Megillah 29b (כט:) — the Talmud in English

that Israel should bring their shekels to the Temple,

and concerning diverse kinds,

meaning that they warn people to uproot diverse kinds of seeds, which are already recognizable at that time among the grain.

And we raised a difficulty:

Granted, concerning diverse kinds

they make an announcement—because

it is the time of sowing. But concerning the shekels—

from where do we derive this?

Rabbi Tavi said that Rabbi Yoshiya said: As the verse states: “This is the burnt offering of each new month in its renewal

for the months of the year.”

But this is difficult: Why do we need all these expressions of “months” written here?

Rather,

the Torah said: Renew

one of the months of the year,

and bring

in it

an offering

of the daily and additional offerings

from a new contribution.

And this month is Nisan, as we derive through a gzera shava: “year”—“year.” For it is written here: “for the months of the year,” and it is written concerning Nisan: “It is the first of the months of the year for you.”

And since in Nisan it is necessary to bring offerings from a new contribution, we precede and read

the passage of the shekels

on the first of Adar—

so that

people

will bring their shekels to the Temple.

According to whom

does this beraita apply, which says that we precede and read the passage one month before the appointed time—

not according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.

For if it were according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, he said that we precede

by

two weeks!

As it was taught in a beraita: One inquires into the laws of Passover thirty days before Passover.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Two weeks

before Passover.

And we reject this:

You may even say that it also accords with

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.

Since the master said: On the fifteenth of it

in the month of Adar,

money-changing tables

belonging to the money changers who exchanged silver shekels for small coins

are set up in the provinces,

so that those bringing the contributions can exchange their small coins for half-shekels.

And on the twenty-fifth

of the month,

the tables

are set up

in the Temple,

and this is a sign that the time has already drawn near to collect the funds from the chamber in three baskets, so the people will hurry to bring their shekels.

Because of the tables—

we precede and read

the passage of the shekels two weeks before the setting up of the tables.

What

is

the passage of the shekels?

Rav said: “Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food.”

And Shmuel said: “When you take.”

For the mitzva of giving the half-shekel is written there.

And we raised a difficulty:

Granted, according to the one who says

that we read

“When you take”—

this is why he calls it “the passage of the shekels,”

for

it

contains

in that passage

shekels.

But according to the one who says

that we read

“My offering, My food,” here

are shekels written there?

And we answer:

Yes.

For

what is the reason

we bring shekels?

As Rabbi Tavi taught,

so that offerings may be brought on the first of Nisan from the new contribution. The mitzva of bringing an offering from the new contribution is derived from the verse: “This is the burnt offering of each new month in its renewal, and so on”—that passage, the passage of “My offering, My food,” contains this teaching.

And we challenge this:

Granted, according to the one who says: “Command the children of Israel,” because offerings are written there,

and

as Rabbi Tavi taught.

But according to the one who says: “When you take,”

shekels for

offerings—are they written

there? Rather,

shekels for the sockets are written

there! For it is written: “You shall take the silver of the atonement monies and give it for the work of the Tent of Meeting,” which refers to the making of the sockets, as it is written afterward [Exodus 38:25]: “The silver of those numbered of the congregation… And it was one hundred talents of silver for casting the sockets of the Sanctuary, and so on.”

And we answer:

As Rav Yosef taught: There are three contributions

mentioned in the verse, as it is written: “The half-shekel, a contribution to the Lord”; “He shall give the Lord’s contribution”; “To give the Lord’s contribution, to atone for your souls.”

And these are: A contribution

for the altar—

for the altar,

to purchase the communal offerings for the entire year; this is indicated by the words written there: “To atone for your souls.”

And one for the sockets—

to

make from them

sockets.

And one for the maintenance of the Temple—

for

the needs of

the maintenance of the Temple.

And we challenge this:

Granted, according to the one who says

that we read the passage

“When you take,” this is why this

new moon of Adar that falls on Shabbat differs—we read in it “When you take”

from the other new moons

that fall on Shabbat, for on them we read “Command the children of Israel… My offering, My food, and so on.”

But according to the one who says, “Command My offering,”—

what differs?

For on the other new moons as well we read that passage!

And we answer:

This

new moon differs from the other new moons.

For whereas

on the other

new moons—

six read

readers

from the subject of the day,

from the passage of that week,

and one

reads

from the passage of the new moon. But now—

all of them,

all the readers—

read from the passage of the new moon.

And we challenge this:

This works according to the one who says

below in the Gemara that what we said in the Mishna, “On the fifth they return to their regular order,” means that

they return to the order of the passages,

for on these Shabbatot they interrupt the regular annual order and read other passages, and on the fifth they return to the order of the passages of the entire year.

But according to the one who says

that only the haftarot are changed from the regular annual order, and

they return to the order of the haftarot

on the fifth Shabbat, while

the passage of the day

—from the regular order of the entire year—

is read

on these Shabbatot,

what differs

this new moon from the other new moons?

And we answer: It still

differs. For whereas

on the other

new moons—

six read

readers

from the subject of the day, and one—

reads from the passage of the new moon. But now,

on the new moon of Adar—

three read from the subject of the day, and four—

read from the passage of the new moon.

The beraita raises an objection: When the new moon of Adar falls on Shabbat, they read the passage of the shekels and read as the haftara from Jehoiada the priest.

Granted, according to the one who says

that we read

“When you take,” this is why they read as the haftara from Jehoiada the priest,

because

it resembles

the verse of the passage “When you take.”

For it is written

in that passage [II Kings 12:5]:

“The money of the persons, their valuation,”

and it is written here: “And they shall give, each man, an atonement for his soul.”

But according to the one who says

that we read

“My offering, My food,” does it resemble

Jehoiada the priest?

And we answer:

It does resemble him,

because the passage “My offering, My food” also contains the matter of giving the shekels,

as Rabbi Tavi taught,

who expounded from the verse in this passage: “This is the burnt offering of each new month in its renewal”—renew one and bring an offering from the new contribution, meaning from the contribution of the half-shekel.

The beraita raises an objection: If

the new moon of Adar

falls on the passage adjacent to it—

the passage of the shekels—

whether

the new moon falls

before it, or whether

it falls

after it—

they read it, and repeat it

again on the second Shabbat.

Granted, according to the one who says

that we read

“When you take,” this means that it happens

that they read the passage of the shekels

at that time

according to the order of the passages of the entire year.

But according to the one who says

that we read

“Command My offering,” does it happen

that we read this passage

at that time?

But it is in the passage of Pinhas, which is adjacent to the month of Av!

And we answer:

Yes.

It happens

for the people of the West,

who do not complete the reading of the Five Books in one year, but rather

complete

the reading

of the Torah

in three years

by dividing each passage into three passages. This is the explanation of Rabbeinu Hananel.

It was taught in support of Shmuel: When the new moon of Adar falls on Shabbat, they read

from the passage

“When you take,” and read as the haftara from Jehoiada the priest.

Rabbi Yitzhak Nappa said: When the new moon of Adar falls on Shabbat, they take out three

Torah

scrolls, and read from them

as follows: From

one

[scroll]—the subject of the day. And

from

one

[scroll]—the

passage

of the new moon. And from

one—

the

passage

“When you take.”

And Rabbi Yitzhak Nappa said: When the new moon of Tevet falls on Shabbat, they bring three

Torah

scrolls, and read from them

as follows: From

one

[scroll]—the subject of the day. And

from

one

[scroll]—the

passage

of the new moon. And from

one

[scroll]—

the

reading of

Hanukkah.

And it is necessary to state

both teachings, the one concerning the new moon of Adar and the one concerning the new moon of Tevet.

For had it been stated only in this case—

concerning the new moon of Tevet, I might have said that

in this case Rabbi Yitzhak

requires three Torah scrolls,

but in that case,

the new moon of Adar—

he agrees with Rav, who said that

the

passage of the shekels—

“My offering, My food”

is,

and

therefore

two scrolls suffice,

for the passage of the new moon is also “My offering, My food”—

he teaches us that three scrolls are required.

And we challenge this:

Let him state only this

concerning the new moon of Adar,

and not require the other

concerning Tevet?

And we answer: In truth, Rabbi Yitzhak stated only the teaching concerning the new moon of Adar, and

one

was stated by inference from the other,

for from his words they learned that the same law applies to the new moon of Tevet.

It was stated: When the new moon of Tevet falls on a weekday, Rabbi Yitzhak said: Three read

readers

from

the reading of

the new moon, and one

reads

from Hanukkah.

And Rav Dimi of Haifa said: Three read

readers

from Hanukkah, and one

from the new moon.

Rabbi Mani said: Rabbi Yitzhak Nappa’s view stands to reason. For

the principle is:

that which is frequent and that which is not frequent—

the frequent takes precedence,

and therefore three readers read from the passage of the new moon, since it is more frequent than Hanukkah.

Rabbi Avin said: Rav Dimi’s view stands to reason.

For

what caused the fourth reader to come? The new moon!

For had there been no new moon, they would have read only three.

Therefore, the fourth reader,

who comes because of the new moon—

from

the subject of

the new moon he must read.

What conclusion was reached?

Rav Yosef said: We do not give precedence to the new moon

by making it the main reading; rather, the main reading is from Hanukkah.

And Rabba said: We do not give precedence to Hanukkah,

but make the new moon the main reading.

And the halakha is: We do not give precedence to Hanukkah, and the new moon is primary.

It was stated:

If

it falls

on the new moon of Adar

in

the passage

“And you shall command,” Rabbi Yitzhak Nappa said: Six read

readers

from “And you shall command” through “When you take,”

that is, the entire passage of Tetzaveh,

and one

reads

from “When you take”—

through “And you shall make

a copper laver,” which is the reading for the passage of the shekels.