Comentario sobre Shekalim 6:7

שלשה עשר שופרות – [thirteen] chests, narrow from the top and wide from the bottom curved like a Shofar because of the deceivers who would not be able to put in their hands into them to show themselves as if they are giving/putting into it, while they are taking from it, and further on, it will explain why there are thirteen chests and thirteen tables and in which location they are placed (see also Mishnah 5 in this chapter).

Introduction Our mishnah describes certain physical features of the Temple. Fans of the Raiders of the Lost Ark series will enjoy this mishnah, as well as tomorrow’s.

שלש עשרה השתחויות – and further on (Mishnah 3) it will explain where they were.

There were in the Temple thirteen chests, thirteen tables and thirteen prostrations. There were thirteen chests in the Temple to collect money for various items. These will be explained below in mishnah five. There were thirteen tables, which will be explained below in mishnah four. Finally, there were thirteen places in which people would prostrate themselves and these will be explained in mishnah three. Notice the chiastic order chests, tables and prostrations and below we will see prostrations, tables and chests.

כנגד דיר העצים – a chamber/compartment (see also Tractate Middot, Chapter 5, Mishnah 4) where they would store there all the wood of the pile of wood on the altar of the Temple and it was in the northeast corner of the Women’s Court.

[Members] of the household of Rabban Gamaliel and of Rabbi Hananiah the chief of the priests used would prostrate fourteen [times. And where was the additional [prostration]? In front of the wood storage yard, for they had a tradition from their forefathers that the Ark was hidden there. The people of the household of Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Hananiah the chief of the priests would do an extra prostration. They would do this extra prostration in front of the wood storage yard, the place where the wood that was used to fuel the altar was stored. They prostrated there because they had a tradition that that was where the Ark of the Covenant was buried. There are two main traditions concerning the fate of the Ark in rabbinic literature. The first holds that King Josaiah buried it in the Temple and the second holds that it was carried off to Babylonia when the Temple was destroyed. The third holds that it is sitting in a storehouse in Washington D.C. (just kidding).

ששם הארון נגנז – for King Josiah commanded that it be hidden below in the curved secret and tortuous path that Solomon built at the time when he built the Temple and knew that it would eventually be destroyed. And this is what is written in II Chronicles, chapter 35, verse 3: “He said to the Levites, consecrated to the LORD, who taught all Israel, ‘Put the Holy Ark in the House that Solomon [the son of David, king of Israel] built” (also compare Talmud Yoma 53b) and with it was hidden the staff of Aaron and the bottle of Manna (which was preserved) and the flask of anointing oil.

שהיה מתעסק – in his service (see also Tractate Middot, Chapter 2, Mishnah 5) removing the wormy parts from the wood/sorting it, and he had a blemish (i.e., he was unfit for the altar, for priestly service), and the work of those with a blemish was to prepare the wood for the altar, and any wood in which was found worms was unfit/disqualified for the altar.

Introduction This mishnah continues to discuss the hidden location of the Ark of the Covenant.

שהוא משונה – the stone was not even with the other stones of the floor, and he understood it (i.e., the Holy Ark) was taken from there and then returned.

It once happened that a priest who was busy [there] noticed that the floor [of the wood storage area] was different from the others. He went and told it to his friend but before he had time to finish his words his soul departed. Then they knew for certain that there the Ark was hidden. In this legendary tale a priest is busy chopping wood in the wood storage area of the Temple when he notices that the floor looks a little different. He rushes off to tell his friend about what he saw but before he can get the words out of his mouth, he dies (I hope his face didn’t start to melt off. Indy should have told him to just close his eyes!). From this the other priests knew for certain that the Ark was hidden there.

ביחוד – with certainty.

והיכן היו ההשתחויות – thirteen prostrations, as is taught in the Mishnah above (Mishnah 1 of this chapter), where they made them.

Introduction This mishnah teaches that the thirteen prostrations mentioned in mishnah one above were made in front of the thirteen gates in the Temple. The mishnah proceeds to name the gates. The commentators explain that the prostrations were to thank God for the glory of the Temple.

שער עליון – the Temple was slanted going up from east to west, and the gate nearest to the west was the Upper Gate. And behind it was the Fuel Gate, which was the gate of the wood chamber, which was in the south of the [Temple] courtyard and it was called that name because they would bring in through there the wood of the altar that they would burn on the altar which is called the Fuel Gate.

And where did they make the prostrations? Four [times] in the north, four [times] in the south, three [times] in the east, and twice in the west, in front of the thirteen gates. This section teaches where in the Temple the thirteen gates were located.

שער הבכורות – they would bring in there the first-born [cattle] that would be slaughtered there in the south.

The southern gates close to the west [side were]: the Upper Gate, the Fuel Gate, the Gate of the Firstborn [Animals], and the Water Gate. Why was it called the Water Gate? Because through it was brought in the flask of water for the libation on Sukkot. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: through it the waters trickle forth and in the time to come “they will come forth from under the threshold of the Temple” (Ezekiel 47:1). The Upper Gate was on the southwestern side, which was the highest point of the Temple. The Fuel Gate was used to bring in the wood used to fuel the altar’s fires. The firstborn animals were brought in through the Firstborn Animal’s Gate (should be obvious, but still..). The mishnah offers two explanations for why the Water Gate was called as such. The first explanation is that this is where the water libation, offered on Sukkot (we will learn this eventually in Sukkah 4:9), was brought into the Temple. The second is that in the future, when clean living water flows out of the Temple and cleanses the salty water of the Dead Sea, the water will begin to trickle forth from this gate (see Ezekiel 47). There is no Nixon connection.

מים מפכים – as it is written in Ezekiel (47:2): “And I found water was gushing from [under] the south wall,” and that is south which is called “right-hand,” as it is written )Psalms 89:13): “North and south – [You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing forth Your name].” But see Ezekiel in prophecy that they would go out from the House of the Holy of Holies thin like the proboscides of locusts (see Tractate Pesahim, Chapter 3, Mishnah 5), and when they would arrive at this gate, they would grow strong/gather courage and become like the fulness of a small flask/jar and that is why they call them “gushing waters.”

On the opposite side in the north close to the west were: Jechoniah’ Gate, the Gate of the Offerings, the Gate of the Women, and the Gate of Song. And why was it called the Jechoniah’ Gate? Because through it Jechoniah went out into his captivity. On the opposite side, in the North, there were four more gates. Jechoniah’s Gate was named after the King Jechoniah who was taken captive and put into exile by Nebuchadnezzar (see II Kings 24:15). Sacrifices, which were slaughtered in the northern part of the Temple, were brought in through the Offerings Gate. The Woman’s Gate was a special entrance for women when they brought their sacrifices. The Gate of Song was used to bring in the musical instruments which the Levites used.

שער הקרבן – there they would bring in the Holy of Holies whose slaughter was in the north.

In the east was the Nicanor’s Gate, and it had two small gates, one to the right and one to the left. In the east was Nicanor’s Gate, named after Nicanor who according to legend brought the gates from Egypt. Nicanor’s gates were surrounded by two smaller gates that were included in the tally of thirteen gates.

שער הנשים – for in it, the women would enter to lay their hands on their sacrifice, according to the words of Rabbi Yosi who said that women lay their hands optionally, but according to Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon, to stand near their sacrifice (see Talmud Eruvin 96b, Rosh Hashanah 13a and Hullin 85a).

There were also two gates in the west which had no name. The western gates were infrequently used and hence had no special name.

שער השיר – through that path they would bring in the musical instruments.

שבו יצא יכניה בגלותו – when he when to the Temple to prostrate and to get permission when he went to Babylonia in the Diaspora, and he left through the path at that gate.

שער ניקנור – it is explained in Yoma 38a in the chapter: “The officer said to them”/אמר להם שממונה (i.e., the Prefect over the Priests).

פשפשין – small gates within the larger gates and even they are from the count/number of thirteen gates, and even though the gate leading to the room (in the Temple) in which the fire is perpetually maintained (see Tractate Tamid, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1 and Tractate Middot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1, as well as Tractate Shabbat Chapter 1, Mishnah 11), also had a wicket, it was not considered because it was the smallest of them all, but the others were all slightly larger, and these of our Mishnah, of the thirteen gates, we establish in the Gemara in the Jerusalem Talmud like Abba Shaul the son of Hanan, but the Sages state that there were seven gates in the courtyard, but they hold that these thirteen prostrations correspond to the thirteen breaches made by the Grecian kings in the courtyard (see Tractate Middot, Chapter 2, Mishnah 3), and when the Hasmonean kings rose up and defeated them and repaired the breaches, they established thirteen sites of prostration corresponding to every breach that had been repaired.

אך של שיש מניחי את האברים – after the dissection, they arrange them (i.e., the parts of the offering – the limbs) on the table until the Kohanim would bring them up, but they did not make them (i.e., the tables) of silver or gold for there is no poverty in the place of wealth, since the gold and the silver cause them (i.e., the parts of the offerings) to get hot and smell badly, whereas the marble cools them off and preserves them so that they do not smell badly, but they would not rely on a miracle that the holy meat never smelled badly (see Tractate Avot, Chapter 5, Mishnah 5, - "ולא הסריח\התליע בשר הקדש מעולם" ).

Introduction This mishnah lists the thirteen tables mentioned in mishnah one.

ועל של כסף כלי שרת – that they would remove each morning ninety-three service vessels, as is taught in the Mishnah [of Tractate] Tamid (Chapter 3, Mishnah 4).

There were thirteen tables in the Temple:
Eight of marble in the place of slaughtering and on them they would rinse the entrails. In the slaughtering section of the Temple there were eight marble tables upon which they would rinse out the entrails of the sacrificial animals.

נותנים לחם הפנים בכניסתו – after it was baked until they would set it up on the table.

And two to the west of the ramp [which ascends the altar], one of marble and one of silver; on that of marble they would place the limbs [of the offerings], and on that of silver the ministering vessels. To the west of the ramp used to ascend to the altar were two more tables, one of marble and one of silver. They would put the limbs of the sacrifices on the marble table where they would wait until they were offered on the altar. The marble was cool and hence slowed down the deterioration of the meat. On the silver table they would place the ministering vessels. These were 93 vessels which were brought out each morning and which would be used in worship during the day.

ועל של זהב ביציאתו – and it would be placed there until the time of its division [among the priests].

And there were two tables in the Porch on the inside of the entrance to the Temple, one of marble and the other of gold; on that of marble they would place the showbread placed when it was brought in, and on that of gold [they would place the showbread] when it was taken out, because things sacred may be raised [in honor] but not lowered. The Porch was the open section of the Temple right outside the Sanctuary. There were two tables there, one of marble and one of gold. Both of these tables were used for the showbread. When the bread was baked on Friday it would be placed on the marble table so that it wouldn’t begin to mold before it was brought into the Sanctuary on Shabbat. When it was taken out of the Sanctuary on the following Shabbat, it was placed on the golden table before it was divvied up to the priests. The mishnah notes that this follows an important halakhic rule sacred things such as the showbread should rise up in holiness and not be lowered down. Since it was on a golden table inside the Sanctuary, it had to be on a golden table when it was brought out. The most famous application of this rule is that on Hannukah we add a candle each night because we are to increase in holiness and not decrease.

שמעלין בקודש ולא מורידין – for since they removed it from on top of the golden table, and they don’t lower it to place it on one of silver.

And there was one [table] of gold on the inside of the Sanctuary on which the showbread lay continually. During the week, the showbread was placed on a golden table, as we mentioned above.

תקלין תדתין – as it explains in on Mishnah, upon which they place the Shekaliim of this year. And when the time of Terumah offering arrives, the treasure takes out all the Shekalim that are in the horn-shaped [chest] and places them in the compartment/chamber in order that they may give Terumah from them. And the second [horn-shaped chest] has written on it “Old Shekel-dues” and whomever had not brought his Shekel in that year brings in the year after that and places it in the same horn-shaped chest, and the treasurer takes them and puts them in the remnants of the compartment/chamber. And on the third [chest] is written on it “Bird Offerings,” and they are large turtle doves. And on the fourth is written “Young Birds for Burnt Offerings,” which are small pigeons and all of them are for Burnt Offerings. But those who bring obligatory bird-offerings give the money or the birds into the hand of the Kohen, and they do not place the money in the horn-shaped chest. But the reason is explained in the Jerusalem Talmud – because of the mixing up of [the monies] lest one of the owners of the bird-offerings dies, for it is found that the waters of the sin-offering whose owners died that depart life are mixed up with them. But the Rabbis do not concern themselves with this, for they hold that in the horn-shaped [chest] for bird offerings, they place the monies of obligatory bird-offerings and with all of the monies found in it, they offer one bird sin-offering and another as a burnt offering, and the second, all of which are free-will donations and are sacrificed as burnt-offering, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.

There were thirteen chests in the Temple and on them was inscribed [respectively]:
“new shekels”;
“New shekels” those for each year;
“old shekels”;
“Old shekels” whoever has not paid his shekel in the past year may pay it in the coming year;
“bird-offerings”;
“Bird-offerings” these are turtle-doves;
“young pigeons for burnt-offerings”;
“Young pigeons for burnt-offerings” these are young pigeons.
“wood”;
“frankincense”;
“gold for the kapporet”;
and on six, “freewill offerings”. Both [these two chests] are for burnt-offerings, the words of Rabbi Judah. But the sages say: “bird-offerings” one [half] is for sin-offerings and the other [half] for burnt-offerings, but “young pigeons for burnt-offerings” all goes to burnt-offerings.
This mishnah describes the thirteen chests that were in the Temple, as we learned above in mishnah one. We should note that the mishnah first lists all of the chests, and then below it explains more fully four of them. I shall explain them all in my explanation of the first section.
Section one: The “new shekels” chest was for shekels that were collected during each year. From this chest the shekels would later be brought into the chamber.
Section two: The “old shekels” chest was for people who failed to bring their shekels during the year.
Sections three and four: The “bird-offerings” are turtledoves (sorry, no partridge in a pear tree). The “young pigeons for burnt offerings” are, as might be obvious young pigeons. The sages dispute what these bird offerings are used for. According to Rabbi Judah both the bird-offerings and the young pigeons are used for burnt offerings. He holds that people who put money into both of these chests are bringing voluntary offerings, and voluntary bird offerings are only offered as burnt offerings. If someone needed to bring a mandated bird offering (such as a leper or a woman after childbirth) she didn’t put the money in the box but rather gave the offering directly to a priest.
The other sages agree that the box marked “young pigeons for burnt-offerings” goes exclusively for burnt offerings. This box, and only this box, was where people who wanted to make voluntary bird offerings put their money. The box marked “bird offerings” is intended for those who are obligated to bring a pair of birds, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. There is actually an entire tractate (Tractate Kinim) about these bird offerings.
Section five: This was for people who wished to donate wood to fuel the altar.
Section six: For people who wished to donate the frankincense.
Section seven: One who said, “Behold I am donating gold” would bring golden dinarim (a type of coin) and put them in this box. The dinarim would then be used to buy gold to make various coverings for the Holy of Holies. The word “kapporet” in the Torah refers to the cover of the Ark, but here in this mishnah it refers to all golden coverings.
Section eight: There were six other chests upon which was inscribed “freewill offerings.” This was parallel to the six things listed above in 2:5 whose surplus goes to freewill offerings. See there for an explanation as to what these six things were.

עצים – A person who donates wood for the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple puts their monetary value into it.

לבונה – A person who donates frankincense puts monies into it and the treasurers take the monies that are in the shofar-shaped chest and purchase from them frankincense and they offer the incense on the altar.

זהב – The person who donates gold places it there, or its financial equivalent and this is for the innermost of the Temple (i.e., the Holy of Holies), that is to say, the service vessels, for the bowls out of which the sprinkling is done were called golden atonement in Ezra (1:10) and [First] Chronicles (28:17) since the Kohen would cleanse his finger with them between each sprinkling and between gifts of sin-offerings, and the left-overs that are on the finger are invalid.

ששה לנדבה – the remaining six shofar-shaped [chests] are for free-will offerings. On the first, it is written on it "מותר חטאת" – the surplus monies for sin-offerings; and the second is "מותר אשם" – the surplus money for guilt offerings. The third is מותר קיני זבים וזבות ויולדות" - the surplus money for bird-offerings of men and women who had suffered a discharge and of women after childbirth. And the fourth is "מותר קרבנות נזיר" – surplus money from the offerings of a Nazirite. The fifth is מותר אשם מצורע – surplus money from guilt offering of a leper. The sixth is "נדבה סתם" – freewill offering – voluntary contributions for offerings on the Altar. But the person who separated monies for a sin offering and purchased his sin-offering and there was surplus from the monies, he casts the surplus into the shofar-shaped [chest] that the words: “surplus monies for sin-offerings” are written upon it and similarly, surplus monies from guilt-offerings he throws into the shofar-shaped [chest] on which it is written “surplus monies for guilt-offerings,” and similarly for all of them. But the shofar-shaped chest that has “freewill offerings” written up on it, anyone who wants to donate something to the altar plces it into that one.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.