Shekalim 22 – Temple curtain and shekalim today

The curtain in the Temple was one hand-breadth thick; it was woven with the thread of seventy-two strands; it was twenty amot (about 30 feet) by forty (about sixty feet); it was made at the cost of 820,000 gold coins, and another reading has it that 82 maidens were weaving it; it was replaced twice a year, and three hundred Kohanim were needed to hold it. Some say that 300 Kohanim was just an exaggeration, and perhaps this refers also to the cost. The Talmud also discussed how it was ritually purified in a mikveh and how other utensils were purified.

The mitzvah of shekalim applies only in the time of the Temple. What happens if one designates his shekel as the Temple shekel offering? – Even though the mitzvah does not apply, the shekel does become consecrated. What is he to do, seeing that there is no Temple where it can be used? – He must drop it in the Dead Sea. In truth, any sea will do, except that no boats were traversing the Dead Sea, and therefore there was no danger that the coins deposited there would be found and used. In the other seas, the coins have to be ground first.

Art: The Dead Sea with the mountains of Moab by Gustave Bauernfeind

Shekalim 20 - Found animals

If one found an animal in Jerusalem's environments, then in the times of the Temple, it was most certainly an offering that got lost. If so, we need to determine what kind of sacrifice it was. If it is a male, we assume that it is a burned offering, but if it is a female, it is a peace offering. But why?

Granted that a female animal cannot be brought as a burned offering, we can assume it is a peace offering. But a male animal can be brought as a peace offering; why do we assume that it is a burned offering? The Talmud suggests a few explanations: we are really talking about a one who consecrates money, not an animal, or the teacher doesn’t mean that we really bring it as an offering, or maybe we exchange its designation. In the end, the Talmud finds all of them lacking. Finally, Rabbi Yakov suggests the following: the court makes a stipulation that if a sacrificial animal is lost, then its designation by the owner becomes invalidated retroactively, and now it transpires that it always was a burned offering.

The Talmud then discussed other similar conditions that the Court made for the betterment of society. For example, if one finds an animal like the one above and returns the find to the Temple, it used to be that he would be required to bring the libations to go with it. On hearing this, people started leaving the found animals in place. The Court then stipulated that the money for the libations (wine and flour) should come from the communal funds, that is, shekalim.

Art: Landscape With Animals And A Drover Resting By A Tree by Dirk van Bergen

Shekalim 19 – Found coins

While putting money into the collection chests we discussed before, one could err and drop them on the floor. If such coins are later found near the chests, we need to know what to do with them – because they had been designated for a specific purpose. The rule is like this: if, for example, the coins were found next to the “Shekalim” chests, we assume that they are for shekalim. If they were found closer to the adjacent “voluntary offerings” chest, we assume that they are for that purpose. If they are exactly in the middle, we take the more stringent view and put them in the voluntary offerings. Thus “close to” is a ruling principle, but we take the most stringent possibility into account in cases of doubt.

In general, other coins found in Jerusalem, which might be designated for some special purpose, are governed by similar principles. For example, if coins are found next to animal dealers, we assume they have the tithe's holiness. This is because the people used to bring their tithe money to Jerusalem and buy grain or animals for their meals. Most likely, they did not have the chance to spend all the money and dropped the coins. However, if the coins are found on the Temple Mount, we assume they have no designation since we have no reason to assume otherwise. The majority of coins in the world are not designated for anything special.

Art: The gold-weigher by Salomon Koninck

Shekalim 18 - Thirteen tables

There were thirteen tables in the Temple, each serving a specific purpose. Eight of them, made of marble, were used for skinning and washing the sacrifices before burning them. Among others, one was of marble, and on it, they would place the Bread of Vision ready to be brought into the Temple; inside the Temple, the bread lay on a golden table, and after a week of staying inside, but still fresh and warm, it was taken outside and put on another golden table, to be distributed among the priests. Why did they not put it back on the marble table? - Because of the rule that we bring things up in their level, try to never take them down. Another question: why put the bread on a table of marble; wouldn’t silver be more dignified? The answer is that yes, it would be, but silver warms up, and the bread may spoil. But didn’t we say that there was a miracle with this bread anyway, and it would not spoil or cool down?  Also true, but we try not to rely on miracles.

There were also thirteen collection chests in the Temple, called “Shofarot,” because they were in the form of a shofar, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, to prevent people from taking money out of them while pretending to donate. They were for shekalim, new and old, and for various sacrifices. The “old shekalim” means someone’s obligation from last year - which cannot be used for this year but has to go into a separate chest and be used for the needs of Jerusalem instead.

Art: Still Life with Melon, Peach, Fruit-Filled Compote and Glass of Wine on a Marble Table Top By William Mason Brown

Shekalim 17 - Bow down thirteen times

When one visited the Temple, he had to bow down (actually, completely prostrate himself on the floor) thirteen times against each of the thirteen gates. The gates each had a name and some - a story connected to them. This, however, is the opinion of Rabbi Abba, but the Sages say that there were only seven gates. If so, what were the thirteen prostrations for - since the Sages agree to that fact? - The Sages say that after the Greeks made thirteen breaches in the Temple inner wall, and then the Hashmonaim (in the time of Chanukkah) repaired them, the thirteen bowing down commemorated that fact.

One of the Temple's gates was called “The Water Gate,” because, in the future, a spring of water will issue at this place from Jerusalem. The Talmud described how it will happen: from the Holy of Holies, the stream will be like the antennae of the smallest snail; then like locusts’ antennae, and by the time it goes out and connects to the rivers, lakes, and seas of Israel, it will be so powerful that a mighty vessel won’t cross it.

Back to the subject of Temple destruction, when Nebuchadnezzar came up to Israel, the Sanhedrin went out to ask him if the time for Temple destruction had arrived. He told them to give out their king. They told the king Yehoyachin about it, and the latter took the keys of the Temple and threw them to Heaven, from where they did not come back; and some say that a hand came to receive it. When the nobles saw it, they went to the roofs and jumped off there to their death. This is what Isaiah said, “Why have you all gone to the rooftops?”

Art: Daniel Before Nebuchadnezzar by Salomon Koninck

Shekalim 16 - Thirteen

There were a few items in the Temple with the count of thirteen: thirteen collection chests, thirteen tables, and thirteen places where people would prostrate themselves - only the members of the family of Rabban Gamliel prostrated fourteen times when visiting the Temple because they had a family tradition telling them where the Ark was hidden.

There was once a Kohen working in a wood chamber who noticed that one of the floor's stones was higher than the others. He went to tell his colleagues about the possible location of the hidden Ark, but he has not completed his statement and died.

The Talmud described various theories where the Ark was hidden and whether it was taken away to Babylon or not. Some say that there were two Arks, one permanent in the Temple and the other one taken to wars. In contrast, others maintain that there was only one Ark. It also describes the various opinions on the size of the Ark and the position of the whole and broken Tablets inside of it.

Anointing oil made by Moses miraculously extended its use for generations. Jewish kings were anointed with it if there was a disagreement about the next king, but otherwise, the anointment was not necessary; the High Priests, however, always had to be anointed.

The Torah that Moses received from God was of black fire on white fire, as in verse, “He brought the fire of a religion to them from His right hand.”

Art: The Reception of the Ambassadors of the Thirteen Swiss Cantons by Adam Frans van der Meulen

Shekalim 14 – The knowledge of foreign languages

One of the Temple's administrators we mentioned before, Petachia, was really Mordechai of the Purim festival. Still, he is called Petachia (one who opens) because he knew all foreign languages (denoted as the symbolic number of 70 languages). Moreover, he could understand what people meant when they would mix these languages together.

Mordechai was one of the members of the High Court or the Sanhedrin. All judges in the Sanhedrin had to know 70 languages to understand the witnesses directly, not through an interpreter. Still, at least two judges needed to be able to also speak the languages. If they had four such judges, it was called an outstanding Sanhedrin. We should mention here that Shekalim is part of the Jerusalem Talmud. Babylonian Talmud has a more lenient opinion – that all judges together needed to know the majority of languages.

Another administrator was Nechunia, the digger of wells. He went to great lengths and expense for this, and there are miracle stories of his daughter being saved from drowning; nevertheless, his son died of thirst in a desert. This illustrates that God is exacting with the righteous. Gevini was the Crier, and his announcements were heard for miles around. Hugras the Levi was a conductor and a singer, and he had the ability to sing multiple notes simultaneously.

The Talmud also describes the families of incense makers and Temple bakers who kept their professional secrets and the checks and balances instituted in the Temple and in general for those with authority over the congregation, especially in money matters.

Art: The Language of the Fan by Jules Joseph Lefebvre

Shekalim 13 - Wonderful administrators

There were fifteen administrators in the Temple, all listed by name. For example, Petachia ben Pinchas was responsible for the box where the money for bird sacrifices was collected, Hugras the Levi was the conductor, and the family of Garmu was baking bread. Of course, the same people could not possibly be administrators for all 420 years of the Second Temple; rather, it is the righteous among them who were singled out by name. According to another opinion, these were their names in the generation when this rule was composed.

Rabbi Akiva was one of the greatest teachers, and he arranged the vast body of the Torah knowledge in divisions and groups to facilitate learning. His students also enumerated multiple laws together, such as "four types of damages," "fifteen women who do not need a yibum," "thirty-nine labors on Shabbat," and so on.

And yet - said Rabbi Chaggai - the earlier generations have plowed and planted, weeded, threshed, winnowed, ground, sifted, kneaded, and baked knowledge for us, and we don't have a mouth to eat. This agrees with Talmud's principle that man's capacity for learning wanes with generations. If previous generations were like angels, then we are like humans compared to them. If they were as people, then we are like donkeys - and not even like the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair.

And what is the story of this she-donkey? It was stolen by robbers but refused to eat stolen food. After three days, the robbers let it go, and it came back but still refused to eat. Rabbi Pinchas asked the inn-keeper, have you separated the tithes? The inn-keeper answered that the animals were not obligated to keep doubtful tithes' laws (d'mai). To that, Rabbi Pinchas answered that this was true, but she was very stringent with herself and accepted not to eat even doubtfully untithed produce. They gave her properly tithed food, and she ate.

Art: The Three Generations by James Clarke Waite

Shekalim 11 – Multi-step transaction with incense

Twice daily, they burned incense in the Temple. Additionally, two handfuls of this incense were burned by the High Priest on Yom Kippur. If some of it remained after the end of the year in Nissan, when new shekels were brought, the old incense would become unfit. What did they do with it?

They would first exchange it against the money donated for the Temple's upkeep and designated it as payment for the artisans. Now the incense was completely deconsecrated. Then they would give the incense to the artisans as wages. They could not (and should not) use it because it is prohibited for personal use. Instead, it was bought from them with the new shekels. Thus, they bought the incense with the new money, and it became consecrated for use in the new year.

Art: An artisan's family in an interior by Giuseppe Constantini

Shekalim 10 - Remainder and remainder of remainder

The shekels donated to the Temple were used for buying sacrifices. These included daily offerings, Shabbat offering, wine, oil, the Bread of Vision, and other public offerings. A special problem was presented by the two loaves of bread brought on Shavuot when the year was Shmita. In Shmita year, one cannot plow and sow, so they would have no wheat at the end of the year! Therefore, the Temple would hire guardians to shoo away the animals and ask passers-by not to interfere with the wheat that grew of itself, which would be used on Shavuot. These people had to be paid - and not because of the lack of volunteers, but because in guarding the wheat, they could accidentally pick up the produce, thus acquiring it. Then it would not belong to the congregation later on. However, if they were paid, even if they took the produce, they would do so on behalf of the congregation and would not acquire it for themselves. This important payment had to be done with the same shekalim.

Some money would still remain in the chamber, and, being that their mitzvah was already accomplished, the money could be used for the goat of Yom Kippur and for the city walls and towers. If any money was still left, the Temple could use it for commerce - says Rabbi Ishmael. However, Rabbi Akiva says that it would be degrading. He also says that surplus money from donations to the poor cannot be used for commerce but must be held for any contingency. Rabbi Akiva himself was a charity administrator.

Art: The Lesson in Charity by Henri Nicolas van Gorp

Shekalim 9 - Scooping three times

There was a procedure to the scooping: the priest would go into the chamber and call from there, “Should I scoop?” and the administrators would command him three times: “Scoop! Scoop! Scoop!” He would fill the first box and cover the money remaining in this part of the room with a hide; he would then fill the second box and again cover the remainder with a hide, and the third portion he would not cover. Why all this? The first portion was of the people of Israel, the second - for the surrounding cities, and the third - for the people of Babylon, Media, and far away lands.

The family of Rabban Gamliel was especially zealous: they would enter the chamber and throw the coins right before the priest doing the scooping, and he would try to make sure to scoop their coins into his box.

On this subject of extra effort, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair outlines ten steps of spiritual growth: extra effort brings to being free from wrongdoing; that brings one to re-think his previous wrongful acts; this leads to holiness, that is, refraining even from permitted pleasures; this leads to humility; humility brings one to realize one’s shortcomings and to honest desire not to do wrong again; this brings to doing good beyond the letter of the law - which brings Divine inspiration in its wake; then he can resurrect the dead, and this, in turn, brings Elijah the Prophet, may he be remembered for good.

Art: Divine inspiration by Petrus Van Schendel

Shekalim 8 - Scooping the shekalim

All of the collected shekalim coins were deposited in a certain chamber in the Temple, and three times a year, they would scoop the money from there, before each of the three holidays: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. These were also the times designated for separating the tithe of the animals. These times (about two weeks before each holiday) were established by the Sages for a few reasons: these are normal times when the animals bear their young; so that the people had the meat to eat at pilgrimages, and so that they would not delay their offerings.

Scooping was performed with three boxes, numbered aleph-bet-gimel, and some say with Greek letters, alpha-beta-gamma. The priest who performed the scooping did not enter with a hemmed garment, a shoe, a sandal, or any other box - to avoid the situation that if he would later become poor, people would say, “This happened to him because he stole!” and if he would become rich, they would say, “He became rich from the proceeds of his stealing!” This illustrates that one must strive to be clear of all suspicions, and even if he is clear in the eyes of God, he must still strive to avoid suspicions in the eyes of men.

Art: The Parable Of The Rich And Poor Man by (after) Frans II Francken

Shekalim 7 – Monument

Continuing with surpluses, money collected for prisoners' redemption and then left over should be used to redeem other prisoners, but nothing else. Similarly, surplus money intended to redeem one captive should be given to that captive since he already acquired it through the hands of collectors acting as his appointed agents.

A surplus of money collected for the poor should be given to other poor people, but a surplus of money collected for one person should be given to him. A surplus of money collected to bury the dead should be used for other burials. Still, if it was collected for a specific dead, then there are three opinions: give it to his heirs, make a monument for him, or keep it intact until Elijah the prophet comes and decides.

Incidentally, only common people need monuments, but the righteous's teachings serve as their memorials and outlive the stone. Nevertheless, today is customary to build monuments for the righteous, not for their benefit, but for the living who will be reminded of them.

In the final analysis,  charity and just deeds are better than the sacrifices and the money (shekalim) used for the sacrifices. People used to taunt King David, going next to his windows and asking, “When will the Temple be built?” – because it was known that it can be built only after King David's death. However, David would say, “Even though they want to anger me, I am happy with their words. I, too, would give up my life to build the Temple.” And nevertheless, God would say, “I will make your life complete, because one day of your life, David, with your charity and just deeds, are more precious to Me than the future sacrifices.”

Art: View of the Monument to Peter the Great in Senate Square by Vasilij Ivanovic Surikov

Shekalim 6 – Counting pennies

If one was collecting small coins to accumulate his half-shekel – having declared “this is for my half-shekel” – but eventually he collected more than needed,  what would he do with the surplus? Even though his designation of the surplus coins was invalid since he did not need them in the end, the coins still became consecrated, and the money should be put into the collection box in the Temple, to be used when the Altar is idle – this is the opinion of Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel disagrees: Temple consecration in error is invalid, and the money remains his. If his declaration was, “I will bring my shekel from this money,” all agree that the extra money remains his.

What if he was collecting money for his sin-offering and collected more than he needed? Here the surplus definitely goes to the Temple. Why? Because the cost of a sin-offering does not have a fixed limit, whereas the half-shekel does – so explains Rabbi Shimon. However, Rabbi Yehudah argues with his explanation and says that the half-shekel also is not a fixed amount: when the Jews just got back from Babylon, they donated the “darkon” coin, which is 4 times more valuable, then they switched to two times more, then to half-shekels, although never less than that. So it depends on the basic currency unit. Still, Rabbi Shimon answers that the half-shekel is fixed in the sense that all give the same amount. The Talmud describes other surpluses; for example, the Passover sacrifice's surplus money must be used for another Passover sacrifice.

Art: Merchants counting money by (after) Salomon Koninck

Shekalim 5 – Accidents

If the half-shekels were too heavy to carry, one could exchange them for smaller golden coins of larger value, called “darkon.” The collection chests, called “shofar” due to their shape, were set up in every city. They were regularly emptied and transported to Jerusalem.

If, while being transported, the coins were lost or stolen, the agents who transported them would have to take an oath that they have not been negligent – and then they would be free of the obligation to pay. But, to whom do they swear? If money to buy sacrifices in the Temple has already been separated, then the condition was that the money on the way would also be included. Thus, in this case, the money was considered in possession of the Temple, and the agents would swear to the Temple's treasurer. However, if the accident happened before the money was separated, the agents would swear to the townspeople – and the townspeople would have to undertake another collection.

If, after being thought missing, the coins were found, then both the first and the second collection have acquired the designation of “half-shekel” and cannot be taken back; moreover, the extra coins cannot be used for the next year either, because they were designated for this year. What do they do? They put them in another collection box, called "Old shekalim." These monies were used not for sacrifices but for the betterment of the city of Jerusalem.

Art: The Treasurer by James Gillray

Shekalim 4 – From whom they collected half a shekel?

Fifteen days after the money-collection proclamation, Temple-appointed moneychangers set their tables in Jerusalem and elsewhere - to remind the people about their obligation. On the twenty-fifth day, they would sit in the Temple since the time was very close to when the new money will be taken out to buy sacrifices. Later they would even take pledges until people pay. An appointed court official would enter the debtor's house, take a valuable object, and not return it until the half-shekels were paid.

From whom do they take a pledge? From Levite, Israelites, and converts. Women and minors may donate if they want. They did not take pledges from the Kohanim for the sake of peace. Why? When a Kohen brings a flour offering, it can not be eaten but is rather completely burned. Therefore – reasoned the Kohanim – how can we donate money for sacrifices? If we do, some of the sacrifices that we normally eat would be prohibited to eat! Some even said that any Kohen who gives half-shekel sins. The Sages, however, claim that any Kohen who does not give half-shekel sins, since if he gives wholeheartedly, it becomes the property of the community and not his own.

Together with the half-shekel, one had to give a small coin (“kolbon”) to compensate for the half-shekel's higher price at the time of this collection. The Talmud discusses when this kolbon is required and when not, such as donating for another or two brothers paying from their common estate.

Art: A man counting money by (after) Joos Van Craesbeeck

Shekalim 3 – Also on the first of Adar

Another announcement that happened on the first of Adar was about kilaim – growing different species, such as grapes and wheat, together. There is a parallel kilaim prohibition of wearing wool and linen together (representing Abel the shepherd and Cain the earth tiller.) The separation between the two helps rectify Cain’s murder, which somewhat explains the mitzvah.

Around the first of Adar is when the mixture of grains becomes visible above the ground. One can easily transgress this even unintentionally by having too much extraneous grain in the mix he sows.

Some people did not listen to the court and kept their kilaim, so on the fifteenth of Adar, messengers of the court would go out and uproot the grasses to shame the transgressors. That did not help, though, since the farmers were glad that the messengers would weed the fields for them, and moreover, the farmers could use it as fodder. The court ordered to throw the grass on the road, but the farmers were still happy because they did weeding for them. Finally, the court decided that any field with kilaim will become ownerless, and anyone who uproots kilaim will obtain ownership of this field. This settled the matter.

The Talmud investigates why the courts have the authority over people’s possession and can make it ownerless.

Art: Peasants in the Field, Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Shekalim 2 – On the first of Adar

Many things are done by the community on various dates in the month of Adar. Thus, on the first of Adar, the Sanhedrin announced that everybody must prepare to pay the half-shekel. Every Jew would give half a shekel yearly; the money was stored in a Temple’s chamber, and the priest would use it to buy sacrifices. These were the daily sacrifices used to atone for everybody, so everyone had to take part in donating money for them.

Why was this announced on the first of Adar? – Because on the first of the next month, Nissan, the priests would go and take new money for the Temple’s needs. Each year needed “fresh” new shekalim, and the remainder of the last’s years coins were used for other needs. Thus, everybody was given thirty days to prepare the payment.

Art: The Tribute Money by (after) Sir Peter Paul Rubens