Shekalim 2b (ב:) — the Talmud in English

He said to him:

That is not as you said, that there is a special time for each place to contribute to the chamber from its shekels.

Rather,

it all comes at once.

For the time for all of them is the first of Nisan.

For immediately, at the beginning of the month of Nisan, the offerings must belong to all Israel, so that they may all attain atonement through them.

And

why did they say, “At three times

they contribute to the chamber,” and do they not contribute to it all at once, since the time for all of them is the same?

The reason for this

is to publicize [

publicity ]

the matter.

For at these three times all Israel would gather to ascend on pilgrimage, and then they would contribute, to inform everyone that every Jew has a portion in all the communal offerings that are sacrificed each day.

Rabbi Yehuda bar Pazi, in the name of Rabbi,

said:

How [

can ]

can we read

the verses that will be brought below

without being shaken [

horrified ]!? For if we distinguish, in the conduct of the Jewish people mentioned in these verses, between their good conduct and their bad conduct, we will learn how great is the power of the evil inclination.

1. For when the Children of Israel volunteered

for good,

for the construction of the Tabernacle, it is written [Exodus 35:22]:

“Every generous-hearted person

brought,”

Thus, it was the generous-hearted who brought a contribution for the Tabernacle of God, and not the entire nation.

But when they volunteered

for evil,

for the purpose of making the calf, it is written [Exodus 32:3]:

“And all the people

removed the golden rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron”; even those who were not generous-hearted brought their rings for the making of the calf.

2. We find another distinction between the departure of the Children of Israel for good or for evil.

When they departed

for good,

to receive the Torah, it is written:

“And Moses brought out the people,”

for they did not go out on their own to receive the Torah; rather, Moses had to bring them out.

But when they departed

for evil,

in the sin of the spies, it is written:

“And all of you drew near to me,”

they drew near on their own.

3. And likewise,

for good

it is written:

“Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang.”

Only through Moses’ song, which he began to sing, were the Children of Israel also inspired and joined in the song.

But

for evil,

when the spies arrived, it is written:

“And the entire assembly raised

its voice, and the people wept that night”—they raised their voices in weeping on their own, without anyone arousing them to do so.

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said:

The prophet Zephaniah had already rebuked them, the Children of Israel, for this contrasting conduct between good and evil.

As it is written [Zephaniah 3:7]:

“Indeed, they rose early and corrupted

all their deeds,” for he rebuked them because

every act of corruption that they committed

they committed at daybreak.

As it is written concerning the calf: “And they rose early the next day.” But concerning the contribution for the Tabernacle it is written: “And they brought him additional gifts, morning by morning,” and not literally at daybreak.

Rabbi Abba bar Aha said: You cannot comprehend the character [

their outlook and conduct ]

of this nation.

For every matter for which they are called upon to give money, they give, whether for good or for evil.

They are called upon to give for the calf, and they give. They are called upon to give for the Tabernacle, and they give.

Rabbi Yohanan ben Pazi taught this baraita [

Rabbi Yohanan ben Pazi taught the following baraita ], which disagrees with Rabbi Abba, who says that their giving for the Tabernacle resulted from their nature and practice of giving to anyone who asks them, whether for good or for evil.

Rather, they did so knowingly, in order to atone for the sin of the calf.

As it is taught: It is written:

“And you shall make a cover of pure gold”—

let this gold of the cover come and atone for the gold of the calf.

And likewise, everything that they gave for the needs of the Tabernacle was given to atone for the sin of the calf.

Rabbi Haggai, in the name of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel,

said:

Three “contributions” are mentioned in this passage,

the passage beginning, “And they shall take for Me a contribution.”

Since “contribution” is written three times, we learn that they were commanded regarding three types of contributions, as follows: 1.

The contribution for the sockets—

this was the contribution of a beka per head, from which the sockets of the Tabernacle were made, as explicitly stated in the passage of Pekudei [39:26–27].

2.

And the contribution of shekels—

the one given for the purpose of offering the sacrifices.

3.

And the contribution for the Tabernacle—

this was the contribution that each person donated for the construction of the Tabernacle and its vessels.

And the Gemara explains how these three contributions are learned from the verses:

1.

“Speak to the Children of Israel, and let them take for Me a contribution”—

this is the contribution for the sockets.

2.

“From every person whose heart moves him you shall take My contribution”—

this is the contribution of shekels.

For the other two contributions are stated simply with the word “contribution,” whereas here it says “My contribution”; from this wording it may be inferred that the reference is to the contribution of the half-shekel, since with these shekels they would purchase offerings for the sake of Heaven.

3.

“And this is the contribution that you shall take from them:

gold, silver, copper, blue wool, and purple wool”—

this is the contribution for the Tabernacle.

For there is no need for all these types of materials except for the construction of the Tabernacle.

And from the fact that the latter two contributions must be the contribution of shekels and the contribution for the Tabernacle, we know that the first “contribution” written in the verse, “And let them take for Me a contribution,” is the contribution for the sockets.

And now the Gemara explains the laws of these contributions:

1.

The contribution for the Tabernacle,

designated

for

the construction of the

Tabernacle—

whatever

the donors wish

they shall bring.

2.

The contribution of shekels,

designated

for

the needs of a

communal offering,

—

whatever

the community wishes

they shall do.

For whichever communal offering they needed, they would take from these shekels [and likewise, they would pay the wages of the inspectors of blemishes from these funds].

But

with regard to this contribution,

all have an equal share [

the version of the Vilna Gaon ]:

the wealthy shall not increase and the poor shall not decrease from the half-shekel.

This is unlike the contribution for the Tabernacle, for each person brought according to the generosity of his heart.

3.

The contribution for the sockets—

it goes only

to the sockets.

And with this contribution as well, all have an equal share:

the wealthy shall not increase and the poor shall not decrease

from the half-shekel.

Rabbi Avun said: Even in this passage,

the passage concerning the shekels, stated in the passage of Ki Tisa,

there are mentioned

by allusion

three contributions,

those mentioned in the passage of Teruma. For it is written there: 1.

“A half-shekel is a contribution to the Lord.”

2. “Everyone who passes among those counted”

“shall give the Lord’s contribution.”

3.

“To give the Lord’s contribution.”

We learned in our Mishna:

“On the fifteenth of it” [

Adar ]

“they read the Megilla in walled cities.” [

The words of the Gemara here are explained according to the interpretation of Tikkelin Hadetin; see Korban Ha-Edah, which explains it differently.]

And we challenge this: Is it not so that

Rabbi Helbo

said

that Rav Huna the son of Rav, in the name of Rabbi Hiyya the Great,

said:

Everyone

fulfills

the mitzva of reading the Megilla

on the fourteenth

of Adar, even the inhabitants of walled cities, for whom the primary enactment of reading the Megilla is on the fifteenth of Adar, since

it

is the primary

time for its reading?

According to his words, there is a difficulty: Why did Rabbi state in the Mishna only the time for the reading of the inhabitants of walled cities, and not state the primary time for reading the Megilla, on the fourteenth, on which everyone fulfills the obligation?

Necessarily, according to Rabbi, not everyone fulfills the obligation by reading on the fourteenth. Therefore, he stated in the Mishna the time of the inhabitants of walled cities, on the fifteenth, to teach you that the time for reading the Megilla in walled cities is specifically on the fifteenth of Adar, analogous to the other matters mentioned in our Mishna, whose time is specifically on the fifteenth of Adar.

And this is difficult for Rabbi Hiyya the Great, who said that everyone fulfills the obligation by reading on the fourteenth.

And we answer: The fact that the Mishna mentions the fifteenth of Adar, which is the time for reading the Megilla for the inhabitants of walled cities, and does not mention the fourteenth of Adar, is not because the inhabitants of walled cities do not fulfill their obligation by reading on the fourteenth.

And

the tanna did not come

to

teach you anything other than that all the mitzvot

mentioned in our Mishna, such as repairing the roads and the like,

which apply in the second Adar, do not apply in the first Adar.

For all the mitzvot mentioned were intended to repair the damage caused by the rainy season. And in the first Adar the rains are still falling.

And the tanna mentioned the reading time for walled cities in order to include the mitzva of reading the Megilla with the other matters whose time is on the fifteenth of Adar.

And we learn their law from the law of the Megilla: Just as the Megilla is read only in the second Adar, so too these matters apply only in the second Adar.

And now there is no longer any refutation of the words of Rabbi Hiyya the Great, who said that everyone fulfills the obligation of reading the Megilla on the fourteenth of Adar.

Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Aha were sitting [

together ].

Rabbi Yose said to Rabbi Aha: Is it not reasonable

that what we said—that the inhabitants of walled cities who read the Megilla on the fourteenth of Adar fulfill their obligation—applies

only after the fact,

when the fifteenth of Adar has already passed? For then we say that, since, after the fact, the inhabitants of walled cities heard the reading of the Megilla on the fourteenth and the fifteenth has already passed, they fulfilled their obligation.

But in advance [

ab initio ], if they read it on the fourteenth and the fifteenth has not yet passed—

no,

we do not say that they have already fulfilled their obligation and need not read it again. Rather, they must read it again on the fifteenth, as required of them ab initio.

And the proof of this is as follows:

For it was taught

in the tractate Megilla:

“A place where they are accustomed to read it on two days

because of uncertainty whether their city was walled from the days of Joshua son of Nun, in which case its time for reading is on the fifteenth, or whether its wall does not date from the days of Joshua, in which case its time is on the fourteenth—

they read it on two days.”

And if we say that an inhabitant of a walled city who read it on the fourteenth fulfills his obligation even ab initio and need not read it again on the fifteenth, why do inhabitants of cities of uncertain status read it on both days because of the uncertainty? They have already read it on the fourteenth, and even if their city was walled from the days of Joshua, they have fulfilled their obligation.

It is evident, then, that only after the fact, if they read it on the fourteenth and the fifteenth has passed, have they fulfilled their obligation. But ab initio they must read it again on the fifteenth.

Rav Aha said to him,

Rav Aha:

I too hold this view [

I too hold as you say ]—that an inhabitant of a walled city who reads it on the fourteenth, although he fulfills his obligation after the fact, must nevertheless, ab initio, read it again on the fifteenth.

Rabbi Mana said: And rightly so—

Rabbi Yose spoke well!

For

if an inhabitant of a city whose reading is on the fifteenth read it on the fourteenth and did not read it on the fifteenth—

would we heed him [

according to the version of the Vilna Gaon ]!?

For

if you say so,

that he need not read it again on the fifteenth—

you will thereby uproot the time of the walled cities,

since everyone would read it on the fourteenth, and that would suffice.

Rather, certainly, ab initio even one who reads it on the fourteenth must read it again on the fifteenth.

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel taught: The mitzvot that apply in the second Adar,

such as reading the Megilla, gifts to the poor, and reading the order of the passages of Shekalim, Zakhor, and Para,

do not apply in

Adar

the first.

Except for eulogies and fasting, which are the same in both,

for the fourteenth and fifteenth of the first Adar are also forbidden for eulogies and fasting.

And Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel disagrees here with the first tanna, cited in the Babylonian Talmud, Megilla 6a, who holds that even the reading of the order of the passages that are customarily read in Adar is valid if they read it in the first Adar.

He

Rabbi Ba

said

that Rabbi Yirmeya, in the name of Rav, and Rabbi Simon

said

in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: The halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel,

that the order of the passages should not be read in the first Adar. And if they read them, they did not fulfill their obligation.

And Rav Huna the Great of Tzippori said: Rabbi Hanina instituted in Tzippori in accordance with this ruling of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel,

that these passages are read only in the second Adar.

And we analyze his words:

He said only, “instituted”,

that Rabbi Hanina ruled in accordance with Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel and instructed those who came to ask him.

But

to expound this publicly

“as halakha”—

he did not

expound it!

And although we do not publicly expound the halakha in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, that the primary Adar is the second Adar,

nevertheless, with regard to documents,

an unspecified reference to Adar means the second Adar.

For when one comes to write the date of a document, if it is in the first Adar,

they write “first Adar,” and

if it is

in the second Adar,

they do not write “second Adar,” but simply Adar

without qualification.

Rabbi Yehuda

disagrees and

says:

That is not so.