1)

(a)The Mishnah permits substituting the half-Sh'kalim for Darchonos. the Tana is speaking about - a Shali'ach who is transporting the town's half-Shekalim to Yerushalayim.

(b)Darchonos are - golden coins (See Tiferes Yisrael).

(c)The Chachamim permitted it - because of the Tircha (trouble) of transporting so many half-Shekalim to Yerushalayim.

2)

(a)The Shofros that they put up in the Azarah were - collecting-boxes wide at the bottom (like a Shofar), narrow on top (to prevent pilfering), into which the people who arrived in Yerushalayim for Pesach placed their half-Shekel.

(b)They were introduced - by Yehoyada the Kohen Gadol.

(c)They put them up - all over Yerushalayim (and according to the Rambam, all over Eretz Yisrael).

3)

(a)If the town's half-Shekalim were stolen or lost as they were being transported to Yerushalayim, the Sheluchim, assuming that this happened ...

1. ... after the Terumas ha'Lishkah (taking the money with which to purchase the Korb'nos Tzibur) has taken place - must swear to the Gizbarim (the treasurers of the Beis-ha'Mikdash) that they were not guilty [See Tiferes Yisrael]).

2. ... before the Terumas ha'Lishkah has taken place - must swear to the townspeople who sent them.

(b)Even though Hekdesh is generally not subject to a Shevu'ah - this is a Takanas Chachamim to prevent people from abusing Hekdesh.

(c)The reason for the former ruling is - because, since the T'rumas ha'Lishkah was already taken when the money got lost, it is as if it was already in the domain of Hekdesh.

(d)In the latter case - the townspeople are obligated to collect the money for the Mitzvah all over again.

4)

(a)In the event that the original batch is found or returned by the thieves - both lots of money retain their status of Shekalim (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)Even if the townspeople claim that they now wish the money to be used in place of next year's Machtzis ha'Shekel - their request is ignored and they will be obligated to pay their half-Shekel again when the time arrives.

5)

(a)The Mishnah discusses a case where Re'uven volunteers to take Shimon's half-Shekel to Yerushalayim on this behalf, and then gives it in his own name. He is Mo'el - if the Terumas ha'Lishkah has already been separated (See also question 5b) ...

(b)... because from that moment on, all the half-Shekalim belong to Hekdesh.

(c)The Hana'ah that he receives which serves as the basis of the Me'ilah is - the fact that Hekdesh will no longer take a security from him (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)The ramifications of 'Mo'el' are that he must pay the amount that one benefits plus an extra fifth, and bring an Asham Me'ilos.

6)

(a)The Tana says the same about someone who uses Hekdesh money - (belonging to Bedek ha'Bayis [See Tos. Yom-Tov]) to pay his half-Shekel, but adds one further detail.

(b)The detail he adds is - that they have also purchased an animal with the Terumah and brought it on the Mizbe'ach.

(c)In fact, the same applies to the previous case, and the reason that the Tana did say so is - because he was relying on the Seifa.

(d)The Mishnah must be speaking where the Mo'el thought that the money was his own - because Me'ilah only applies be'Shogeg (See Tiferes Yisrael]).

(e)In both cases, he is not Mo'el even before the animal has been brought - since there is no Me'ilah for transferring Hekdesh to Hekdesh until one performs an act on the second Hekdesh (Tiferes Yisrael). Once the Korban has been brought, it is considered as if the Mo'el purchased the animal with the half-Shekel and brought it on the Mizbe'ach.

7)

(a)In the event that one inadvertently used money of Ma'aser Sheini or of Shevi'is for one's half-Shekel, the Tana rules - 'Yochal ke'Negdo' ...

(b)... which entails bringing a (Chulin half-)Shekel and stipulatin that wherever the the Ma'aser Shein or the Shevi'is is, its Kedushah is duly transferred on to the current coin, with which he purchases 'fruit'.

(c)If the original coin belonged to ...

1. ... Ma'aser Sheini - he must eat the fruit in Yerushalayim with all the Dinim of Ma'aser Sheini.

2. ... Shevi'is - then he eats it with the Dinim of Kedushas Shevi'is.

8)

(a)In a case of 'ha'Mechaneis Ma'os' - (someone who saves P'rutah upon P'rutah), Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel argue over the excess money, who designates the money for his half-Shekel.

(b)According to Beis Shamai, whatever is in excess of half a P'rutah goes to Nedavah - meaning that it is placed into the boxes in the Beis-ha'Mikdash (the Shofros), where it is subsequently used to purchase Olos Kayitz for the Mizbe'ach.

(c)The basis of Beis Shamai's reasoning is - his opinion that 'Hekdesh be'Ta'us (Hekdesh that one declares by mistake) Hekdesh'.

(d)Beis Hillel, on the other hand rule that the excess money is Chulin - seeing as he only intended to declare Hekdesh half a Shekel, and no more (and they hold 'Hekdesh be'Ta'us Eino Hekdesh'.

9)

(a)Beis Shamai concede that the excess money is Chulin - if the owner specifically referred to the coins 'from which I intend to bring my half-Shekel' ...

(b)... because then it is as if he had added that whatever is in excess of his half-Shekel will remain Chulin.

(c)Both Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel agree in a case where the owner declares ...

1. ... 'Eilu le'Chatas' - that then excess money goes to Nedavah, and that if he said ...

2. ... 'she'Avi meihen le'Chatas' - it remains Chulin.

10)

(a)Rebbi Shimon explain Beis Hillel's distinction between Shekalim (Mosaran Chulin) and Chatas (Mosar Nedavah) - by pointing out that whereas the former is fixed (as the Torah writes "The rich man shall not give more, nor the poor man, less"), the latter is not (See Tiferes Yisrael).

(b)Rebbi Yehudah queries Rebbi Shimon - inasmuch as, bearing in mind, the fluctuation of the amount that they used to give (as we shall now see), it would seem that Shekalim are not fixed either.

(c)When they came up from Bavel, he says, they used to give half a Darkon - a gold Median coin worth two Sela'im (or four Shekalim).

(d)They switched from Shekalim to Darkonos - because when they returned from Galus Bavel, it replaced Shekalim as the local currency.

11)

(a)They changed from Darkonos to Sela'im - when, with the downfall of the kingdom of Madai, the Median currency became extInct.

(b)The significance of the half-Sela that they then proceeded to give - is the fact that it is equivalent to the half-Shekel that they gave in the days of Moshe (See Tiferes Yisrael).

(c)Later still, the coinage changed from Sela'im to Teva'im, better-known as - half a Shekel.

(d)To fulfill the Mitzvah, they then wanted to give - half of that (a quarter of a Shekel).

(e)The Chachamim did not allow them to do so however - because although one is permitted to add to the initial Machtzis ha'Shekel (according to local currency), one is not permitted to subtract from it.

12)

(a)Rebbi Shimon countered Rebbi Yehudah by pointing out that Shekalim is nevertheless fixed - in that, irrespective of the how much the half-Shekel was worth, everybody gave the same amount, which was not the case with regard to Chatas)

(b)At the end of the day, Beis Hillel's reason for his distinction is - exactly as Rebbi Shimon teaches.

13)

(a)When the Mishnah writes 'Mosar Ma'os Shekalim', it means - is referring to the leftover money that a person accumulated for his half-Shekel.

(b)This is a S'tam Mishnah like Beis Hillel (whom we cited earlier in the Perek).

(c)The Mishnah now rules that the leftover money of Asiris ha'Eifah ... Kinei Zavin ve'Zavos ... Kinei Yoldos ... Chata'os and Ashamos" - goes to Nedavah (Olos Kayitz ha'Mizbe'ach).

(d)The principle that governs all of the above - is that 'all leftover of a Chatas and an Asham go to Nedavah.

14)

(a)'Mosar Asiris ha'Eifah' is - the leftovers of a Korban Oleh ve'Yoreid (be'Dalei Dalus).

(b)Even though Asiris ha'Eifah is a Minchah, the Tana nevertheless inserts it in this list - since it comes in place of a Chatas, it is essentially a Chatas.

15)

(a)Mosar ...

1. ... Olah - is brought as an Olah (on behalf of the owner) and by the same tokem, Mosar ...

2. ... Minchah - Minchah ...

3. ... Shelamim - Shelamim, and Mosar ...

4. ... Pesach - Shelamim.

(b)Leftover money that ...

1. ... is collected for the Korbanos of Nezirim (See Tos. Yom-Tov) goes to - Nezirim.

2. ... a Nazir saved up for his own Korbanos - goes to Nedavah.

(c)What happens to money that Gaba'ei Tzedakah collected for ...

1. ... Aniyim - goes to the poor.

2. ... a specific Ani - goes to him ...

(d)... and the Tana draws the same distinction between money that has been collected on behalf of captives and money that has been collected on behalf of a specific captive.

16)

(a)In similar vein, the Mishnah rules 'Mosar ha'Meisim, le'Meisim', and according to the Tana Kama, 'Mosar ha'Meis' - goes to the deceased's heirs ...

(b)... because we assess that that is what he would want us to do with it.

(c)Rebbi ...

1. ... Meir says that it should be put away until Eliyahu comes - because we are not sure what the deceased would want us to do with it.

2. ... Nasan says that it should be used to put up a tombstone on the grave of the deceased (See Tos. Yom-Tov) - because we assess that he would not be willing to forego his own Kavod in favor of his heirs.

(d)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

17)

(a)Money that has been collected for the burial needs of a person whom they thought was poor, but who, they subsequently discovered, left behind sufficient funds for his own burial - is returned to the donors ...

(b)... because it was collected in error.

(c)In spite of our Mishnah, we permit leftover money that was collected for captives, the poor or the deceased to be changed - at the hand of the seven committee members or the head of the community who gives the final word for all matters that concern the community ...

(d)... who are permitted to change it for - whatever they see fit.