Sheqel Dues Chapter 2

כֵּיצַד כּוֹנְסִין הַשֻּׁלְחָנִים אֶת הַשְּׁקָלִים בְּכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה. מַנִּיחִין לִפְנֵיהֶם שְׁתֵּי תֵּבוֹת שׁוּלֵי הַתֵּבָה רְחָבִין מִלְּמַטָּה וּפִיהָ צַר מִלְּמַעְלָה כְּמִין שׁוֹפָר כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּשְׁלִיכוּ לְתוֹכָן וְלֹא יִהְיֶה אֶפְשָׁר לִקַּח מֵהֶן בְּנַחַת. וְלָמָּה עוֹשִׂין שְׁתֵּי תֵּבוֹת. אַחַת שֶׁמַּשְׁלִיכִין בָּהּ שְׁקָלִים שֶׁל שָׁנָה זוֹ. וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה מַנִּיחִין בָּהּ שִׁקְלֵי שָׁנָה שֶׁעָבְרָה. שֶׁגּוֹבִין מִמִּי שֶׁלֹּא שָׁקַל בְּשָׁנָה שֶׁעָבְרָה:

How would the money-changers collect the shekels in each and every province? They would place two boxes in front of them. The bottom of the box would be wide below and its opening would be narrow above – like a type of shofar – so that they could throw [the coins] into it, but it would not be possible to take [them out] easily. And why would they make two boxes? One in which they throw the shekels from this year; and in the second one, they would place the shekels of the past year. For they collect [that] from one who did not [give] it in the past year.

וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה לִפְנֵיהֶם תָּמִיד שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה תֵּבוֹת. כָּל תֵּבָה כְּמִין שׁוֹפָר. רִאשׁוֹנָה לְשִׁקְלֵי שָׁנָה זוֹ. שְׁנִיָּה לְשִׁקְלֵי שָׁנָה שֶׁעָבְרָה. שְׁלִישִׁית לְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָלָיו קָרְבַּן שְׁתֵּי תּוֹרִים אוֹ שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי יוֹנָה אֶחָד עוֹלָה וְאֶחָד חַטָּאת מַשְׁלִיךְ דְּמֵיהֶן לְתֵבָה זוֹ. רְבִיעִית לְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָלָיו עוֹלַת הָעוֹף בִּלְבַד מַשְׁלִיךְ דָּמֶיהָ לְתֵבָה זוֹ. חֲמִישִׁית לְמִי שֶׁהִתְנַדֵּב מָעוֹת לִקְנוֹת עֵצִים לַמַּעֲרָכָה בָּהֶן. שִׁשִּׁית לְמִי שֶׁהִתְנַדֵּב מָעוֹת לִלְבוֹנָה. שְׁבִיעִית לְמִי שֶׁהִתְנַדֵּב זָהָב לַכַּפֹּרֶת. שְׁמִינִית לְמוֹתַר חַטָּאת כְּגוֹן שֶׁהִפְרִישׁ מָעוֹת לְחַטָּאתוֹ וְלָקַח חַטָּאת וְהוֹתִיר מִן הַמָּעוֹת יַשְׁלִיךְ הַשְּׁאָר לְתוֹכָהּ. תְּשִׁיעִית לְמוֹתַר אָשָׁם. עֲשִׂירִית לְמוֹתַר קִנֵּי זָבִים וְזָבוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת. אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה לְמוֹתַר קָרְבְּנוֹת נָזִיר. שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה לְמוֹתַר אֲשַׁם מְצֹרָע. שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה לְמִי שֶׁהִתְנַדֵּב מָעוֹת לְעוֹלַת בְּהֵמָה:

And there were always thirteen boxes in the Temple in front of them – each box was [shaped] like a type of shofar. The first was for the shekels of that year. The second was for the shekels of the past year. The third was for anyone who is [obligated to offer] two doves or young pigeons – whether as a burnt-offering or as a sin-offering – he would throw their cost to this box. The fourth was for anyone who is [obligated to offer] a burnt-offering of fowl only – he would throw its cost to this box. The fifth was for one who pledged money with which to buy wood for the arrangement (of wood on the altar). The sixth was for one who pledged money for the frankincense. The seventh was for one who pledged gold for the ark cover. The eighth was for the remnant of [the cost of] a sin-offering. For example, [if] one designated money for his sin-offering and bought a sin-offering, but there was money left over from it – he throws the rest into it. The ninth one was for the remnant of a guilt-offering. The tenth was for the remnant of "bird nests" of a zav, a zavah or a woman who gave birth. The eleventh was for the remnant of the offerings of a nazerite. The twelfth was for the remnant of the guilt-offering of a metsora. The thirteenth was for one who pledged money for a burnt-offering of an animal.

וְשֵׁם כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מָעוֹתָיו בְּתוֹךְ הַתֵּבָה כָּתוּב עַל הַתֵּבָה מִבַּחוּץ. וּתְנַאי בֵּית דִּין הוּא עַל כָּל הַמּוֹתָרוֹת שֶׁיִּקָּרְבוּ עוֹלַת בְּהֵמָה. נִמְצֵאתָ לָמֵד שֶׁכָּל הַמָּעוֹת הַנִּמְצָאוֹת בְּשֵׁשׁ הַתֵּבוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת לְעוֹלַת בְּהֵמָה וְעוֹרוֹתֶיהָ לַכֹּהֲנִים כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הָעוֹרוֹת. וְכָל הַמָּעוֹת שֶׁבְּתֵבָה שְׁלִישִׁית לִקַּח בָּהֶן עוֹפוֹת חֶצְיָן עוֹלוֹת וְחֶצְיָן חַטָּאוֹת. וְשֶׁבָּרְבִיעִית כֻּלָּן עוֹלַת הָעוֹף:

And the name of each thing for which its money was inside the box was written on the box on the outside. And there was a stipulation of the court on all of the remnants, that they would [be used] to offer animal burnt-offerings. It comes out that you have learned that all of the money found in the last six is for animal burnt-offerings – and their skins [would go] to the priests, like the rest of all the skins. And all of the money in the third box is to purchase fowl with them – half of them burnt-offerings and half of them sin-offerings. And in the fourth one, it was all [for] burnt-offerings of fowl.

בְּכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה כְּשֶׁגּוֹבִין הַשְּׁקָלִים מְשַׁלְּחִין אוֹתָן בְּיַד שְׁלוּחִים לַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם לְצָרֵף אוֹתָן בְּדִינְרֵי זָהָב מִפְּנֵי מַשּׂאוֹי הַדֶּרֶךְ. וְהַכּל מִתְקַבְּצִין לַמִּקְדָּשׁ וּמַנִּיחִין אוֹתָן בְּלִשְׁכָּה אַחַת מִן הַלְּשָׁכוֹת בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ וְסוֹגְרִין כָּל דַּלְתוֹתֶיהָ בְּמַפְתְּחוֹת וְחוֹתְמִין עָלֶיהָ חוֹתָמוֹת וּמְמַלְּאִין מִכָּל הַשְּׁקָלִים שֶׁיִּתְקַבְּצוּ שָׁם שָׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת שִׁעוּר כָּל קֻפָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּכִיל תֵּשַׁע סְאִין וְהַשְּׁאָר מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ בַּלִּשְׁכָּה. וְזֶה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַקֻּפּוֹת הוּא הַנִּקְרָא תְּרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה וְזֶה שֶׁיִּשָּׁאֵר שָׁם יֶתֶר עַל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ בַּקֻּפּוֹת הוּא הַנִּקְרָא שְׁיָרֵי הַלִּשְׁכָּה:

[After] they collected the shekels in each and every province, they would send them to the Temple in the hand of messengers. And they needed to change them into golden dinars (which were more compact), because of the load of the journey (to lighten the burden). And all of them would be gathered to the Temple and placed in one of the Temple's chambers. And they would close all of its doors with keys, and seal it over with seals. And they would fill three big chests from all of the shekels that were gathered there. The requisite size of each chest was enough to contain nine seah. And they would place the remnant in the chamber. And that which is inside the chests is what is called the allocation of the chamber (terumat halishkah). And that which remains as the surplus of what is in the chests is called the leftovers of the chamber.

בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה פְּרָקִים בַּשָּׁנָה תּוֹרְמִין אֶת הַלִּשְׁכָּה. בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן. וּבְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ תִּשְׁרֵי קֹדֶם יוֹם טוֹב אוֹ אַחֲרָיו. וְקֹדֶם עֲצֶרֶת בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם. וְכֵיצַד תּוֹרְמִין אוֹתָהּ. אֶחָד נִכְנַס לִפְנִים מִן הַלִּשְׁכָּה וְהַשּׁוֹמְרִין עוֹמְדִים בַּחוּץ וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶם אֶתְרֹם וְהֵן אוֹמְרִים לוֹ תְּרֹם תְּרֹם תְּרֹם שְׁלֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְמַלֵּא שָׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת כָּל קֻפָּה מֵהֶן מְכִילָה שָׁלֹשׁ סְאִין מֵאוֹתָן שָׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת וּמוֹצִיאָן לַחוּץ כְּדֵי לְהִסְתַּפֵּק מֵהֶן עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ. וְחוֹזֵר וּמְמַלֵּא אוֹתָן הַשָּׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת הַקְּטַנּוֹת מִן שָׁלֹשׁ גְּדוֹלוֹת פַּעַם שְׁנִיָּה קֹדֶם עֲצֶרֶת וּמִסְתַּפְּקִין מֵהֶן עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ:

Three times a year sums are taken from the Temple treasury: on Rosh Hodesh Nisan, on Rosh Hodesh Tishri, before or after the festival, and on the fifteenth day before Shavuoth. And how do we perform its appropriation? One enters inside the chamber while guards stand on the outside. And he says to them, "Should I make the appropriation?" And they say to him, "Make the appropriation; make the appropriation; make the appropriation" – three times. And afterwards, he fills three small chests – each of the chests containing three seah – from those three large chests, and brings them out in order to use them until they finish. And he returns and fills those three small chests from the three big ones a second time before [Shavouot]; and they make use of them until they finish.

וְחוֹזֵר וּמְמַלֵּא אוֹתָן פַּעַם שְׁלִישִׁית מִן הַשָּׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת בְּתִשְׁרֵי וּמִסְתַּפְּקִין מֵהֶן עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ עַד רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן. וּבְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן תּוֹרְמִין מִתְּרוּמָה חֲדָשָׁה. לֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לָהֶן הַשְּׁקָלִים שֶׁבְּשָׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת וְכָלוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ נִיסָן חוֹזְרִין וְתוֹרְמִין מִשְּׁיָרֵי הַלִּשְׁכָּה:

And he returns and fills them from the three big chests a third time in Tishrei; and they make use of them until they finish, until the beginning of the month of Nissan. And on Rosh Chodesh of Nissan, they make the appropriation from the new appropriation. If the shekel dues in the three large baskets were insufficient and all spent before Nisan, sums were taken again from the residue of the chamber.

שָׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת הַקְּטַנּוֹת שֶׁהוּא תּוֹרֵם בָּהֶם וּמוֹצִיאָן לַחוּץ כָּתוּב עֲלֵיהֶן אָלֶ"ף בֵּי"ת גִּימֶ"ל כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּסְתַּפְּקוּ מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנָה עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִסְתַּפְּקִין מִן הַשְּׁנִיָּה. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִסְתַּפְּקִין מִן הַשְּׁלִישִׁית. וְתוֹרֵם רִאשׁוֹנָה מִן הַקֻּפָּה הָאַחַת הַגְּדוֹלָה וּמְחַפֶּה אוֹתָהּ הַגְּדוֹלָה בְּמִטְפַּחַת. וְתוֹרֵם הַשְּׁנִיָּה מֵהַקֻּפָּה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה וּמְחַפֶּה אוֹתָהּ הַגְּדוֹלָה בְּמִטְפַּחַת. וְתוֹרֵם הַשְּׁלִישִׁית מִן הַקֻּפָּה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית וְאֵינוֹ מְחַפֶּה אוֹתָהּ בְּמִטְפַּחַת כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה נִכֶּרֶת שֶׁבָּהּ סִיֵּם. וְיַתְחִיל מִמֶּנָּה בַּתְּחִלָּה בְּפַעַם שְׁנִיָּה כְּשֶׁיִּכָּנֵס קֹדֶם עֲצֶרֶת. וְתוֹרֵם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מִן הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהָיְתָה מְגֻלָּה וּמְחַפֶּה אוֹתָהּ. וְתוֹרֵם הַשְּׁנִיָּה מִן הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁתָּרַם מִמֶּנָּה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה תְּחִלָּה וּמְחַפֶּה אוֹתָהּ. וְתוֹרֵם הַשְּׁלִישִׁית מִן הַגְּדוֹלָה הַסְּמוּכָה לָהּ וְאֵינוֹ מְחַפֶּה אוֹתָהּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּתְחִיל מִמֶּנָּה בַּתְּחִלָּה בְּפַעַם שְׁלִישִׁית כְּשֶׁיִּכָּנֵס בְּתִשְׁרֵי. עַד שֶׁנִּמְצָא תּוֹרֵם רִאשׁוֹנָה וּשְׁנִיָּה וּשְׁלִישִׁית הַקְּטַנּוֹת מִכָּל אַחַת וְאַחַת מִן הַגְּדוֹלוֹת:

Upon the three small chests with which he makes the appropriations and which he takes out is written, aleph, bet, and gimmel (respectively). [This is] so that they will use [the contents] from the first one until it finishes. And [only] afterwards will they use [the contents] from the second one until it finishes. And afterwards will they use [the contents] from the third one until it finishes. And he makes the first appropriation from the first big chest and he covers [what is left in] that big one with a handkerchief. And he makes the second appropriation from the second one and he covers that big one with a handkerchief. And he makes the third appropriation from the third big chest, but he does not cover it with a handkerchief – so that where he stopped be recognizable. And he begins with it first the second time, when he enters before [Shavouot]; and makes the first appropriation from [that] big one that was uncovered, and he covers it. And he makes the second appropriation from the big one from which he made the first appropriation at the beginning, and he covers it. And he makes the third appropriation from the big one next to it, but he does not cover it – so that he begin from it first on the third time, when he enters in Tishrei – until it comes that he has made an appropriation with the first, second and third of the small ones from each and every one of the large ones.

כְּשֶׁהוּא תּוֹרֵם שָׁלֹשׁ קֻפּוֹת אֵלּוּ תּוֹרֵם אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לְשֵׁם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה לְשֵׁם הַכְּרַכִּין הַמֻּקָּפִין לָהּ וּלְשֵׁם כָּל (אֶרֶץ) יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית לְשֵׁם בָּבֶל וּלְשֵׁם מָדַי וּלְשֵׁם הַמְּדִינוֹת הָרְחוֹקוֹת וּלְשֵׁם שְׁאָר כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

When he makes the appropriation [with] these three chests, he makes the first appropriation on behalf of the Land of Israel; the second one on behalf of the cities surrounding it and on behalf of all of (the Land of) Israel; and the third on behalf of Babylon and on behalf of Medea and on behalf of [other] distant provinces and on behalf of all of the rest of Israel.

כְּשֶׁהוּא תּוֹרֵם מִתְכַּוֵּן לִתְרֹם עַל הַגָּבוּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּלִּשְׁכָּה. וְעַל הַגָּבוּי שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא הִגִּיעַ לַלִּשְׁכָּה. וְעַל הֶעָתִיד לִגָּבוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁקָלִים שֶׁהוֹצִיאָן לְהִסְתַּפֵּק מֵהֶן כַּפָּרָה עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּכְאִלּוּ הִגִּיעוּ כָּל שִׁקְלֵיהֶן לַלִּשְׁכָּה וְנִתְרְמָה מֵהֶן תְּרוּמָה זוֹ:

When he makes the appropriation, he should intend to make the appropriation from that which has been collected that is in the chamber; that which has been collected but has not yet arrived to the chamber; and that which will be collected in the future – so that these shekels that he is taking out to use will be atonement for all of Israel. And [it will] be as if all of their shekels arrived to the chamber, and this appropriation was made from all of them.

כְּשֶׁיִּכָּנֵס הַתּוֹרֵם לִתְרֹם לֹא יִכָּנֵס בְּבֶגֶד שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהַחְבּוֹת בּוֹ כֶּסֶף וְלֹא בְּמִנְעָל וְלֹא בְּסַנְדָּל וְלֹא בִּתְפִלָּה וְלֹא בְּקָמֵעַ שֶׁמָּא יַחְשְׁדוּ אוֹתוֹ הָעָם וְיֹאמְרוּ הֶחְבִּיא מִמְּעוֹת הַלִּשְׁכָּה תַּחְתָּיו כְּשֶׁתְּרָמָהּ. וּמְדַבְּרִים הָיוּ עִמּוֹ מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס עַד שָׁעָה שֶׁיֵּצֵא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן לְתוֹךְ פִּיו. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּזְהָרִים כָּל כָּךְ עָנִי אוֹ מִי שֶׁהוּא נִבְהַל לַהוֹן לֹא יִתְרֹם מִפְּנֵי הַחֲשָׁד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לב כב) "וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִּים מֵה' וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל":

When the person entered to set aside the funds, he should not enter wearing a garment in which he could hide money, nor wearing shoes or sandals, nor wearing tefillin or an amulet, lest the people suspect that he hid funds from the chamber underneath them when he set aside the funds. And they would talk to him [continuously] from the time he entered until the time he departed, so that he could not place [a coin] in his mouth. Even though all these safeguards were taken, a poor person or someone who craved money should not [be appointed to] set aside these funds. [In this way,] the matter will not arouse suspicion, thus [fulfilling the advice of Numbers 32:22]: "You shall be blameless before G-d and before Israel."