Shekalim No.1: Charitable Giving

(7) 7. R. Ze'ira said: Even the ordinary conversation of the people of the Land of Israel is Torah. How is this? A man would say to his neighbour: ‘"Give me charity" [z'kaai bi or izdakai bi {the Hebrew רכי is a corruption}, as if to say]: ‘benefit yourself through me.’

^[2a] Halakha 1 · MISHNA On the first of Adar the court proclaims concerning the collection of shekels, i.e., the yearly half-shekel contribution to the Temple treasury made by each adult male for the purpose of buying communal offerings.

(12) When you have set aside in full the tenth part of your yield—in the third year, the year of the tithe—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements, (13) you shall declare before the LORD your God: “I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house; and I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, just as You commanded me; I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of Your commandments: (14) I have not eaten of it while in mourning, I have not cleared out any of it while I was unclean, and I have not deposited any of it with the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done just as You commanded me. (15) Look down from Your holy abode, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the soil You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.” (16) The LORD your God commands you this day to observe these laws and rules; observe them faithfully with all your heart and soul.

(1) (Devarim 23:22) "If you make a vow to the L-rd, you shall not delay to pay it": It is written here "a vow," and elsewhere (Vayikra 7:16) "a vow." Just as there, "a vow or a pledge (nedavah)," so, here, a vow or a pledge. And just as with the vow here, "you shall not delay to pay it," so, with the vow there, you shall not delay to pay it.

(2) "for the L-rd your G-d": This refers to monies, assessments, devotions, and consecrations, (in respect to all of which it is written "to the L-rd.")

(3) "to pay it": it and not its substitute (i.e., if the original were lost, he does not transgress "You shall not delay" with its substitute until three festivals have passed for the substitute.)

(4) "for require shall He require it": These are sin-offerings, guilt-offerings, burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings.

(5) "the L-rd your G-d": These are charities, tithes, first-born (bechor), and the Pesach offering.

(6) "of you": This refers to leket, shikchah, and peah.

(7) "and it will be a sin in you": "in you," and not in your offering (i.e., the offering is kasher even if delayed.)

(1) (Devarim 23:23) "But if you forbear to vow, it will not be a sin in you": R. Meir says: It is better not to vow than to vow and pay. Better than both (i.e., to vow and not to pay and to vow and to pay) is not to vow at all. R. Yehudah says: Better than both (i.e., to vow and not to pay and not to vow at all) is to vow and to pay. (Ibid. 24) "What issues from your lips shall you keep and you shall do":

(2) "What issues from your lips" — a positive commandment.

(3) "shall you keep" — a negative commandment.

(4) "and you shall do": This is an exhortation to beth-din to make you do (what you have vowed).

(5) "as you have vowed": This is a vow;

(6) "to the L-rd your G-d": These are sin-offerings, guilt-offerings, burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings;

(7) "the pledge": as implied;

(8) "that you spoke": These are consecrations for Temple maintenance;

(9) "with you mouth": This is charity.

(6) There were two chambers in the Temple, one the chamber of secret gifts and the other the chamber of the vessels. The chamber of secret gifts: sin-fearing persons used to put their gifts there in secret, and the poor who were descended of the virtuous were secretly supported from them. The chamber of the vessels: whoever offered a vessel as a gift would throw it in, and once in thirty days the treasurers opened it; and any vessel they found in it that was of use for the repair of the temple they left there, but the others were sold and their price went to the chamber of the repair of the temple.

On the twenty-fifth of Adar, the money changers sat in the Temple. From the time when the money changers sat in the Temple, the court began to seize collateral from those who had yet to donate the half-shekel.

The Gemara offers a mnemonic device for the following statements extolling the mitzva of charity: Greater; Temple; Moses. Rabbi Elazar says: One who causes others to perform [me’aseh] a meritorious act is greater than one who performs that act himself, as it is stated: “And the causing [ma’aseh] of righteousness shall be peace, and the work of righteousness, quietness, and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

This right to force contributions from the rich is like what occurred in the incident in which Rava compelled Rav Natan bar Ami and took four hundred dinars from him for charity.

(2) R. Nathan said: There is no mitzvah in the Torah whose reward is not "at its side." Go and learn this from the mitzvah of tzitzith. There was once a certain man who was particularly diligent in the mitzvah of tzitzith. Once, hearing of a ("famed") harlot in the cities of the sea, who took four hundred gold coins as her hire, he sent her that sum, and she set a time for him. When the appointed time came, he went there and sat at the door of her house. Her maid-servant went in and said to her: That man whom you appointed a time for is sitting at the door of the house. The harlot: Let him come in. When he came in, she spread seven beds for him, six of silver and one of gold, and she was on the uppermost. Between each one was a silver ladder, and the uppermost, of gold. When he came to the act, his four tzitzith came and struck him across his face. They seemed to him like four men. He immediately left off and sat upon the ground. She, too, left off and sat upon the ground. She said to him "'Gapa of Rome' (an idolatrous oath), I shall not let you go until you tell me what blemish you have seen in me!" He: I swear, I have seen no blemish in you. There is no beauty like yours in all the world, but there is one mitzvah (tzitzith) concerning which it is written two times (Bamidbar 15:41) "I am the L-rd your G-d." "I am the L-rd your G-d" — I am destined to reward; "I am the L-rd your G-d" — I am destined to punish. And now they appeared to me as four witnesses (testifying to the above). At this, she said: I swear that I will not let you go until you write for me your name, the name of your city, and the name of the place where you study Torah. He wrote for her his name, the name of his city, the name of his master, and the name of the place where he studied Torah — whereupon she arose and divided all of her wealth: a third to the authorities (for permission to convert), a third to the poor, and a third which she took with her, in addition to those spreads. When she came to R. Meir's house of study, she said to him: My master, convert me. R. Meir: Is it possible that you have "cast your eyes" upon one of my disciples! At this, she took out the note that she had with her, and he said to her: "Go and claim your purchase!" Those spreads which she had spread for him unlawfully, she now spread for him lawfully, This was her reward in this world. As to the world to come, I do not know how much.

(**trans. Prof. Gregg E. Gardner, source)

An event in which Munbaz the king went and squandered (bzbz – בזבז) his treasures during years of distress. His brothers sent [a letter] to him, “Your ancestors saved (gnz – גנז) treasures and added to those of their ancestors. But you went and gave away all of your treasures – [both] yours and those of your ancestors!” He [Munbaz] said to them: “My ancestors saved treasures below, but I saved [treasures] above, as it is said: Faithfulness will spring up from the ground (Psalms 85:12). “My ancestors saved treasures in a place in which a [human] hand rules, but I saved [treasures] in a place in which a [human] hand does not rule, as it is said: Righteousness (צדק) and justice are the base of Your throne; [steadfast love and faithfulness stand before You] (Psalms 89:15). “My ancestors saved treasures that do not yield interest, but I saved treasures that yield interest, as it is said: Hail the just man (צדיק), for he shall fare well; [He shall eat the fruit of his works] (Isaiah 3:10). “My ancestors saved treasures of money, but I saved treasures of lives/souls, as it is said: The fruit of the righteous (צדיק) is a tree of life; a [wise man] captivates people (Proverbs 11:30). “My ancestors saved treasures for others, but I saved treasures for myself, as it is said: and it will be to your credit (צדקה) [before the Lord your God] (Deuteronomy 24:13). “My ancestors saved treasures in this world, but I saved treasures for myself in the world-to-come, as it is said: Your Vindicator (צדקיך) shall march before you (Isaiah 58:8).”

But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severity of the decree.

On a related topic, the Gemara cites that Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out during Nisan and sees trees that are blossoming recites: Blessed…who has withheld nothing from His world, and has created in it beautiful creatures and trees for human beings to enjoy.