W świątyni były cztery pieczęcie z napisami (odpowiednio): „cielę”, „samiec”, „koza”, „grzesznik”. [Były trzy pieczęcie na trzy różne libacje dla zwierząt: pierwsza pieczęć na libacje bydła (trzy esronimy mąki zmieszane z pół hin oliwy i wino do libacji, pół hin), zapieczętowane „cielakiem”. " Drugi „samiec” do libacji barana (targum barana to „dichra” - „samiec”. Jego libacje to dwa esronimy mąki zmieszane z jedną trzecią hin oliwy i jedną trzecią hin wina do libacji). Trzeci, „koza”, na libacje baranka w pierwszym roku życia (Issaron z mąki zmieszany z ćwierć hin oliwy i ćwierć hin wina do libacji). Czwarty, „grzesznik”, to libacja bogatego trędowatego, który przynosi trzy bestie i potrzebuje dziesięciu kłód oliwy: dziewięć (po trzy na każde) na trzy baranki i jedną na płatek i kciuki. Nazywa się to „grzesznikiem” zgodnie z (Erchin 16a): „Za siedem rzeczy (tj. Grzechy) (trąd) pojawiają się plamy zarazy.”] Ben Azzai mówi: Było pięć [(dwie pieczęcie trędowatego)] i były zapisywane po aramejsku (większość z nich była po aramejsku): „cielę”, „samiec”, „koza”, „biedny grzesznik”, „bogaty grzesznik”. [Gdyż biedny trędowaty przynosi tylko jedną bestię, a jeśli byłaby tylko jedna pieczęć dla trędowatego, biednemu trędowatemu dano by trzy esronoty. A pierwsza tanna twierdzi, że biedny trędowaty otrzymuje pieczęć „kozła”. Halacha jest zgodna z pierwszą tanną]. „cielę” jest używane do libacji dużego i małego bydła, samców i samic [zarówno do libacji ofiar całopalnych, które pochodzą tylko od samców, jak i do libacji ofiar pokojowych, które pochodzą od samców lub samic ( całopalenia i ofiary pokoju wymagające libacji, a mianowicie (Lb 15: 3): „… całopalenie lub ofiara (zevach = ofiara pokojowa)”]. „koza” jest używana do libacji owiec: Duży i małe, męskie i żeńskie—z wyjątkiem baranów. „Samiec” jest używany do libacji samych baranów. „Grzesznik” jest używany do libacji trzech bestii trędowatego.
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
ד' חותמות היו במקדש – three seals for three libations [connected with animal sacrifices] that are divided with the cattle . The first seal was for libations for cattle and they are three-tenths of an Ephah of fine flour mingled with one-half a Hin of oil and one-half a Hin of wine for libation and their seal was an עגל/calf. And the second was a ram for libations of a ram – as the Aramaic translation of איל/ram isדכרא /ram and its libation is two-tenths of a fine flour mingled in one-third a Hin of oil and one-third a Hin of wine for libation. And the third was a kid for libations of a sheep one-year old and they were one Issaron (i.e., one-tenth of an Ephah) of fine flour mingled with one-quarter of a Hin of oil and one-quarter of a Hin of wine for libation. And the fourth was “sinner,” and they were libations of the rich leper that would bring three cattle and it requires ten Log of pure oil for the three sheep and to place on the earlobe and the thumbs, and they call it "חוטא" /”sinner” because we state in Tractate Arakhin (16a): “For seven things plagues come: [gossip, murder, false oaths, illicit sexual behavior; haughtiness, theft, and selfishness].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Introduction
Above in mishnah one we learned that Yohanan the son of Pinchas was responsible for the seals and that Ahiyah was responsible for the libations. In today’s mishnah and in tomorrow’s we will learn what their responsibilities are.
The libations refers to grain offerings which include flour mixed with oil and a libation of wine. These grain offerings accompany certain animal sacrifices: an offering of well-being, a burnt offering and the sin and guilt offerings of a leper. The amount of grain, oil and wine would vary depending upon the animal used in the sacrifice. The following chart should be helpful:
Flour
Oil
Wine
Sheep or goat (one year old)
1/10 of a measure
1/4 hin
1/4 hin
Ram (two years old)
2/10
1/3 hin
1/3 hin
Cow or calf
3/10
1/2 hin
1/2 hin
Someone who needed to bring a libation (a grain offering) with his/her sacrifice could buy the exact amount of flour, oil and wine directly from the Temple. This would ensure that the offering was pure. He would pay the money to Yochanan ben Pinchas who would give him a note with a stamp on it. He would then take the note to Ahiyah who would give him the correct amount of flour, oil and wine.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
חמשה היו – to seals were for the leper.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
There were four seals in the Temple, and on them was inscribed [respectively]: ‘calf’, ‘ram’, ‘kid’, ‘sinner’. According to the first opinion there were four seals, one for each of the three types of animals described above in the chart and one inscribed with the word “sinner”, for the leper who brings three offerings, a guilt offering, a sin offering and a burnt offering, each of which come from various types of sheep (see Leviticus 14). Since the leper brings three sheep he therefore brings three times the amount of flour, oil and water that is brought for one sheep (see the chart). In addition he brings one extra log (a small measure=1/12 of a hin) of oil which was placed on his right earlobe, right thumb and right big toe (Leviticus 14:15-18). Each seal would signify that he has paid for that amount of libation flour, oil and wine.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
חוטא דל וחוטא עשיר – because a poor leper is unable to bring other than one cow, and if there was only one seal for a leper, they would give to the poor leper three-tenths, but the first Tanna/teacher held that the for the poor leper, they would give him the seal of the “kid,”/"גדי" and the Halakha is according to the first Tanna.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Ben Azzai says: there were five and on them was inscribed in Aramaic [respectively]” ‘calf’, ‘ram’, ‘kid’, ‘poor sinner’, and ‘rich sinner’. Ben Azzai has two disagreements with the previous opinion. First of all, he holds that the inscriptions were in Aramaic and not in Hebrew, since Aramaic was the language with which most people were more familiar. Secondly, he says that there were two types of inscriptions for the leper, one for the poor sinner who only brings one sheep and its libations (Lev. 14:21-31), and the one extra log of oil described above. The other for the rich sinner who brings three sheep, as described above. The opinion in section one according to which there was only one inscription for the leper holds that the poor leper, who brings one sheep, buys the libations of a sheep and brings the extra log of oil from his home.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
וארמית כתוב עליהן – for most of their speech was in the Aramaic language.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
[The seal inscribed] ‘calf’ served for the libations of cattle, both large and small, male and female. The mishnah now explains what each seal is for. “Calf” is for all cattle, meaning cows and bulls, whether they are male which are used as whole burnt offerings or females used as offerings of wellbeing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
זכרים ונקבות – whether for libations of burnt offerings that don’t come other than from males or whether from libations of peace-offerings that come from males or females, for the burnt offerings and and peace offerings are those that require libations, as it is written (Numbers 15:3): “[and would present an offering by fire to the LORD from the herd or from the flock,] be it burnt offering or sacrifice, [in fulfillment of a vow explicitly uttered, or as a freewill offering, or at your fixed occasions, producing an odor pleasing to the LORD].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
[The seal inscribed] ‘kid’ served for the libations of flock animals, both large and small, male and female, with the exception of rams. The seal of the kid was used to buy libations for all flock offerings (sheep and goats) as long as they were a year or less old. From thirteen months and older the sheep is considered to be a ram.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
[The one inscribed] ‘ram’ served for the libations of rams alone. The seal of the ram was used to buy libations for the ram only.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
[The one inscribed] ‘sinner’ served for the libations of the three animals [offered] by lepers. The seal upon which was inscribed the word “sinner” was used to buy the libations for the three animals that a leper brings, plus the additional log as we described in section one.
