Comentario sobre Shekalim 3:9

בשלשה פרקים בשנה תורמין את הלשכה – all of the Shekalim would be placed into one chamber in the Temple and three times a year they would take from it and place them into three baskets/funds, for each basket was from three Se’ah in order to purchase from them the community offerings and they would not take all of it at one time for the needs of the entire year, for those who lived far way had not yet brought all of their Shekalim.

Introduction Our mishnah teaches that three times a year they would take the gathered shekels out of the chamber in the Temple and appropriate them to buy public sacrifices. This time is connected to the period in which animals are tithed. In the remainder of the mishnah there are two other opinions as to when animals are tithed, and therefore as to when the shekels are appropriated.

בפרוס הפסח – fifteen days before the Festival [of Passover] is called “half the period of preparation,” because thirty days prior to the Festival they would ask and expound upon the laws of the Festival. And the word "פרוס" is the language of a piece, meaning one-half.

At three periods of the year the appropriation is made [from the shekels] in the chamber: Half a month before Pesah, half a month before Shavuot, and half a month before Sukkot, and these are also the threshing floors [the seasons] for the tithe of beasts, the words of Rabbi Akiva. According to Rabbi Akiva the shekels are appropriated at the same time of year that animals are tithed. I have translated “A half-month before” based on the Talmud. The mishnah itself says only “Before”, but uses a word which implies that this must occur at least a half-month before. The word “threshing floors” is borrowed from tithes for grain. The meaning is that in these three periods it becomes forbidden to eat any animal until every tenth animal has been tithed. The tithed animal still belongs to its owners, but its blood must be sprinkled on the altar and its meat eaten in Jerusalem. It seems likely to me that Rabbi Akiva said that animals were tithed before the holidays so that people would bring them to Jerusalem when they made their festival pilgrimages.

והן גרנות של מעשר – these three periods are the fixed seasons for the tithing of cattle, and these times were fixed by the Sages to tithe the cattle that had been borne, and just as the harvesting season establishes for the tithing of grain, so too, these time periods establish prohibiting eating the cattle that were born until they are tithed, but prior to this period, it is permitted to eat them, even though they haven’t been tithed, but the Sages established these three times for the tithing of cattle, in order that they would be found for those who come up making pilgrimage for the Festivals, for even though it is permitted to sell and to slaughter and to eat all the time that the harvesting season had not yet arrived, even so, people would not slaughter them until they were tithed, for it is pleasant for people to fulfill a Mitzvah with their monies in which they are not lacking anything, such as the tithing of cattle, which of itself brings tithes and they eat it as a peace-offering. If they would not tithe at these three periods, many would be prevented from selling them, because they were not tithed, and there wouldn’t be cattle available for those coming up on pilgrimage.

Ben Azzai says: on the twenty-ninth of Adar, and on the first of Sivan, and on the twenty-ninth of Av. The remaining sages disagree as to when animals are tithed. Ben Azzai gives dates that are more precise and slightly differ from those given by Rabbi Akiva. The twenty-ninth of Adar is basically the same, as it is half a month before Pesah. The first of Sivan is only 7 days before Shavuot. He seems to give more time because there is not a lot of time between Pesah and Shavuot in which animals might be born. The third tithe is at the end of Av, because Ben Azai holds that animals born in Elul are tithed separately.

בן עזאי אומר בכ"ט באדר – his reason is that all of these are a condition, and their disputes are explained in the last chapter of [Tractate] Bekhorot (Chapter 9, Mishnayot 5-6).

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: on the first of Nisan, on the first of Sivan, and on the twenty-ninth of Elul. Why did they say, “On the twenty-ninth of Elul and not on the first of Tishre? Because the first of Tishre is a holy day, and it is not permitted to tithe on a festival, therefore they moved it up to the twenty-ninth of Elul. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon that the animals are tithed on the first of Nissan, which is similar to both Rabbi Akiva and one day after Ben Azai’s time. The second tithing period is on the first of Sivan, the same as Ben Azai. The third tithing period is on the twenty-ninth of Elul. The mishnah explains that they would have said the first of Tishre but one can’t tithe on the first of Tishre because it is a holiday, namely Rosh Hashanah. It seems that in this case he basically agrees with Rabbi Akiva who said half a month before Sukkot.

תורמין את הלשכה – they would separate the Shekalim from the chamber/compartment for the Shekalim were placed there and they would take from them in three funds; each fund of them was three Se’ah. But Maimonides wrote that we first fill the three large baskets of twenty-seven Se’ah and from them donate to three small baskets of nine Se’ah, and freely, he pressed to state this.

Introduction This mishnah begins to teach how the appropriation of the shekels was made.

וכתוב עליהן א' ב' ג' – to know which one was separated out first, and from it, they would purchase the community offerings first. And after that from the second one, and after that from the third one.

In three baskets each of [the capacity of] three seahs they make the appropriation [of shekels] from the chamber. There were three baskets in the chamber, each containing enough space for three seahs worth of coins. This means that altogether in the year they expected 27 seahs worth of coins. If you’re wondering, a seah is about 8 liters, so we’re talking about 216 liters of volume of coins. I don’t know exactly how many coins this is.

יונית כתוב עליהן – they were accustomed to do it in Greek because it is written (Genesis 9:27): “May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem.” The beauty of Japheth will dwell in the tents of Shem [Megillah 9a], and the language of “beauty” in the children of Japheth does not exist other than in the Greek language.

And on them was inscribed: Aleph, Beth, Gimmel. Rabbi Ishmael says: Greek was inscribed on them, alpha, beta, gamla. The baskets were numbered, so that whichever one filled up first would be used first to buy public sacrifices. The sages debate whether the writing was in Greek or in Hebrew. It seems that one opinion demanded Hebrew because this is the Temple and Hebrew is the “lashon hakodesh” the holy language. Rabbi Ishmael allowed Greek because Greek may have been the more official business language of the time.

פרגוד חפות – the clothing was long and we fold it from the bottom. That double rim is called a פרגוד חפות/hem in his cloak; cloak with sleeves. The person donating [Terumah]/making appropriation does not enter with the double rim in his cloak so that people would not suspect him that he placed into it from the monies of the compartment/chamber.

The one who made the appropriation did not enter the chamber wearing either a bordered cloak or shoes or sandals or tefillin or an amulet, lest if he became poor people might say that he became poor because of a sin committed in the chamber, or if he became rich people might say that he became rich from the appropriation in the chamber. For it is one’s duty to seem be free of blame before others as before God, as it is said: “And you shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22), and it says: “And you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4). The person who went in to count the coins and make the appropriation could not wear any piece of clothing that would cause others to suspect that he might have stolen something. This could only lead to bad results if he grew poor they would suspect him of being punished for having stolen the shekels, if he grew rich they would suspect of being rich because of the stolen money. The mishnah finishes with an important moral note. A person must carefully guard his public reputation, even if in his heart he knows that he is not sinning and even if he knows that in God’s all-seeing eyes he is not sinning. This is especially true of a person with a position of public responsibility. It is not enough to just be honest, one must also give the outward appearance of honesty as well. I believe that this is an important life’s lesson. A person’s reputation of honesty is important both for the moral character of that person himself and for the proper functioning of society.

ולא בתפילין ולא בקמיע – so that people don’t say that he loosened the seam and placed into it money.

וזורקו לפני התורם – they intended that their Shekels would be spread out into the basket, and they would purchase from them the community offerings, and they would not come from the remnants of the compartment.

Introduction This mishnah continues to teach how the appropriation of the shekels was actually performed.

שלש פעמים – on each occasion, he would say, “shall I remove them?,” and they say to him: “Remove.” For it was the manner of the Sages that something should be done thrice, and an example of this we found in the Omer ceremony (see Tractate Menahot, Chapter 10, Mishnah 3): “this sickle, this sickle, this sickle. Shall I reap, Shall I reap, Shall I reap?” and similarly in the removal of the shoe (see Tractate Yevamot, Chapter 12, Mishnah 6) – “Remove the Shoe? Remove the Shoe? Remove the Shoe? = three times.

[The members] of Rabban Gamaliel’s household used to enter [the chamber] with their shekel between their fingers, and throw it in front of him who made the appropriation, while he who made the appropriation purposely pressed it into the basket. The mishnah reads “….of Rabban Gamaliel’s household.” I have interpreted this as “the members” but it also may be interpreted to refer to an agent who brings the shekels from his household. In any case, the purpose of the arrangement described here is to get the shekel immediately into the basket so that it can count toward the next appropriation. The person bringing the shekel to the chamber would arrive on the day upon which the appropriation was made and would arrange so that the shekel was not just left in the chamber for a while but rather was put right into the basket.

He who made the appropriation did not make it until he first said to them: “Should I make the appropriation?” And they say to him three times: “Make the appropriation! Make the appropriation! Make the appropriation!” The ceremony described here was probably intended as a polemic against those groups of Second Temple Jews, perhaps Sadducees, who opposed the institution of the yearly shekel donation. In order to make it loud and clear that the shekels are being appropriated and that the public sacrifices will be bought from this money, they made public declarations and affirmations that the appropriation was being done with the consent of the people.

תרם את הראשונים ומחפה בקטבלאות – the first appropriation/Terumah that was on the fifteenth day before Passover – after he appropriated it, he would cover all the remaining Shekalim with קטבלאות/leather spreads that are smooth leather in order that they can put upon it the Shekalim that they will bring from the countries that surround the land of Israel, who wouldn’t bring [it] prior to Passover but they bring it from Passover until Atzeret/Shavuot and give them on top of the [leather] spread in order that they may appropriate from them in the two weeks before Atzeret/Shavuot and not appropriate from the thing that was appropriated from already during the two weeks before Passover, and after he has appropriated during the two weeks before Atzeret, he went back and covered all the monies in the compartment with leather spreads and placed on them all the Shekelim that are brought from Babylonia and Media and from the far-away countries, and appropriate from them in the two weeks before the Holiday/Sukkot. But there was no cover for there is no Terumah/appropriation after that.

Introduction Our mishnah concludes the description of how the appropriation was made.

הראשונה לשם ארץ ישראל – for they sent their Shekalim first and the others had not yet brought them.

[After] he made the first appropriation, he covers [what is left] with leather covers. [After he made the] second appropriation, he covers [what is left] with leather covers. [But after] the third appropriation he would not cover [what was left]. [And why would he cover?] Lest he should forget and make a [fresh] appropriation from shekels from which had already been appropriated. After the first appropriation, done at Pesah time, he would cover the left over shekels so that they would not be used for the next appropriation. The new shekels that were collected during the next period would be placed on top of the leather coverings. Similarly, after the second appropriation, he would cover the remaining already appropriated shekels with a leather covering and new shekels would go on top. However, after the third appropriation, done at Sukkot time, he would not cover the shekels. The mishnah then explains why he would cover after each appropriation. The reason is that we don’t want shekels that have already been counted in one appropriation to count towards another appropriation. Doing so would be an ancient version of “cooking the books.” The leather covers were placed there to prevent this from happening. Since there is no appropriation after the third one, there was no need to cover the remaining coins. A different explanation is offered by the Rambam. He holds that there were three large baskets in the chamber from which they would fill three smaller baskets, Aleph, Bet and Gimmel. At the first appropriation they would fill up the small basket with the Aleph on it from the first large basket and then cover the first large basket. They would then fill the small basket with the letter Bet on it from the second large basket and cover the second large basket. They would then fill the third basket from the third large basket but they would not cover that basket so that when the next appropriation time would arrive (fifteen days before Shavuot), they would know to begin filling the small basket with the Aleph from the third large basket. In this way, in the space of the year, each small basket would be filled from each larger basket. There is yet another explanation, one which Albeck prefers. That is that the question is not “and why would he cover [the first two]” but rather “why didn’t he cover the third?” The answer is that they would leave the third uncovered because the third appropriation is not really finished until the end of the year. They would leave the remaining coins uncovered to remind themselves to continue to appropriate from them and from new ones that would come in after Sukkot and not the coins underneath which had already been appropriated.

לשם כרכין המוקפים – that are close by like Ammon and Moab and those similar to that, and its example was not to appropriate from that which is surrounded, nor do they surround those with an abscess. But nevertheless, every single time, they appropriate in the name of all Israel on what was collected and what stands to be collected in the future. But our Tanna/Teacher did not mention the divisions of these places other than to inform them that they established these three periods because then, they will gather all the Shekalim of Israel/the Jewish people.

He would make the first appropriation on behalf of the Land of Israel, and the second on behalf of the surrounding cities, and the third on behalf of Babylon and on behalf of Medea and on behalf of [other] distant countries. Each appropriation was symbolically attributed to different regions where Jews lived. The one performing the appropriation would at the first appropriation say, “Behold this appropriation is from the Land of Israel for all of Israel” and similarly for the next two. The order is the order of proximity to Jerusalem. It can be assumed that the people who live in Israel will get their shekels to the Temple first, the people who live in the bordering areas will come next and finally those living in Babylonian and Persia will bring their shekels.