Shekalim 9b — 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 ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page location")

the distant countries.

In any event, each time they contributed on behalf of all Israel, for what had already been collected and for what was destined to be collected. And the tanna mentioned these distinctions of places only to inform that they ordained these three periods for the contribution, so that the distant places would take them to heart and send.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna:

of the house of Rabban Gamaliel

would enter.

Because he desired that they bring the contribution from his own shekels and that nothing remain of the remnants of the chamber,

the Gemara asks: Why was this necessary?

Was it not so that

if he had

two

two heaps

[a heap of grain, in the plural]

and he contributed

a contribution

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

by doing so also

the other one, even though he did not take a separate contribution from the second heap? Surely he exempted it, for the contribution rises and exempts everything from which it is separated; and if so, with the contribution of the chamber likewise, the contribution rises also on behalf of the remnants, and it is considered as though the offerings were sacrificed even from the remnants from which this contribution was separated? And the Gemara answers: Nevertheless,

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 is a satisfaction for them

[the house of Rabban Gamaliel has a satisfaction]

that no offering be brought except

from

their

actual

shekels first.

It was taught:

If

the katvalayot were removed

the dividers between the new shekels that were brought after the latest contribution and the shekels that had been brought previously, and the shekels that were on the katvalayot were removed and these became mixed with those,

they all became like remnants

because of the uncertainty, since with regard to every shekel one must entertain the possibility that it was among the shekels beneath the katavla and became remnants, from which offerings may not be brought. Therefore, the status of remnants applies to all of them, and offerings may not be brought from any of the shekels in the mixture.

It was taught:

The contribution that was contributed

third

at the approach of the festival of Sukkot

was the richest of them all,

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

there were gold astrayaot and gold drachonot

[types of gold coins],

It was taught:

When

he contributed

the contributor

the

contribution

first

at the approach of Passover, he would say: “This is

for the sake of

the sons of

the Land of Israel,”

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

“And for the sake of all Israel,”

for the communal offerings come from the money of the entire people, and therefore they would contribute also corresponding to what was destined to come and be collected.

And when he contributed the contribution

second,

he would say: “This is

for the sake of

the sons of

the walled cities”

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

and

likewise

“for the sake of all Israel.”

And

when he contributed the contribution

third,

he would say: “This is

for the sake of

the sons of

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

whose shekels 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 contributed from the chamber into three baskets, each of which held the measure of three seahs, and letters alef, bet, and gimel were written upon them, so that they would know from which one they had begun to take money for the communal offerings. Since the law is that they take from the first before the second, and from the second before the third. And the beraita before us specifies how he would act:

It was taught:

After

he took

money

from

the basket

first,

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

even though

still

there was

in this basket the

first

money, nevertheless he

takes from the second.

And after

he took from the second

and came again to take money

even though

still

there was in the second,

he

takes from the third,

because the law is that one must take for the needs of the offerings from all the baskets; and if he does not do so, it is possible that the money in the first basket will suffice for all the offerings, and it will be found that he takes only from the first.

And the beraita continues to explain: If

the third was exhausted

and no more money remained in it, then he

returns to the second

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

the second was exhausted

and no more money remained in it, then he

returns to the first.

And if

all three were exhausted

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 seahs, as explained at the beginning of our chapter], nevertheless, he does not bring offerings from it, since after they contributed the contribution of the chamber, the status of remnants of the chamber took effect upon what remained there, and offerings are not brought from them.

Rather, he

returns and weighs

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

Rabbi Meir says: He does not return and weigh shekels from all Israel; rather, he

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

returns to the remnants

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

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

That is, one who derives benefit from the money that remained in the chamber brings an offering for sacrilege, since they remained consecrated with the sanctity of the altar, because

perhaps they will need them in the end.

We see that the view of Rabbi Meir is that the remnants of the chamber stand ready to bring offerings from them if they require them.

Since the Gemara said above that one must be clear of people just as one must be clear before Heaven, and one must be diligent like the house of Rabban Gamaliel, who exerted themselves so that the offerings would be brought first from their shekels, the Gemara explains the general order of the qualities, as Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair expounded:

And likewise

was

Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair saying: Diligence

in performing the mitzvot

leads to cleanliness,

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

And cleanliness leads to purity,

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

Purity leads to sanctity,

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

Sanctity leads to humility.

One who possesses a spirit of sanctity desires to be more sanctified, and examines his deeds and sees that his ways are not sufficiently clarified. And this is the essence of humility: that he recognizes the lowliness of his worth.

Humility leads to fear of sin.

Since he recognizes the lowliness of his worth, he will not trust in his strength to stand against the evil inclination, and he fears the trials, lest he come to sin.

Fear of sin leads to piety.

For he performs things beyond the letter of the law so that he will not approach the possibility of sin.

Piety leads to the Divine Spirit.

Since he performs things beyond the letter of the law [which is piety], from Heaven they perform with him things beyond the natural order, and reveal to him secrets of Torah; and this is the Divine Spirit.

The Divine Spirit leads to the revival of the dead.

Through the spirits being refined and a pure and holy spirit being poured upon them from on high, then they will awaken the spirits of the dead, so that God will place them in the bodies of the dead and they will live.

The revival of the dead leads to

the tidings of

Elijah

the prophet,

may he be remembered for good.

For after the revival of the dead, before the great Day of Judgment, God will send Elijah the prophet to turn the heart of fathers toward sons and the heart of sons toward their fathers, so that Israel will return in repentance.

And the Gemara brings sources from the Writings for all the statements of Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair:

Diligence leads to cleanliness —

as it is written

at the end of the Yom Kippur service:

“And he completed atoning.”

And we expound: “And he completed” is an expression of diligence, from the language of completion, that he finished performing the mitzva. And through this the atonement comes, that is, cleanliness.

Cleanliness leads to purity —

as it is written, “And the koen shall atone for her, and she shall be pure,”

so it follows that after atonement, which is cleanliness, purity comes.

Purity leads to sanctity —

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

Sanctity leads to humility —

as it is written, “For so said the High and Exalted One, Who dwells forever and holy is His name: I dwell on high and holy, and with the contrite and lowly in spirit.”

From what it is written, “I dwell on high and holy,” this means that although the Holy One, blessed is He, is exalted, He dwells with the holy person.

And the verse again said that He dwells “with the contrite,” that is, with the humble person.

It follows that that same holy person, who attained sanctity, afterward attains humility.

[And that same holy person, with whom the Holy One, blessed is He, dwells, when he becomes humble, the Holy One, blessed is He, again dwells with him].

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, “And the kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him.”

And the kindness of the Lord means that a person conducts himself with piety, and this conduct of piety the Lord grants as merit to those who fear Him.

It follows that 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.

It follows that one who conducts himself with piety, who is called pious, merits the Divine Spirit.

The Divine Spirit leads to the revival 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 revival 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.”

And this means that after the revival of the dead, the Holy One, blessed is He, will send Elijah the prophet to restore the people to what is good, before the coming of the great Day of Judgment.

The tanna said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone whose residence is fixed

in

in the Land of Israel,

which atones for sin, as it is written, “The people who dwell in it have their sin forgiven.”

And speaks in the holy tongue,

which thereby causes purity of the soul.

And eats its produce in purity,

which thereby causes purity of the body.

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

for through this he fulfills the mitzva of “And you shall contemplate it day and night,” and through this his soul becomes pure, since Torah is the primary purity of the soul,

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

for through his sins having been atoned for, and his body, soul, and spirit having become pure, his body will be refined, and he will merit eternal life.

We shall return to you, chapter “In three periods.”

Halakha 1—Mishna:

1.

The collection

that they brought to the chamber—

what would they do with it?

They would

purchase with it

lambs

for the daily offerings

that were offered every day,

and for the additional offerings

that were offered on Shabbatot, New Moons, and festivals.

And

likewise

their libations

of the daily and additional offerings came from the collection.

And likewise they would bring from it 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 guards of the growths during the Sabbatical year,

for it is necessary to bring the meal-offering of the Omer and the two loaves from the new produce of this year and from the Land of Israel, and it is forbidden to sow during the Sabbatical year, so they would take from produce that grew by itself during the Sabbatical year [and what grows by itself is called sefiaḥ].

And the court would hire guards to guard the growths so that the animals would not eat them; and since it is a need of an offering, therefore they too

would take their wages from the collection of the chamber.

Rabbi Yose says: Even one who wishes may volunteer

of his own accord to be

an unpaid guard

over the growths.

The Sages said to him

the Sages said to Rabbi Yose: How can this matter be possible?