Mishnah 1
1)
(a)The Mishnah now discusses the three times a year that one takes from the 'Lishkah'. What is the Lishkah?
(b)On which three occasions did they do that?
(c)What is the definition of ...
1. ... Atzeres?
2. ... Chag?
(d)What do they do with the money?
(e)Why did they not do T'rumas ha'Lishkah on P'ros ha'Pesach for the entire year?
1)
(a)The Mishnah now discusses the three times a year that one takes from the 'Lishkah' - (the room in the Beis ha'Mikdash into which the boxes containing the half-Shekalim were emptired).
(b)The three occasions on which they do that are - P'ros (two weeks before [See Tos. Yom-Tov]) ha'Pesach, P'ros Atzeres and P'ros ha'Chag.
(c)The definition of ...
1. ... Atzeres is - Shavu'os.
2. ... Chag is - Succos.
(d)The money is used - to purchase the Korb'nos Tzibur.
(e)They did not do T'rumas ha'Lishkah on P'ros ha'Pesach for the entire year - in order to accommodate those people who have not yet brought their half-Shekel (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
2)
(a)What other Mitzvah is divided into these three dates, according to Rebbi Akiva?
(b)Why does the Tana refer to them as 'G'ranos le'Ma'aser Beheimah'?
(c)What are the practical ramifications of this statement?
2)
(a)The other Mitzvah that is divided into these three dates, according to Rebbi Akiva is - Ma'aser Beheimh.
(b)Why does the Tana refer to them as 'G'ranos le'Ma'aser Beheimah' - because just as the G'ranos (the granaries) fix the obligation for Ma'aser Dagan, so too, do these dates fix the obligation for Ma'aser Beheimah ...
(c)... which practically speaking, means - that animals that are born after those dates may not be eaten until they have been Ma'asered.
3)
(a)Why did the Chachamim fix these three dates for Ma'aser Beheimah?
(b)Bearing in mind that before the fixed time has arrived, one is permitted to sell, Shecht and even eat the un'Ma'asered animal (See Tos. Yom-Tov), why did they see fit to do so?
(c)Why were the people so meticulous about this?
3)
(a)The Chachamim fixed these three dates for Ma'aser Beheimah for the animals that gave birth in the interim.
(b)Bearing in mind that before the fixed time has arrived, one is permitted to sell, Shecht and even eat the un'Ma'asered animals (See Tos. Yom-Tov), they nevertheless saw fit to do so - because the people declined to Shecht them before having Ma'asered them.
(c)The people were so meticulous about this - because they were keen to perform the Mitzvah of Ma'asering their animals, bearing in mind that they were the ones to eat them so that the Mitzvah did not cost them anything (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
4)
(a)Both ben Azai and Rebbi Elazar and Rebbi Shimon dispute the dates of the Tana Kama for Ma'aser Beheimah. Of which months does ben Azai say the twenty-ninth, the first and the twenty-ninth?
(b)The dates given by Rebbi Elazar and Rebbi Shimon are the first of Nisan, the first of Sivan and the twenty-ninth of Elul. What ought the third date to have been?
(c)So why did they bring it forward by one day?
4)
(a)Both ben Azai and Rebbi Elazar and Rebbi Shimon dispute the dates of the Tana Kama for Ma'aser Beheimah. ben Azai says the twenty-ninth - of Adar, the first - of Sivan and the twenty-ninth - of Av.
(b)The dates given by Rebbi Elazar and Rebbi Shimon are the first of Nisan, the first of Sivan and the twenty-ninth of Ellul. The third date ought to to have been - the first of Tishri ...
(c)... and the reason that they brought it forward by one day is because - the first of Tishri is Rosh ha'Shanah, on which one is forbidden to Ma'aser.
Mishnah 2
5)
(a)When they performed T'rumas ha'Lishkah, they took three-boxes full. How much did each box contain?
(b)How did they know which box was taken first, wbich second and which, third?
(c)What according to the Rambam, did they do first?
(d)What was the significance of the order?
(e)What is the source of Rebbi Yishmael, who maintains that they marked the boxes 'Alfa, Beta, Gamla'?
5)
(a)When they performed T'rumas ha'Lishkah, they took three-boxes full, each box containing - three Sa'ah.
(b)They know which box was taken first, wbich second and which, third - by marking them ('Alef', 'Beis' and 'Gimel').
(c)According to the Rambam - they first filled three large boxes of twenty-seven Sa'ah, and it is from them that they filed the three small boxes of nine Sa'ah (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(d)The significance of the order was - the order with which they purchased the Korbanos, first box first ... (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(e)The source of Rebbi Yishmael, who maintains that they marked the boxes 'Alfa, Beta, Gamla' is - the Pasuk in NO'ach "Yaft Elokim le'Yefes, Veyishkon be'Ohalei Shem", meaning that the beauty of Yefes shall dwell in the tents of Shem (the Beis-ha'Mikdash), and the most beautiful thing about Yefes is the Greek language.
6)
(a)The Kohen who performed T'rumas ha'Lishkah is restricted in what he was allowed to wear. For one, he was not allowed to wear a Pargod Chafus. What is a 'Pargod Chafus'?
(b)Besides shoes and sandals, what other two items was he forbidden to wear?
(c)What was the point of these prohibitions?
(d)Chazal's decree was based on the fear that either the Kohen will become poor or that he will become rich. What are the ramifications of ...
1. ... the former?
2. ... the latter?
6)
(a)The Kohen who performed T'rumas ha'Lishkah is restricted in what he was allowed to wear. For one, he was not allowed to wear a 'Pargod Chafus'- (a long garment which is folded at the bottom to form a hem.
(b)Besides shoes and sandals (See Tos. Yom-Tov), he was forbidden to wear - Tefilin or a Kame'a ...
(c)... since all of these contain a compartment of some sort in which it is possible to hide coins (even if it meant undoing the stitches).
(d)Chazal's decree was based on the fear that either the Kohen will become ...
1. ... poor - and people will subsequently say - that this was as a punishment for pilfering money from the T'rumas ha'Lishkah, or that he will become ...
2. ... rich - and they will say that it is from the money that he pilfered.
7)
(a)On which principle is the above ruling based?
(b)From which Pasuk in Matos (in connection with the B'nei Gad and the B'nei Re'uven) do we learn this?
(c)Which Pasuk in Mishlei teaches us the same concept?
7)
(a)The above ruling is based on the principle - that 'Just as one is obligated to 'be innocent' in the eyes of Hash-m, so too, should one 'be innocent' in the eyes of one's fellow man'.
(b)We learn this from the Pasuk in Matos (in connection with the B'nei Gad and the B'nei Re'uven) - " ... you shall be innocent before Hash-m and before Yisrael".
(c)And we learn the same concept from the Pasuk in Mishlei - "And find favor and good sense in the eyes of G-d and of man" (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
Mishnah 3
8)
(a)The family members of Rabban Gamliel would enter the Azarah 'his half-Shekel in his fingers', just as the Kohen was performing T'rumas ha'Lishkah. What happened next?
(b)Why did they do that?
(c)What did whoever was present reply when, before performing T'rumas ha'Lishkah, the Kohen asked whether he should take T'rumah (See Tiferes Yisrael)?
(d)It is common practice to repeat such declarations three times, as we find by the cutting of the Omer ('Magal Zu, Magal Zu Magal Zu!'). Where else do we find this practice?
8)
(a)The family of Rabban Gamliel would enter the Azarah 'his half-Shekel in his fingers', just as the Kohen was performing T'rumas ha'Lishkah. Then - he would toss the coin into the box which the Kohen was emptying the coins ...
(b)... to ensure that their coins were used to purchase the Korbanos, and did not go to Sheyarei ha'Lishkah.
(c)When, before performing T'rumas ha'Lishkah, the Kohen asked whether he should take T'rumah ('Etrom?'), whoever was present replied - 'T'rom T'rom T'rom!' (See Tiferes Yisrael).
(d)It is common practice to repeat such declarations three times, as we find by the cutting of the Omer ('Magal Zu, Magal Zu Magal Zu!') - by cutting the Omer 'Ektzor Ektzor Ektzor?' and by Chalitzah 'Chalutz ha'Na'al. Chalutz ha'Na'al. Chalutz ha'Na'al!'
Mishnah 4
9)
(a)After taking the first Terumah, they covered the remaining Shekalim in the room with K'tabla'os. What are K'tabla'os?
(b)Why did they ...
1. ... do that?
2. ... also cover the remaining Shekalim after the second Terumah?
(c)What were they out to avoid by doing this?
(d)Why did they not cover the remaining Shekalim after the third Terumah?
(e)If the first Terumah was separated on behalf of the people of Eretz Yisrael, on whose behalf did they separate ...
1. ... the second Terumah?
2. ... the third Terumah?
9)
(a)After taking the first Terumah, they covered the remaining Shekalim in the room with 'K'tabla'os' - skins of boiled leather.
(b)They ...
1. ... did that - so that the half-Shekalim of the people who came from outside Eretz Yisrael and who did not manage to arrive in time for Pesach would be placed on the leather skins, and it was from them that they took the Terumas ha'Lishkah berfore Shavu'os. Likewise, they ...
2. ... also cover the remaining Shekalim after the second Terumah - so as to take the third Terumah (before Succos) from the money that lay on the second skin that the people who only arrived after Shavu'os had brought (and not from the Sheyari ha'Lishkah that remained after they had taken the second Terumah).
(c)By doing this, they avoided taking the second Terumah from the Sheyarei ha'Lishkah.
(d)They did not cover the remaining Shekalim after the third Terumah - since there was no point in doing so (seeing as there would be no more Terumos until the following Nisan).
(e)If the first Terumah was separated on behalf of the people of Eretz Yisrael, they separated ...
1. ... the second Terumah on behalf of - the people who came from the 'cities' that were close to Eretz Yisrael (such as Amon and Mo'av).
2. ... the third Terumah on behalf of - the people who lived far from Eretz Yisrael (such as those who lived in Bavel and Madai).
10)
(a)What does the Tana mean when he says that the second Terumah was brought on behalf of 'K'rachin ha'Mukafin lah'?
(b)Does this mean that the first T'rumah did not cover those who only brought their half-Shekalim after Pesach, and that the second T'rumah did not cover those who brought theirs after Shavu'os?
(c)Why not?
(d)Then why did the Tana mention the three locations?
10)
(a)When the Tana says that the second Terumah was brought on behalf of 'K'rachin ha'Mukafin lah' - he means 'cities that were close by'.
(b)This does not mean that the first T'rumah did not cover those who only brought their half-Shekalim after Pesach, and that the second T'rumah did not cover those who brought theirs after Shavu'os ...
(c)... because we have a principle 'Tormin al ha'Gavuy ve'al he'Asid Ligavos' (that the T'rumah covers both the money that is already in the Lishkah and the money that has not yet reached it').
(d)And the Tana mentions the three locations - to stress that Chazal fixed these three times because that was when all the Shekalim of Yisrael would collect (in those three stages).
