משנה: בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׁר בּוֹ שׁוּלְחָנוֹת יוֹשְׁבִין בַּמְּדִינָה. בְּעֶשְׁרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה בוֹ יָֽשְׁבוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ. מִשֶּׁיָּֽשְׁבוּ בַּמִּקְְדָּשׁ הִתְחִילוּ לְמַשְׁכֵּן. אֶת מִי מְמַשְְׁכְּנִין לְוִייִם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים וְגֵרִים וַעֲבָדִים מְשֻׁחְרָרִין אֲבָל לֹא נָשִׁים וְלֹא עֲבָדִים וְלֹא קְטַנִּים. וְכָל־קָטָן שֶׁהִתְחִיל אָבִיו לִשְׁקוֹל עַל יָדוֹ אֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק. אֵין מְמַשְׁכְּנִין אֶת הַכֹּהֲנִים מִפְּנֵי דַּרְכֵּי שָׁלוֹם: אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֵעִיד בֶּן כּוּבָרִי בְּיַבְנֶה שֶׁכָּל־כֹּהֵן שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹקֵל אֵינוֹ חוֹטֵא. אָמַר לוֹ רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי לֹא כִּי אֶלָּא כָּל־כֹּהֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹקֵל חוֹטֵא. אֶלָּא שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים דּוֹרְשִׁין מִקְרָא זֶה לְעַצְמָן וְכָל־מִנְחַת כֹּהֵן כָּלִיל תִּהְיֶה לֹא תֵאָכֵל הוֹאִיל וְהָעוֹמֶר וּשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם וְלֶחֶם הַפָּנִים שֶׁלָּנוּ הֵיאָךְ הֵם נֶאֱכָלִין: MISHNAH: On the Fifteenth99Of Adar, in an intercalary year the Second Adar., money changers100To exchange coins into silver half-sheqels, half a Roman tetradrachma, which are collected for the Temple. were sitting in the country side; on the Twenty Fifth they were sitting in the Temple101Since nobody is permitted to sit in the sacred domain (except possibly kings of the Davidic dynasty), these money changers had to sit on the Temple Mount, outside the sacred domain.. From the date they were sitting in the Temple one started to take pledges102To foreclose on people who did not pay their Temple tax.. From whom does one take pledges? From Levites, Israel, proselytes, and freed slaves103All these are adult male Jews subject to all commandments., but not from women, slaves104Who are obligated only in cases women are obligated. Since women do not pay, the sheqel being a positive commandment due at a fixed time, slaves cannot be obligated., and minors. Any minor for whom his father started to give the sheqel does not stop any more. However one does not take pledges from Cohanim because of communal peace105As explained in the Halakhah and Mishnah 4..
Rebbi Jehudah said: “Ben Kukhri testified at Jabneh that any Cohen who pays the sheqel108Voluntarily, even if they cannot be forced to pay. does not sin. Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai told him, on the contrary, any Cohen who does not pay the sheqel does sin109Since he reads the commandment Ex. 30:11–16 as not stating any exemption for Cohanim., only the Cohanim explain the following verse for their benefit: Any flour offering of a Cohen shall be totalled, it may not be eatenl110Lev. 6:16.. If the `omer, the two breads, and the shew bread are ours, how may they be eaten?l111If they would pay the sheqel, they would be part owners of these offerings, but the consumption of all these offerings is explicitly commanded.”
הלכה: בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ כול׳. הָא לִתְבּוֹעַ תּוֹבְעִין. הָדָא דְתֵימַר בְּשֶׁהֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת. אֲבָל אִם לֹא הֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת לְֹא בְדָא. וּלְמַשְׁכֵּן אֵין מְמַשְׁכְּנִין עַד שֶׁיָּבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת. HALAKHAH: “On the Fifteenth,” etc. But one requests106The Mishnah states that one does not take pledges from women, slaves, and minors. It should have stated that these are not obligated to pay, then it would be obvious that nothing can be collected. This argument is valid for women and slaves, but since the Mishnah indicates that fathers are invited to pay the sheqel for their minor sons, an informal request may be made earlier, a formal one only if the son reaches the age of adulthood for religious obligations, the onset of puberty indicated by the growth of at least two pubic hairs.? This is if he grew two pubic hairs, but it does not apply if he did not grow two pubic hairs. In matters of pledges, one never takes pledges if he did not grow two pubic hairs.
כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. אֵין מְמַשְׁכְּנִין אֶת הַכֹּהֲנִים מִפְּנֵי דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד. So is the Mishnah: One does not take pledges from Cohanim because one honors their status107Even though they should pay as explained in the next Mishnah. The original text implies a criticism of the Cohanim; one does not enforce the payment because they are quarrelsome..
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֵעִיד כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה. טַעֲמֵיהּ דְּרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. זֶ֣ה ׀ יִתְּנ֗וּ. שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים יִתְּנוּ. רִבִּי טָבִי בְשֵׁם רַב הַמְנוּנָא. כֵּן מֵשִׁיבִין חֲכָמִים לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה. חַטָּאת יָחִיד מֵתָה. אֵין חַטָּאת הַצִּיבּוּר מֵתָה. מִנְחַת הַיָּחִיד קְרֵיבָה כָלִיל וְאֵין מִנְחַת צִיבּוּר קְרֵיבָה כָלִיל. וְקַשְׁיָא. מֵשִׁיבִין לָאָדָם דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹדֶה בוֹ. שֶׁאֵין חַטָּאת צִיבּוּר מֵתָה. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר תָּמוּת. וְהוּא מוֹתִיב לוֹן תוּ. לֹא נִדְבַת יָחִיד הִיא. וְאִינּוּן מֵתִיבִין לֵיהּ. מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּמְסְרָה לַצִּיבּוּר כְּמִי שֶׁהִיא נִדְבַת צִיבּוּר. כְּתִיב כֹּ֗ל הָעוֹבֵר עַל־הַפְּקוּדִים. רִבִּי יוּדָה וְרִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה. חַד אָמַר. כָּל־דַּעֲבַר בָּיַּמָּה יִתֵּן. וְחֳרָנָה אָמַר. כָּל־דַּעֲבַר עַל פִּקּוּדַייָא יִתֵּן. מָאן דַאֲמַר כָּל־דַּעֲבַר בָּיַּמָּא יִתֵּן. מְסַייֵעַ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. מָאן. כֹּ֗ל דַּעֲבַר עַל פִקוּדַייָא יִתֵּן. מְסַייֵעַ לְבֶן כּובְרִי. “Rebbi Jehudah said:, testified” etc. Rebbi Berekhiah said, the reason of Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai is112Ex. 30:12., this they shall give, twelve tribes shall give. Rebbi Tabi in the name of Rav Hamnuna: So answer the Sages to Rebbi Jehudah113Who reports the opinion of Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai approvingly.. A private purification sacrifice is let to die; a public purification sacrifice is not left to die114Once a sacrifice has been designated as a purification sacrifice it can neither be redeemed nor used for any other sacrifice. If such an animal was lost, another animal was used, and then the original was found again (or a few similar situations), nothing can be done with it, it must be left to die.. A private flour offering115Of a Cohen, as noted in the Mishnah. is brought totally, but no public flour offering is brought totally. This is difficult, how can one argue with a person about something with which he does not agree116ג reads: “by an argument that can be objected to.”? “For no public purification sacrifice is left to die; Rebbi Jehudah says, it shall be left to die.117Mishnah Yoma6:2; see there Halakhah 1, Note 33.” And he objects to them, are these not private flour offerings118The argument of Cohanim to which Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai objects implies that the half sheqel is not given as a tax but to acquire a minute part of the public sacrifices, which imply that there are no public offerings at all, only those of a private partnership.? They answer him, from the moment when it is delivered to the public, it is treated as a public offering119The argument is impossible since biblical rules for private and public offerings differ in some respects.. It is written, everybody being counted120Ex. 30:13., Rebbi Jehudah and Rebbi Neḥemiah. One said, everyone who crossed the Sea shall give, the other one said, everyone being counted121In Numbers where it is made explicit that the tribe of Levi was not counted with the remainder of the tribes. Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai cannot explain this verse, unless he explains that Ex. 30:11–16 is not the basis of the duty to pay the sheqel, but Ben Kovri (Kokhri, Bukhri, Bikhri) cannot explain the inclusion in Mishnah 4. shall give. He who said, everyone who crossed the Sea shall give, supports Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai; he who said, everyone being counted shall give, supports Ben Kovri.