משנה: מָעוֹת שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ בֵּין שְׁקָלִים לִנְדָבָה קָרוֹב לַשְּׁקָלִים יִפָּלוּ לַשְּׁקָלִים לַנְּדָבָה יִפְּלוּ לַנְּדָבָה מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה יִפְּלוּ לַנְּדָבָה. בֵּין עֵצִים לִלְבוֹנָה קָרוֹב לָעֵצִים יִפְּלוּ לָעֵצִים לַלְּבוֹנָה יִפְּלוּ לַלְּבוֹנָה מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה יִפְּלוּ לַלְּבוֹנָה. בֵּין קִנִּים לְגוֹזְלֵי עוֹלָה קָרוֹב לַקִּנִּים יִפְּלוּ לַקִּינִּים לְגוֹזְלֵי עוֹלָה יִפְּלוּ לְגוֹזְלֵי עוֹלָה. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה יִפְּלוּ לְגוֹזְלֵי עוֹלָה. בֵּין חוּלִּין לְמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי קָרוֹב לַחוּלִּין יִפְּלוּ לַחוּלִּין לְמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי יִפְּלוּ לְמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה יִפְּלוּ לְמָעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי. זֶה הַכְּלָל הוֹלְכִין אַחַר הַקָּרוֹב מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה לְהַחְמִיר׃ MISHNAH: Coins which are found between the sheqalim and the voluntary gifts, if closer to sheqalim they have to be given to sheqalim, closer to voluntary gifts to voluntary gifts; in the middle they have to be given to voluntary gifts1As explained at the end of the Mishnah, in general coins found are assigned to the box closest to the place where the coins were found. Only if the coins are strictly in the middle between two boxes they are assigned to the more holy use. Since voluntary gifts are strictly for elevation offerings but sheqalim are used for all needs of the Temple, voluntary gifts represent the more holy use.. Between wood and incense, if closer to wood they have to be given to wood, closer to incense to incense; in the middle they have to be given to incense2Incense is an offering in itself, whereas wood is only an auxiliary to offerings on the altar; incense is more holy.. Between nests and young birds for elevation sacrifices, if closer to nests they have to be given to nests, closer to young birds for elevation sacrifices to young birds for elevation sacrifices; in the middle they have to be given to young birds for elevation sacrifices3According to the rabbis, nests contain one bird as purification offering and one as elevation offering, whereas young birds for elevation sacrifices are all elevation sacrifices; the latter are more holy.. Between profane money and Second Tithe\4, if closer to profane money they have to be given to profane money, closer to Second Tithe to Second Tithe; in the middle they have to be given to Second Tithe. This is the principle: one follows proximity; in the middle one is stringent.
הלכה: מָעוֹת שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ בֵּין שְׁקָלִים לִנְדָבָה כול׳. לָא צוֹרְכָה דְלָא בֵין שְׁקָלִים לִקִינִּים. רִבִּי אָבוּן בְשֵׁם רִבִּי פִינְחָס. כְּמִין כּוֹכְלִייַם הָיוּ עֲשׂוּיִין. לָא צוֹרְכָה דְלָא מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה יִפְּלוּ לִשְׁקָלִים. אִית דְּבָעֵי מֵימַר. שֶׁמָּא יִפְּלוּ לְשִׂיֵּרֵי הַלִּשְׁכָּה. אִית דְּבָעֵי מֵימַר. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה כְּמִי שֶׁמֵּת. אָמַר רִבִּי יָסָא. עַד דַּאֲנָא תַמָּן שְׁמָעִית קָל רַב יְהוּדָה שְׁאַל לִשְׁמוּאֵל. הִפְרִישׁ שִׁקְלוֹ וָמֵת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. יִפְּלוּ לִנְדָבָה. עֲשִׂירִית הָאֵיפָה שֶׁלּוֹ. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. יוֹלִיכֵם לְיַם הַמֶּלַח. רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר אָמַר. יִפְּלוּ לִנְדָבָה. HALAKHAH: “Coins which are found between the sheqalim and the voluntary gifts,” etc. It would only be necessary between sheqalim and nests5Since Mishnah 6:7 states that the horn for nests is next to the two for sheqalim, how can coins be found between sheqalim and gifts?! They were arranged like a snail6Greek κοχλίας, “snail with a spiral shell”. If the horns are arranged almost in a circle, the box for new sheqalim is next to the last box for gifts. If they would be in a straight line then the box near to “nests” is that for “old sheqalim”, which are never used for sacrifices and therefore the coins found halfway should be given to “nests”.. Would it not be necessary that it be given to sheqalim7Since “gifts” provide private sacrifices but sheqalim public ones, the sanctity of sheqalim should be greater than that of “gifts”.? Some want to say, maybe they would remain with the excess of the lodge8Which are not used for sacrifices.. Some want to say, in the middle it is as if he died. 9This text to the end of the paragraph is from Halakhah 2:5, Notes 81–83. The origin of the text is there, since the last two sentences, about the High Priest’s flour offering, have no connection with the topic under discussion here. Rebbi Yasa said, when I still was there, I heard the voice of Rav Jehudah asking Samuel, if somebody had set his sheqel apart and died? He told him, they shall fall to the gift account. The excess of his tenth of an ephah, Rebbi Joḥanan said, one shall bring them to the Dead Sea. Rebbi Eleazar said, it shall fall to the gift account.
וְקַשְׁיָא. וְיֵשׁ חַטָּאת קְרֵיבָה עוֹלָה. רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אֲחִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. תְּנַיי בֵית דִּין הוּא עַל הַמּוֹתָרוֹת שֶׁיִּקְרְבוּ עוֹלוֹת. הָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת בַּמֶּה הִיא מִתְכַּפֶּרֶת. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. תְּנַיי בֵית דִּין הוּא. הַמְסַפֵּק אֶת הַקִּינִּים הוּא מְסַפְּק אֶת הַפְּסוּלוֹת. לָא צוֹרְכָא דְלָא בֵין קְטוֹרֶת לָעֵצִים לִלְבוֹנָה לְזָהָב לַכַּפּוֹרֶת. וְתַנִּיתָהּ בְּסוֹפָהּ. הוֹלְכִין אַחַר הַקָּרוֹב מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה לְהַחְמִיר And it is difficult. May purification offering be brought as elevation offering10If coins lie in the middle between nests and young birds for elevation sacrifices, there is a 50% chance that the money was brought by a woman for her obligatory nests. How can one justify a rabbinical rule that assigns the money to elevation sacrifices against a possibly biblical injunction against doing this?? Rebbi Ḥizqiah (brother)11The correct reading is preserved in B, א׳ (אָמַר) “said”. in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: It is a stipulation of the Court that the excesses be brought as elevation sacrifices12Everybody bringing a gift to the Temple knows that these will be evaluated by Temple rules and the donor accepts these rules by giving. Therefore the money never was absolutely dedicated for purification offerings.. By what is that woman atoned for13Since the money may have been given by a woman needing purification, if it happens that her monies were used as elevation offering, how can she ever eat sancta? The sentence and the next are reproduced at the end of the Chapter (7).? Rebbi Isaac said, it is a stipulation of the Court that the providers of nests also provide the disqualified ones14The provider has to provide a few extra birds which are treated as possible purification offerings (a situation impossible for four-legged animals) but are not eaten.. Would it not also be necessary between incense and wood, and frankincense, and gold for the cover15The Mishnah does not treat a number of other possible cases.? As it is stated at the end, “one follows nearness; in the middle one is stringent.”