Shekalim 9b (ט:) — the Talmud in English

And

the contribution

third

he contributed

for the sake of Babylonia,

and for the sake of Media,

and for the sake of

the distant provinces.

In any event, each time they contributed on behalf of all Israel, both for what had already been collected and for what would be collected in the future. The tanna mentioned these distinctions between the various regions only to inform us that they instituted these three times for the contribution so that the distant regions would take the matter to heart and send their contributions.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna:

That of the house of Rabban Gamliel

would enter.

Since he wanted them to bring the contribution from his own weighing and for nothing to remain among the surplus of the chamber,

the Gemara raises a difficulty: Why was this necessary?

After all,

if he had

two

heaps,

[“heap” is the plural form of a heap of grain]

and he contributed

a contribution

from one of them on behalf of the other, perhaps he did not exempt

by doing so also

the other heap,

even though he had not taken a separate contribution from the second heap? Surely he did exempt it, for the contribution rises and exempts everything from which it was separated. If so, in the case of the contribution of the chamber as well, the contribution rises also on behalf of the surplus, and it is considered as though the offerings were sacrificed even from the surplus from which this contribution was separated. And the Gemara answers: In any event,

it gives them satisfaction

[the house of Rabban Gamliel is pleased]

that no offering should be brought except

from

their own

actual weights

in the first place.

It was taught:

If

he removed the keṭavlayot

the dividers separating the new shekels that had been brought after the last contribution from the shekels that had been brought earlier, and the shekels that had been on the keṭavlayot fell and became mixed with one another,

they all acquire the status of surplus

because of the uncertainty, since with regard to every shekel there is a doubt whether it was among the shekels beneath the keṭavla and thereby became surplus, from which offerings may not be brought. Therefore, they all have the status of surplus, and offerings may not be brought from any of the shekels in the mixture.

It was taught:

The contribution that was collected

the third

on the eve of the festival of Sukkot

was the wealthiest of them all,

since it consisted of the weights of the distant provinces, and they would combine their shekels into gold coins because of the burden of the journey. Therefore, in this third contribution

there were gold astrateia and gold darikons

[types of gold coins],

It was taught:

When

he contributed

the contributor

the

contribution

the first

on the eve of Passover, he would say: “This is

for the sake of

the people of

the Land of Israel,”

who had contributed these shekels, and he would add and say:

“And for the sake of all Israel,”

for communal offerings are brought from the money of the entire people, and therefore they would contribute also corresponding to what would be brought and collected in the future.

And when he contributed

the second

contribution, he would say: “This is

for the sake of

the people of

the walled cities”

[adjacent] to the Land of Israel, who had contributed these shekels,

and

likewise

“for the sake of all Israel.”

And

when he contributed

the third

contribution, he would say: “This is

for the sake of

the people of

Babylonia and Media, and for the sake of the distant provinces,”

whose weights he was contributing. And he would add and say:

“And for the sake of all Israel.”

As we learned in the second halakha, they would place the money that they had contributed from the chamber into three large baskets, each holding the measure of three se’a, and they would write the letters alef, bet, and gimel on them, so that they would know from which one they had begun taking money for the communal offerings. Since the halakha is that they draw from the first before the second, and from the second before the third, the beraita before us specifies how he would act:

It was taught:

After

he took

money

from

the basket

the first,

on which the letter alef had been written, and brought offerings from this money, and he came again to take money,

even though

there

is

still money in this basket,

the first,

nevertheless he

takes from the second.

And after he

took from the second

and came again to take money,

even though

there

is still in the second,

he

takes from the third,

because it is the law that he take for the offerings from all the baskets. If he did not do so, it could happen that the money in the first basket would suffice for all the offerings, with the result that he would take only from the first.

The beraita continues to explain: If

the third was depleted

and no money remained in it, he

returns to the second

and takes from the money remaining in it. And likewise, if

the second was depleted

and no money remained in it, he

returns to the first.

And if

all three were depleted

and no money at all remained in the baskets, although money still remained in the chamber [for they did not place all of it in the baskets, but only nine se’a, as explained at the beginning of the chapter], nevertheless he does not bring offerings from it, because once the contribution of the chamber had been collected, the money remaining there acquired the status of the surplus of the chamber, and offerings are not brought from it.

Rather, he

returns and weighs

shekels from all Israel, even though it is the middle of the year and the time for contributing the shekels has not arrived, since there is no money for the communal offerings. And they bring offerings from these shekels that he weighed.

Rabbi Meir says:

He does not return and weigh shekels from all Israel. Rather, he

returns to the surplus

found in the chamber, and takes from the money deposited there for the communal offerings.

For Rabbi Meir would say: One commits sacrilege with the surplus!

That is, one who derives benefit from the money remaining in the chamber must bring an offering for sacrilege, since it remains sacred with the sanctity of the altar, because

perhaps they will need it eventually.

We see, then, that Rabbi Meir holds that the surplus of the chamber is intended to be used to bring offerings if they should need it.

Since the Gemara stated above that one must be free of suspicion before people just as one must be free of guilt before Heaven, and that one must be diligent, like those of the house of Rabban Gamliel, who took pains to ensure that the offerings would first be brought from their own shekels, the Gemara explains the sequence of all the traits, as Rabbi Phinehas ben Jair expounded:

And so

was

Rabbi Phinehas ben Jair saying: Diligence

in performing mitzvot

leads to cleanliness,

for through his diligence a person distances himself from transgression, until he is free of transgressions.

And cleanliness leads to purity,

for even his earlier sins will be purified, and his soul will become pure.

Purity leads to holiness,

because once he is pure, he can attain holiness of heart and thought and become separated from desires.

Holiness leads to humility.

One who possesses a spirit of holiness desires to become still holier, and examines his deeds and sees that his ways are not as refined as they ought to be. This is the essence of humility: recognizing the lowliness of one’s own worth.

Humility leads to fear of sin,

because once he recognizes his own lowliness, he will not trust in his ability to stand against the evil inclination, and he fears trials, lest he come to sin.

Fear of sin leads to piety,

as he performs acts beyond the letter of the law so as not to come near the possibility of sin.

Piety leads to the Divine Spirit,

because when he performs acts beyond the letter of the law [which is piety], Heaven performs for him acts beyond the natural order, and reveals to him the secrets of Torah; this is the Divine Spirit.

The Divine Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead,

for when the spirits will be refined and a pure and holy spirit will be poured over them from on High, they will then awaken the spirits of the dead, so that God will place them in the bodies of the dead and they will live.

The resurrection of the dead leads to

the proclamation of

Elijah

the prophet,

may he be remembered for good.

For after the resurrection of the dead, before the great Day of Judgment, God will send Elijah the prophet to restore the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, so that Israel will repent.

And the Gemara brings sources from the Writings for each of Rabbi Phinehas ben Jair’s statements:

Diligence leads to cleanliness —

as it is written

at the conclusion of the Yom Kippur service:

“And he shall complete atonement.”

And we expound: “And he shall complete” expresses diligence, from the language of completion, meaning that he completed performing the mitzva. Through this comes the atonement, which is cleanliness.

Cleanliness leads to purity —

as it is written: “And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be pure,”

indicating that after atonement, which is cleanliness, comes purity.

Purity leads to holiness —

as it is written: “And they shall purify them and sanctify them.”

Holiness leads to humility —

as it is written: “For thus said the High and Exalted One, Who dwells eternally and whose name is Holy: I dwell on high and in holiness, and with the contrite and lowly in spirit.”

From the verse “I dwell on high and in holiness,” we understand that although the Holy One, blessed be He, is exalted, He dwells with the holy person.

And the verse then says that He dwells “with the contrite,” meaning with the humble person.

Thus, that holy person who has attained holiness subsequently attains humility.

[And that holy person, with whom the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells, is himself, once he becomes humble, one with whom the Holy One, blessed be He, again dwells.]

Humility leads to fear of sin, as it is written: “The consequence of humility is fear of the Lord.”

Fear of sin leads to piety, as it is written: “The kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting toward those who fear Him,”

and the kindness of the Lord means that a person conducts himself with piety, and this pious conduct is granted by God to those who fear Him.

Thus, fear of sin leads to piety.

Piety leads to the Divine Spirit, as it is written: “Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones.”

And “You spoke in a vision” means the revelation of the Divine Spirit.

Thus, one who conducts himself with piety, who is called pious, merits the Divine Spirit.

The Divine Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead —

as it is written: “And I shall place My spirit within you

[and this is the Divine Spirit]

and you shall live.”

The resurrection of the dead leads to Elijah, may he be remembered for good —

as it is written: “Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet, may he be remembered for good, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”

That is, after the resurrection of the dead, the Holy One, blessed be He, will send Elijah the prophet to restore the people to the proper path, before the coming of the great Day of Judgment.

It was taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone whose permanent residence is

in

the Land of Israel,

which atones for sin, as it is written: “The people who dwell in it are forgiven of sin.”

And who speaks the holy tongue,

thereby bringing about the purification of the soul.

And eats its produce in purity,

thereby bringing about the purification of the body.

And recites the Shema in the morning and in the evening,

thereby fulfilling the mitzva of “You shall contemplate it day and night,” and through this his soul becomes pure, because Torah is the principal purification of the soul,

may be assured that he is a person of the World to Come —

for through the atonement of his sins and the purification of his body, soul, and spirit, his body will be refined, and he will merit eternal life.

We will return to you, chapter “In three times.”

Halakha 1 — Mishna:

1.

The collection

that they brought to the chamber—

what did they do with it?

They

purchased with it

lambs

for the daily offerings

that were sacrificed every day,

and for the additional offerings

that were sacrificed on Shabbatot, New Moons, and Festivals.

And

likewise

their libations

of the daily and additional offerings were supplied from the collection.

And likewise, from it they brought the meal offering of

the Omer,

which they brought on the sixteenth of Nisan from barley;

and the two loaves,

which they brought on the Festival of Shavuot;

and the showbread.

And all the communal offerings.

And likewise,

the guardians of sefihin during the Sabbatical year,

since the meal offering of the Omer and the two loaves had to be brought from the new grain of that year and from the Land of Israel, while it was forbidden to sow during the Sabbatical year, would take grain that had grown on its own during the Sabbatical year [and that which grows on its own is called sefiah].

The court would hire guards to watch over the sefihin so that animals would not eat them; and since they were needed for an offering, they too

would take their wages from the chamber’s collection.

Rabbi Yosei says: Even one who wishes may volunteer

to be

an unpaid guardian

of the sefihin.

They said to him

the Sages said to Rabbi Yosei: How can such a thing be possible?