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2 [1] How would the moneychangers collect the shekalim? In each and every city, they positioned two chests before them. The bottoms of the chests were wide, and the tops narrow like a shofar, so that the money could be deposited in them, but could not be removed from them easily.
Why did they have two chests? One to deposit the [half-]shekalim of the present year, and one to deposit the [half-]shekalim of the previous year, for [the collectors] would demand payment from the people who did not give in the previous year. [2] In the Temple, there were always thirteen chests, each chest [shaped] like a shofar. The first chest was for the shekalim of the present year; the second for the shekalim of the previous year; the third was for all those who where obligated to bring an offering of two turtle doves or two common doves, one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering. The funds [for these offerings] were deposited in this chest.
The fourth was for those who were obligated to bring [doves] as a burnt offering only. They would deposit the funds [for these offerings] in this chest. The fifth was for those who volunteered to buy wood for the altar; the sixth, for those who donated money [to purchase] frankincense; the seventh, for those who donated gold for the covering [of the ark].
The eighth was for the [money that] remains after [purchasing] a sin-offering - i.e., a person set aside funds [to use to purchase] a sin-offering, and money remained after purchasing it. Those funds were deposited in this [chest].
The ninth was for the [money that] remains after [purchasing] a guilt-offering; the tenth, for the [money that] remains after [purchasing] the pairs [of doves necessary] for [the offerings of] *zavim, zavot*, and women after childbirth; the eleventh, for the [money that] remains after [purchasing] the offerings of a nazirite; the twelfth, for the [money that] remains after [purchasing] the guilt offering of a leper; the thirteenth, for a person who pledged money for an animal [to be brought] as a burnt offering. [3] The [purpose] for each category for which the funds in the chest were used was written on the outside of the chest. The court stipulated that all the monies that remained after the purchase of sacrifices for which they were designated should be used to offer animals as burnt offerings.
It thus follows that all the funds in the latter six chests were used [to purchase] animals for burnt offerings. Their hides belonged to the priests, as did the hides [of other burnt offerings]. All the funds in the third chest were to be used to purchase doves: half of them burnt offerings, and half of them sin offerings. All [the funds in] the fourth [chest] were to be used to purchase doves to be sacrificed as burnt offerings. [4] When the shekalim were collected from each and every city, they were sent to the Temple with emissaries. They might be exchanged for golden *dinarim*, so that [they would not become a] burden on the journey. [All the funds] were amassed in the Temple.
They were placed in one of the chambers of the Temple. All the doors to the chamber were closed [under lock and] key, and then they were covered with seals. All the shekalim that were collected there [were stored] in three large baskets. Each of the baskets was large enough to contain nine *seah*. The remainder [of the money] was left in the chamber.
The money in the baskets was referred to as *terumat halishcah* ("[the funds of] the chamber that were set aside"). [The funds that] remained besides [the funds] stored in the baskets were referred to as *sheyarei halishcah* ("the remainder within the chamber"). [5] On three occasions during the year funds were taken from this chamber: On Rosh Chodesh Nisan, on either the day before or the day after the festival of Rosh Chodesh Tishrei, and fifteen days before Shavuot.
How is the money set aside? One person enters the chamber, while the guards stand outside. He asks them: "Should I set aside the funds?" They answer him: "Set them aside; set them aside; set them aside," [repeating the answer] three times.
The person then filled three smaller baskets, each containing three *seah*, from [the funds in] the three large baskets. He then took the money outside to use it until it was depleted. Afterwards, he returned and refilled the three small baskets from the three large baskets a second time before Shavuot. The money was then used until it was depleted. [6] In Tishrei, he returned a third time, filled [the three small baskets] from the three large baskets, and used the funds until they were exhausted [or] until Rosh Chodesh Nisan. On Rosh Chodesh Nisan, [funds] were set aside from the new collection.
If the funds in the three large containers were insufficient and were exhausted before the month of Nisan, they would set aside other funds from the remainder within the chamber. [7] The three smaller baskets into which the funds were set aside and taken outside were labeled *alef, bet, gimmel*. [In this manner,] he would know to take [the funds] from the first until they were exhausted, and then to take from the second, and then to take from the third.
He should fill the first basket from the first large basket, and then cover the large basket with a handkerchief. Afterwards, he should fill the second basket from the second large basket and then cover the large basket with a handkerchief, and then the third basket from the third large basket.
He does not cover this large basket with a handkerchief, thus making it apparent that he concluded with it. And he would begin with it when he entered a second time before Shavuot. At that time, he would first set aside [the funds] from the large basket that was uncovered, and then he covered it. He then set aside from the large basket from which he had taken [the funds] first on the previous occasion, and covered it. He would then take funds from the large basket that is next to it.
He would not cover this basket, so that [he would know] to start from it in Tishrei, the third time he entered. Thus, he would have placed [funds] into the first, second, and third of the small baskets from each of the large baskets. [8] When he placed the funds in these three [small] baskets, he placed the funds in the first basket on behalf of [the inhabitants of] *Eretz Yisrael*; in the second basket, on behalf of [the inhabitants of] the walled cities surrounding *Eretz Yisrael,* and on behalf of [the inhabitants of] the totality of *Eretz Yisrael*; and in the third basket, on behalf of [the inhabitants of] Babylonia, on behalf of [the inhabitants of] Media, on behalf of [the inhabitants of] other distant countries, and on behalf of the remainder of the Jewish people. [9] When he set aside the funds, he had the intention of including [all those whose shekalim] had been collected and were present in the chamber, [all those whose shekalim] had been collected and had not reached the chamber, and [all those whose shekalim] would be collected in the future.
[In this manner,] the shekalim that he set aside to use [to purchase the sacrifices] would serve as atonement for the entire Jewish people. It is as if their shekalim had already reached the chamber, and were included in the money that was set aside. [10] When the person entered to set aside the funds, he should not enter wearing a garment in which he could hide money, nor wearing shoes or sandals, nor wearing tefillin or an amulet, lest the people suspect that he hid funds from the chamber underneath them when he set aside the funds. And they would talk to him [continuously] from the time he entered until the time he departed, so that he could not place [a coin] in his mouth.
Even though all these safeguards were taken, a poor person or someone who craved money should not [be appointed to] set aside these funds. [In this way,] the matter will not arouse suspicion, thus [fulfilling the advice of Numbers 32:22]: "You shall be blameless before God and before Israel."
Version: Mishneh Torah, trans. by Eliyahu Touger. Jerusalem, Moznaim Pub. c1986-c2007
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001020101/NLI
License: CC-BY-NC