Shekalim 1:4 - 1:5

כל כהן ששוקל אינו חוטא – for even though he is not obligated to give the [one-half] Shekel, and you might think that I would say that if he gives the [one-half] Shekel, it would be found that the community sacrifice is offered from an individual, this comes to inform us that he does not sin since he gives this one-half-shekel to the community completely, and we should not suspect that he would not completely deliver it appropriately.

כל כהן שאינו שוקל חוטא – and the Biblical verse (Exodus 30:14): “Everyone who is entered into the records,” he expounds it this way: He who passes through the Sea of Reeds, that is Kohanim, Levites and Israelites, all who passed through the sea “on the records”, whether they were counted alone, whether they were counted with Israel, “shall give the LORD’s offering,” and even though in the Torah portion of "אלה פקודי"/”These are the records [of the Tabernacle],” it is written (Exodus 38:25): “The silver of those of the community who were recorded,” for six-hundred and three-thousand [and five-hundred and fifty men]” (Exodus 38:26). That is written for the Terumah of the sockets, but for that Terumah, the Levites did not take part, but the Terumah of the community sacrifices, the Kohanim, Levites and Israelites were equal.

לעצמן – for their benefit, but this is not for a homily, for specifically, in the meal offering of the Kohen alone, the Biblical verse stated (Leviticus 6:16) : “[So, too, every meal offering of a priest] shall be a whole offering”/"כליל תהיה" - and not with that which has the participation with the community. But the Halakah is that the Kohanim are obligated to bring the one-half Shekel and we don’t exact pledges from them for the sake of peace (see end of Mishnah 3).

מקבלין מידם – and with the condition that they will hand them over to the community completely for just as a community sacrifice is not offered by an individual.

קיני זבים וזבות – turtle-doves and young pigeons that men with flux and women with discharges bring and it speaks of Cutheans alone, for men with flux and women with discharges are not with idolaters.

כל שהוא נידר ונידב מקבלין מידם – as it teaches in a Baraitha (Talmud Menahot 73b): (Leviticus 22:18): “When any man (איש איש) [of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering for any of the votive or any of the freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD],” to include the non-Jews who offer votive or freewill offerings like an Israelite. But I don’t have anything other than a burnt offering, as it is written (Leviticus 22:18): “that they present a burnt offering as his offering”. From where do I learn peace offerings? The inference teaches us “for any of the votive”. From were do we include the bird offerings and the meal offerings and the wine and the frankincense and the wood? The inference teaches us: “for any of the votive or any of the freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD.”

וכן הוא מפורש על ידי עזרא – for the Cutheans wanted to assist them (i.e., the Jews), and they sent to them (Ezra 4:2): “Let us build with you, for we too worship your God [having offered sacrifices to Him since the time of Esarhaddon of Assyria who brought us here].” What did they respond to them? (Ezra 4:3): “It is not for you and for us to build a House [to our God, but we alone will build it to the LORD God of Israel, In accord with the charge that the king, King Cyrus of Persia, laid upon us]” together to our God, for you have no portion or righteousness or memory in Jerusalem.