Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 4, scan section 5

insufificient merely to herald the prohibition, and messengers were sent out to see the law enforced (Maimonides). MiSHNA b. * R. Jehudah's dictum does not intend to dispute the foregoing, but merely supplements it with the statement that the mes- sengers sent out were for the purpose of punishing the infractors of the law of Kelayim. The Palestinian Talmud adduces the right of the Beth-din to confiscate property from the passage [Ezra x. 8]: "And that whosoever should not come within three days, etc., all his substance should be devoted." Whence it may be seen, that a Beth-din has such power. MisHNA c. * It was the custom for money-changers in those days to carry their tables with them, and hence they were called "the men of the tables." The Mishna relates, that on the fifteenth of the month the money-changers were ordered to go out into the rural districts with their tables, in order to provide the people with the necessary half-shekels; for the tax had to be paid in half-shekels only. " On the twenty-fifth, when it was high time for payment and the people commenced flocking into the city of Jerusalem, the money- changers returned and sat in the court of the Temple. 4 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. the tardy ones commenced,^ But from whom were pledges taken ? From Levites, Israelites, proselytes, and freedmen ; but not from women, slaves, and minors. If a father, however, commenced to give a pledge for a minor, he was not allowed to stop. From priests no pledges were taken, for the sake of peace (and the dignity of the priests themselves).^ {d) Said R. Jehudah: Ben Buchri proclaimed the following ordinance in Yavne (Jamnia): "Any priest paying his shekel commits no wrong." R. Johanan ben Zakai, however, rejoined: " Not so! (The ordinance should read:) ' Any priest not paying his shekel, commits a sin.' " ' But the priests used to interpret the following passage to their advantage : It is written [Leviticus vi. i6]: "And every meat-offering of a priest shall be wholly burnt, it shall not be eaten." (They said therefore:) Were we obliged to contribute (our shekels) how could we eat our^ Omer ^ The taking of pledges commenced immediately upon the depar- ture of the money-changers from the rural districts, because, if a man had not paid his half-shekel while the money-changers were still within his reach, it was obvious that he either would not or could not pay it, and in consequence a pledge was taken. * According to law, the priests were also in duty bound to pay the half-shekels, the collection of which was mainly intended for the pur- chase of communal sacrifices, and the priests were naturally included in the community. They, however, found a defect in the law, and held themselves exempt. In consequence of their being in authority during the existence of the second Temple, they were not forced to pay or give pledges, for the sake of harmony. MiSHNA d. ' The difference of opinion between Ben Buchri (who was a priest himself) and R. Johan ben Zakai is, as can be plainly seen, that Ben Buchri holds, that according to law the priests are not in duty bound to pay the half-shekel; but if they do it, they may nevertheless partake of their Omer, two loaves, and showbread, while R. Johan ben Zakai says, that they are in duty bound to pay the half-shekel. ' The priests claim, that if they were to pay the half-shekel with which the Omer, etc., is bought, they would naturally have a share in it, and they would eat their share, which, as a priest's offering, must not be eaten by any one. This is, however, an unjust claim; for the majority is considered, and the priests were by far in the minority. As the priests, however, were in charge of the affairs of state, they interpreted the law to suit themselves, and for the sake of peace they were not disturbed. TRACT SHEKALIM. 5 (first sheaves harvested) and the two loaves and the showbread ^which were procured with the shekels of the head-tax) ? (e) Although it was ordained that no pledges were to be taken from women, slaves, and minors, if they offered to contribute, their money was accepted. From heathens and Samaritans it was not accepted. Nor were bird-offerings, for men or women afflicted with venereal disease and for women who had recently been confined, accepted; nor sin and guilt offerings.^ Vowed and voluntary offerings, however, were accepted. ^ The follow- ing is the rule: Everything which was vowed as an offering and all voluntary offerings were accepted. Anything not vowed for offering or given voluntarily was not accepted from them (heath- ens and Samaritans). So it is explicitly declared in Ezra, for it is written [Ezra iv. 3] : " It is not ior jou and us (both) to build a house unto our God." {/) The following are obliged to pay a premium ^ (in addi- MiSHNA e. ' This clause of the Mishna refers, according to the Palestinian Talmud and Maimonides, to Samaritans only and not to heathens, while the sin and guilt offerings were accepted from Samaritans but not from heathens, because the latter had not the same laws as the Israelites as regards sin-offerings. The Samaritans, however, claiming to be Israelites, were allowed to bring their sin and guilt offerings. The reason, however, that bird-offerings were not accepted from the Samaritans was because, in the first place, an offering for a person afHicted with venereal disease had to be brought in the form of a sheep; but if the person could not afford a sheep, birds answered the purpose. The Samaritans, however, were not considered trustworthy, and it was feared that they might bring a wrong offering (i.e., an offering of less value than they could afford). " These were accepted from heathens also, because such offerings were for forgiveness of sins in general, and in that respect all men are equal. Mishna/. 'The shekel mentioned in the Bible is equivalent to the Sela mentioned in the Mishna, and is worth two shekels of the Mishna. The half-shekel of the Bible was worth (according to Maimonides) the weight of 192 grains of barley in silver, and, for fear that the shekel of the Mishna of that time was perhaps a trifle less than the above weight, a small coin was prescribed to be paid in addition to the above shekel, and which was named from the Greek Colobbus (jo'AAi;/?o?). He who gave the half-shekel voluntarily, and not because he was obliged to pay it, was exempt from paying the above " Colobbus." Those of the priests who, regardless of the 6 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. tion to the half-shekel) : Levites, Israelites, proselytes, and freed- men; but not (priests,) women, slaves, and minors. If one pay (the half-shekel) for a priest, woman, slave, or a minor, he is exempt (from paying the premium) ; if he pay for himself and another, however, he must pay a premium for one. R. Meir