעַיִם, נְחוּנְיָא חוֹפֵר שִׁיחִין, גְּבִינֵי כָרוֹז, בֶּן גֶּבֶר עַל נְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים, בֶּן בֵּבָי עַל הַפָּקִיעַ, בֶּן אַרְזָה עַל הַצִּלְצָל, הֻגְרַס בֶּן לֵוִי עַל הַשִּׁיר, בֵּית גַּרְמוּ עַל מַעֲשֵׂה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, בֵּית אַבְטִינָס עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקְּטֹרֶת, אֶלְעָזָר עַל הַפָּרוֹכוֹת, וּפִנְחָס עַל הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ:

These are the appointees that were designated in the Temple [The fifteen varieties of appointment and station mentioned in our Mishnah always obtained in the Temple. The men mentioned here did not all live at the same time; the saintliest and the best of all the generations are mentioned. Our rabbis explained that because the first appointees were thus called, all who came after them were called by their name]: Yochanan b. Pinchas over the seals and over the flour [to be explained below in the Mishnah], Achiyah over the libations, Matitya b. Shmuel over the lots [to teach the order of the lots; who performs this service, who the other, as explained in Yoma], Petachyah over the kinin (birds), — [Those lacking atonement, who bring obligatory bird-offerings, turtle-doves and young pigeons, put their money into the shofroth in the Temple, and the appointees over the shofroth take the money and buy kinin for it. The one appointed over the kinin had to be a great sage and expert, as stated in Avoth (3:18): "Kinin and the (determination of) the onset of niddah (the menstrual period) are the essentials of halachah."] Petachyah is Mordecai. Why was he called "Petachyah"? Because he would "open" words and expound them and was fluent in seventy languages. [This is "Mordecai Bilshan" (Ezra 2:2), who went up from the exile. He was thus called ("Bilshan") because he assimilated (balal) many languages (leshonoth)], Ben Achiyah over those suffering intestinal disorders [Because the Cohanim walked barefoot on the floor and ate much meat and drank water, they were subject to intestinal disorder and they were always in need of a doctor to prescribe for them.], Nechuniah over the pits [He was appointed over the digging of pits and caves to provide drinking water for the festival pilgrims], Gevini over the proclamations [Gevini would proclaim every morning in the Temple: "Arise, Cohanim, for your service," and his voice could be heard from Jericho.] Ben Gever over the closing of the doors [closing them in the evening and opening them in the morning], Ben Bevai over the pekia [a strap with which to lash Cohanim and Levites found sleeping on their Temple watches at night, as stated in Middoth 1: "Whoever was found sleeping would be lashed and his garment burned. The Yerushalmi explains "pekia" as wicks for the altar and beth hashoevah, as stated (Succah 5:3): "From the worn-out breeches of the Cohanim and from their sashes they made wicks (mafki'im pethiloth)"], Ben Arzah over the tziltzal (cymbal) [as in (I Samuel 3:11): "His two ears shall 'tingle'" (tetzilenah). When the Levites heard it sounding, they would begin their song.], Hugras b. Levi over the song [to begin the song; and when he would conclude, they all would conclude], Beth Garmo over the preparation of the show-bread, [which was in the form of an open chest. They were artists in its preparation and its baking, (expert in) removing it from the oven without breaking it and processing it so that it not mould.], Beth Avtinas over the preparation of the incense [They were expert in the compounding of the incense and were privy to an herb called "ma'aleh ashan" ("the smoke raiser"), which, when added to the spices of the incense would cause the smoke to rise in a column.], Elazar over the parocheth (the Temple curtains) [to make new curtains when the need arose], and Pinchas over the wardrobe [He was appointed to attire the Cohanim for the service and to remove the priestly garments after the service and secure them in the compartments assigned to them.]

אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מִשְּׁלֹשָה גִּזְבָּרִין וּמִשִּׁבְעָה אֲמַרְכָּלִין, וְאֵין עוֹשִׂין שְׂרָרָה עַל הַצִּבּוּר בְּמָמוֹן פָּחוּת מִשְּׁנַיִם, חוּץ מִבֶּן אֲחִיָּה שֶׁעַל חוֹלֵי מֵעַיִם וְאֶלְעָזָר שֶׁעַל הַפָּרוֹכוֹת, שֶׁאוֹתָן קִבְּלוּ רוֹב הַצִּבּוּר עֲלֵיהֶן:

There are not to be fewer than ten gizbarin (treasurers) [They are in charge of the monies of hekdesh. They redeem assessments, and devotions and dedications; and all the work of hekdesh is done through them] and (there are not to be fewer than) seven amarkalin (trustees) [above the gizbarin. The targum of (Numbers 3:32): "And the chief over the princes of the Levites" is "Va'amarkala dememana, etc." The acronymic of "amarkal" is "amar al kol" ("saying above all"). And in Arabic, one of high station is called "emir." What was the function of the seven amarkalin? The seven keys of the azarah were in their hands. If one of them wished to open (a door), he could not do so until all of them came together, and the gizbarin would go in after them and take out what they needed. And there was a level higher than that of the amarkalin, not mentioned in the Mishnah, but in the Tosefta, viz.: "two katolikin" (controllers). So that all together there were five levels: high-priest, adjutant high-priest, katolikin, amarkalin, gizbarin.] And authority is not asserted over the populace in monetary matters with fewer than two, [it being written (Exodus 28:5): "And they shall take the gold, etc." The minimum of "they" is two.]

אַרְבָּעָה חוֹתָמוֹת הָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְכָתוּב עֲלֵיהֶן, עֵגֶל, זָכָר, גְּדִי, חוֹטֵא. בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר, חֲמִשָּׁה הָיוּ, וַאֲרָמִית כָּתוּב עֲלֵיהֶן, עֵגֶל, זָכָר, גְּדִי, חוֹטֵא דַּל, וְחוֹטֵא עָשִׁיר. עֵגֶל מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִם נִסְכֵּי בָּקָר גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים, זְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת. גְּדִי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִם נִסְכֵּי צֹאן גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים, זְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת, חוּץ מִשֶּׁל אֵילִים. זָכָר מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִם נִסְכֵּי אֵילִים בִּלְבָד. חוֹטֵא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִם נִסְכֵּי שָׁלשׁ בְּהֵמוֹת שֶׁל מְצוֹרָעִין:

There were four seals in the Temple, inscribed (respectively): "calf," "male," "goat," "sinner." [There were three seals for the three distinct libations for beasts: the first seal for the libations of cattle (three esronim of flour mixed with a half hin of oil, and wine for the libation, half a hin), sealed by "calf." The second "male," for the libations of a ram (the targum of ram being "dichra" - "male." Its libations are two esronim of flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil and a third of a hin of wine for the libation). The third, "goat," for the libations of a lamb in its first year (an issaron of flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil and a quarter of a hin of wine for the libation). The fourth, "sinner," the libation of a rich leper, who brings three beasts and requires ten logs of oil: nine (three each) for the three lambs and one for placing upon lobe and thumbs. It is called "sinner" as per (Erchin 16a): "For seven things (i.e., sins) (leprous) plague-spots come."] Ben Azzai says: There were five [(two seals for the leper)], and they were inscribed in Aramaic [most of their converse being in Aramaic]: "calf," "male," "goat," "poor sinner," "rich sinner." [For a poor leper brings only one beast, and if there were only one seal for a leper, a poor leper would be given three esronoth. And the first tanna holds that the poor leper is given the "goat" seal. The halachah is in accordance with the first tanna]. "calf" is used for the libations of large and small cattle, male and female [both for the libations of burnt-offerings, which come only from males, and for the libations of peace-offerings, which come from males or females, (burnt-offerings and peace-offerings requiring libations, viz. (Numbers 15:3): "…a burnt-offering or a sacrifice (zevach = peace-offering)"]. "goat" is used for the libations of sheep: Large and small, male and female — except for rams. "male" is used for the libations of rams alone. "Sinner" is used for the libations of the three beasts of the leper.

מִי שֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ נְסָכִים הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ אֵצֶל יוֹחָנָן שֶׁהוּא מְמֻנֶּה עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת, נוֹתֵן לוֹ מָעוֹת וּמְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ חוֹתָם. בָּא לוֹ אֵצֶל אֲחִיָּה שֶׁהוּא מְמֻנֶּה עַל הַנְּסָכִים, וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ חוֹתָם וּמְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ נְסָכִים. וְלָעֶרֶב בָּאִין זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה, וַאֲחִיָּה מוֹצִיא אֶת הַחוֹתָמוֹת וּמְקַבֵּל כְּנֶגְדָּן מָעוֹת. וְאִם הוֹתִירוּ הוֹתִירוּ לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ. וְאִם פָּחָתוּ, הָיָה מְשַׁלֵּם יוֹחָנָן מִבֵּיתוֹ, שֶׁיַּד הֶקְדֵּשׁ עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנָה:

One who needs libations goes to Yochanan, who was appointed over the seals. He gives him money [according to the libations that he needs] and receives the (appropriate) seal from him. He then goes to Achiyah, who was appointed over the libations [to buy libations: wine, oil, and flour, so that all who bring offerings not be required to seek out libations prepared in the requisite purity.] He gives him the seal and receives the libations from him. In the evening, they (Yochanan and Achiyah) meet. Achiyah produces the seals and receives money for them. If there is a surplus, the surplus goes to hekdesh [and we do not say that it might be the money of Yochanan that got mixed up with the libation monies], and if there is a deficit, Yochanan makes it up from his pocket, for hekdesh always has the upper hand.

מִי שֶׁאָבַד מִמֶּנּוּ חוֹתָמוֹ, מַמְתִּינִין לוֹ עַד הָעֶרֶב. אִם מוֹצְאִין לוֹ כְּדֵי חוֹתָמוֹ, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ. וְאִם לָאו לֹא הָיָה לוֹ. וְשֵׁם הַיּוֹם כָּתוּב עֲלֵיהֶן מִפְּנֵי הָרַמָּאִין:

If one lost his seal, he is asked to wait until the evening, [when Yochanan and Achiyah meet.] If he (Yochanan) has [a surplus] corresponding to the (sum of the) seal [he claims to have lost], it is given to him, and if not, he receives nothing. The date [the day and the month] was written on them [the seals] because of the deceivers [lest one of them find a seal that has fallen from his neighbor, or from Achiyah, or from Yochanan and come now to claim (libations). (But on the day that he found it, he would not come to claim them, realizing that the loser would be looking for it.) It is also to be feared (if there were no date) that one bought the seal at the "cheap rate" and held onto it until the price rose.]

שְׁתֵּי לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, אַחַת לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים, וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים, לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים יִרְאֵי חֵטְא נוֹתְנִים לְתוֹכָה בַּחֲשַׁאי, וַעֲנִיִּים בְּנֵי טוֹבִים מִתְפַּרְנְסִים מִתוֹכָהּ בַּחֲשַׁאי. לִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים, כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא מִתְנַדֵּב כֶּלִי, זוֹרְקוֹ לְתוֹכָהּ. וְאַחַת לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, גִּזְבָּרִין פּוֹתְחִין אוֹתָהּ. וְכָל כְּלִי שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין בּוֹ צֹרֶךְ לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת, מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ. וְהַשְּׁאָר נִמְכָּרִין בִּדְמֵיהֶן וְנוֹפְלִין לְלִשְׁכַּת בֶּדֶק הַבַּיִת:

There were two leshachoth (compartments) in the Temple: one, lishkath chashaim ("the compartment of the secret ones") [so-called because those who put money into it did so secretly, and those who were sustained by it, took from it in secret]; the other, lishkath hakelim ("the compartment of the vessels"). Lishkath chashaim — the fearers of sin would put (money) into it in secret, and the poor of good family would sustain themselves from it in secret. Lishkath hakelim — whoever donated a vessel would cast it there. After thirty days, the treasurers would open it. Whatever vessel they found useful for bedek habayith (Temple maintenance) they would leave there. The others would be sold and their monies would go to the lishkah of [all the dedications for] bedek habayith.