פירוש על שקלים 7:2

לעולם מעשר – even all of the entire year, since the pilgrims for the Festivals do not manage to spend all of their Second Tithe [monies] and leave them for their relatives or their beloved ones to consume them all year in Jerusalem. And the essential Mitzvah of consuming Second Tithe is peace-offerings. Therefore, most of the cattle that is sold in Jerusalem on all the days f the year are acquired with the money of the [Second] Tithe, and even though that one can say that perhaps they fell from the sellers and were already redeemed, since the buyers are the majority since several people purchase from one merchant, we state that they are purchases but not redeemed, and they are [Second] Tithe.

Introduction Yesterday’s mishnah dealt with money found in between the money chests of the chamber in the Temple. This mishnah continues to deal with money found in various places, and with how to determine its status.

ובהר הבית חולין – and even on the Festival (i.e., the Intermediate Days), for most of the monies in people’s hands are of [Second] Tithe which are non-holy, and we follow according to [what the case is] the majority of the year. Devoted objects/sacrifices from before the Festival, young birds are found near their nests.

Money which was found in front of animal dealers [in Jerusalem], it is always [second] tithes [money]; The money that is derived from second tithes must be used to buy food products in Jerusalem. One common use of this money was to buy an animal and offer it as wellbeing offering. Most of the animals purchased in Jerusalem throughout the entire year, and not just at festival time, are purchased through second tithes money. Hence, if money is found in front of an animal dealer in Jerusalem we must be concerned lest it is second tithe money, and it therefore must be treated as if it is.

בירושלים – that is not in the market for cattle.

[If it was found] on the Temple Mount it is non-sacred [money]. Non-priests who come to the Temple Mount do not generally bring money with them, therefore this money can be assumed to have come from a priest or Levite while they were working there and not from one of the pilgrims during a festival. This money is considered to be non-sacred even during a festival. Although people do bring second tithe money to Jerusalem, they don’t generally bring it to the Temple Mount.

בשעת הרגל הכל מעשר – for we do not follow after the majority of the year because the market places/streets of Jerusalem used to be swept every day and if it would fall earlier, it is already found. But the Temple Mount was not swept because it is high and the wind sweeps and removes all the dust and also no man is permitted to enter the Temple Mount with the dust that is on his feet, therefore, there is no dust found there.

[If it was found] in Jerusalem during the time of a festival, it is [second] tithes [money]. Money found anywhere in Jerusalem (except for the Temple Mount) during a festival is deemed to be second tithe money because most of the money that people bring with them on their pilgrimage is second tithe money. Since Jerusalem is full of pilgrims at this time of year it can be assumed that the money is not from the smaller number of residents.

But all the rest of the year it is non-sacred [money]. During the rest of the year it can be assumed that the money fell from one of the residents of Jerusalem and not from a pilgrim. Hence it is not deemed second tithe and it may be treated as non-sacred.