Mishnayos Shekalim Perek 4 Mishnah 6
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שקלים פרק ד׳ משנה ו׳
One who consecrates all his possessions without specifying for what purpose, his possessions are consecrated for Temple maintenance. And if among them there are items that are suitable for use as communal offerings, which may not be used for the maintenance of the Temple but only for sacrificial purposes, what is done with those items to remove their consecration for Temple maintenance, in order that they may be reconsecrated for sacrificial use? They are given to Temple artisans as their wages, and thereby they are desacralized; this is the statement of Rabbi Akiva. Ben Azzai said to him: This is not the method to be used. Rather, the same method that is used to desacralize the leftover incense, as is described in the previous mishna, should also be used here, i.e., they set aside from the consecrated items the equivalent of the value owed to the artisans for their wages, and they desacralize them by transferring their sanctity onto the money allocated for the artisans’ wages, and then they give those items, which are no longer consecrated, to the artisans as their wages. According to both opinions, once the desacralized items are in the possession of the artisans, one of Temple treasurers should repurchase those items using money from that year’s new collection of half-shekels, consecrating them for sacrificial use during the coming year.
הַמַּקְדִּישׁ נְכָסָיו וְהָיוּ בָּהֶן דְּבָרִים רְאוּיִין לְקָרְבְּנוֹת הַצִּבּוּר, יִנָּתְנוּ לָאֻמָּנִין בִּשְׂכָרָן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. אָמַר לוֹ בֶּן עֲזַאי, אֵינָהּ הִיא הַמִּדָּה, אֶלָּא מַפְרִישִׁין מֵהֶן שְׂכַר הָאֻמָּנִין, וּמְחַלְּלִין אוֹתָן עַל מָעוֹת הָאֻמָּנִין, וְנוֹתְנִין אוֹתָן לָאֻמָּנִין בִּשְׂכָרָן, וְחוֹזְרִין וְלוֹקְחִין אוֹתָן מִתְּרוּמָה חֲדָשָׁה:
Bartenura
המקדיש נכסיו. וסתם הקדש לבדק הבית:
והיו בהם דברים הראויים לקרבנות צבור. כגון קטורת או יינות שמנים וסלתות:
ינתנו לאומנין בשכרן. ויוצאין לחולין, אף על פי שאין דבר אחר נכנס תחתיו. דקסבר הקדש מתחלל על המלאכה, דכתיב (שמות כ״ה:ח׳) ועשו לי מקדש, שתהיה המלאכה נעשית מן ההקדש:
אינה מן המדה. כלומר אין מדה זו שאתה אומר כמדה האמורה לעיל בקטורת, ואין ראוי אלא שתשוה מדותיך. הלכך מפרישים מהן שכר האומנים כו׳ כדאמרינן לעיל גבי מותר הקטורת. שאין הקדש מתחלל על המלאכה. והלכה כבן עזאי:
המקדיש נכסיו – and an undefined dedication to Temple property is for the repair and upkeep of the Temple.
והיו בהם דברים הראויים לקרבנות צבור – such as incense or wines, oils and fine flour.
ינתנו לאומנין בשכרן – and they go out to the status of “non-holy,” even though no other thing enters in its place, for he holds that something dedicated to the Temple can be redeemed through service as it is written (Exodus 25:8): “And let them make Me a sanctuary [that I may dwell among them],” that the service/work will be accomplished from that which is donated to the Temple.
אינה מן המדה – that is to say, that this measure that you are stating is not like the measure mentioned above with the incense and it is not appropriate but rather that your qualities should be harmonized. Therefore, we separate out the payment of the artisans, etc., as we stated above concerning the surplus of the incense for whatever is dedicated to the Temple is not redeemed through service, and the Halakha is according to Ben Azzai.