THE TEMPLE AS AN ECONOMIC CENTER

by Rav Elitzur Segal

(translated by Aharon Halamish)

first article in a series

We principally think of the Temple as a spiritual center.

However, there is another side, which we normally disregard, that the Temple was also a very powerful economic center, through which a tremendous amount of money passed. As an economic center, it bought and sold agricultural produce - plants, spices, wine, metals, woven materials and also animals. The center also dealt with problems of employing workers, including strikes, medical insurance, the devotion of workers and their good name, and also put out tenders for suppliers, transferred money and expensive materials in guarded caravans, was damaged by thieves and all kinds of robbers, and employed many means of collecting debts applied against those who refused to pay.

a) Constant income - the half shekel

The financial year of the Temple commenced on the first of the month of Nissan. According to the Mishna, in the Shkalim tractate, on this date they started using income from the new year and financial surpluses from the previous year were transferred for other uses.

Which income arrived on the first of Nissan?

Every Jewish male from the age of thirteen years and one day and above was obligated to pay half a shekel to the Temple. The value of this coin is about between seven and ten grams of pure silver. At today's prices - about ten NIS. In the year 1984, the government company for medallions and coins issued, with the blessing of the Chief Rabbis of that time, the Rav Shlomo Goren and the Rav Ovadia Yosef, a coin, a remembrance of the half shekel, which compared with the ancient coin of half a shekel. This coin is made from ten grams of pure silver and about two additional grams of another metal, and its price is 75 NIS, not because of the value of the metal, but because of its neumistic value in following years.

Women and minors are not obligated to pay the half shekel. However, if they gave it, it is received from them. A minor, whose father began giving the half shekel on his behalf for one year, is not permitted to stop giving, and must continue to give on his behalf.

Gentiles are not permitted to participate in the half shekel. Even if they gave voluntarily, it is not received from them, because this money is dedicated to public sacrifices for the whole of Israel.

However, a gentile is permitted to give a sacrifice in the Temple of the type "Olat Nedava" (a voluntary sacrifice). He can also make a sacrifice even today to the Almighty anywhere where he builds a platform, this being, however, forbidden for Jews. This is because Jews are only permitted to make sacrifices in the Temple, as I explained in a previous articles in "Yibane Hamikdash" and in "Tchumin".

This amount is, of course, relatively small and it was sufficient only when the organization for collection was very extensive, or when other incomes flowed to the temple. At the beginning of the period of the second temple, this amount was in fact not enough and therefore, for the purpose of the half shekel, a Persian coin was given. This was the "drachon", whose values was four times that of the value of the shekel appearing in the Torah. Over a period of time, the sum was gradually reduced, until the half shekel returned to its original value. For the purpose of the half shekel, all members of Israel are equal. That is to say, no one can say "I shall give a whole shekel or more". He can only give the amount which he is obligated to give. Even during the period when all Israel gave more than half a shekel, an equal amount was given even by women and minors, for whom the giving of half a shekel was voluntary. They are not permitted to add to or to reduce from this amount.

This is because these moneys are dedicated to obligatory sacrifices in which every man from Israel is equal, and no one has a greater privilege than another in the sacrifices.

From this, we learn that the equality of the giving has the meaning that we, Israel, when coming before the Almighty, are all equal in His eyes, with no distinction between a rich or a poor person. Everyone is desirable to the same extent.

It is worthwhile adding, that the individual can not bring, on his own behalf, the permanent sacrifice which is sacrificed every day, for the same reason: everyone from Israel has the same part in the constant sacrifice and no one has preference over anyone else.

On the first of Adar, the announcements were made regarding the obligation to give half a shekel to the Temple for the new year. Even in our period, we read in the Torah, on the Sabbath preceding the new moon of Adar, the portion concerning the half shekel in the Torah, as a remembrance of the Temple. On the 15th of Adar, the money changers in the Temple began setting up their tables - the collection points - in many places. Even in our time, we have the custom of giving charity on the eve of Purim, and this is called "half a shekel", as a remembrance of the Temple.

On the 25th of Adar, the central treasury in the Temple was opened and from this date it began to employ collection methods against those who had not yet paid. The collectors came to the house of the person who had not paid, and took articles as a pledge, in order to guarantee the payment on time of the half shekel. However, the messengers were not permitted to enter the house. The owner of the house would select an article and give it to them as a pledge. If the owner of the house refused to give a pledge to the representatives of the court, they were required to return to the court in order to obtain explicit permission to remove a pledge.

Means of collection were not employed against Cohanim, because of reasons of peace, despite the fact that they were also obligated to give half a shekel, since they themselves were sacrificing the sacrifices. It was enough to apply moral pressure on them.

In general, there was a lack of coins of half a shekel. As a result, the treasurers collected a payment for changing larger coins into the smaller coins of half a shekel. One who gave a coin of a whole shekel and received from the treasury two coins of half a shekel in exchange, was obligated to pay for the exchange process. He paid with a small coin called a "colbon". Even in the case where two people gave a whole shekel for both of them, they were obligated to give a "colbon" to the Temple in addition to the shekel that they gave. However, if someone gave a shekel for himself and for another person who was not obligated by law, he was not charged an extra "colbon". If a man gave a shekel for himself and for his wife, or for himself and for his small child, he did not have to give a "colbon" to the Temple.

After the treasurers collected all the amount that the inhabitants of a particular region were obligated to pay, they sent the money to the Temple in Jerusalem. At this stage, the coins of half a shekel were exchanged for coins of greater value to facilitate transporting them. The messengers carrying the shekels to Jerusalem were considered to be "paid guards". It seems, that the economic center of the Temple had a security company - therefore, as paid guards, they were obligated to report cases of theft and loss and were free of responsibility in the case where it was not their fault. A ship that sank in the sea, for example, or an armed robber, were considered cases of duress. The "security company" whose employees were paid watchmen, were required to take an oath. However, the question arose, to whom were they required to swear, to the treasurers or to the inhabitants of the town, who had contributed the money?

In addition, there was a question of under which conditions would the economic office of the Temple be required to bear the loss and under which conditions would the inhabitants of the region, that had sent the half shekel, have to pay for the loss?

"Three times in a year, the economic office were contributing". In other words, the economic office issued money to the treasurers for current expenses, such as the purchase of animals for sacrifices, Levona, incense, wood, wine, oil, flower, woven material, etc., required by the Temple. How did they take out money for the treasurers?

Three times in a year, money was removed for the office: on the first of Nissan, on the 24th of Iyar and on the 29th of Elul (always 15 days before a festival). They put three boxes into the office, each box having a volume of three "Se'in" (about 9 liters), and they filled it with coins. If the money provided by those who gave half a shekel had been transported by a ship, for example, from Zor to Jerusalem, and unfortunately the ship was sunk or was robbed on the 2nd of Nissan, the "security company" was obligated to swear to the treasurers, since on the first of Nissan, money had already been removed from the office. In other words, those who had sent the money had calculated that the money would arrive for the first transfer (on the first of Nissan) and that all the money would have arrived as a contribution to the office before money was transferred from the office to the treasurers. The money that had already arrived and the money that had not yet arrived despite the fact that those who had given it thought that it would arrive on time, are already considered to be money belonging to the office. This is the principle. Therefore, the loss was caused to the Temple, and the security company had to swear to the treasurers.

However, if the ship had sunk or had been robbed before the first of Nissan, it was considered as if it had not yet been sent to the Temple and had not yet entered the treasury of the Temple, even if it was on its way there. According to this principle, the security company had caused damage to the inhabitants of the town because it had not brought their money to the Temple on the correct date. They therefore had to swear to the inhabitants of the town that they had not carried out a crime, and the inhabitant of the town were obligated to bear the damage and send alternative money to the treasury of the Temple.

We see here an interesting method of solving the problem of claims of negligence. An oath - placing a person against his conscience. Had he been negligent in his guarding. Even today, under suitable conditions, this method of investigating claims of negligence is preferable to the methods employed in law courts, which cause prolongation of cases and blocking of the legal system.

When the moneys arrived at the Temple, they were reconverted into coins of half a shekel and deposited in the central treasury.

It is interesting to note, that according to the New Testament, when Jesus the Christian went up to Jerusalem and saw the money changers in the Temple court, who exchanged the money of the pilgrims for the money required for purchase of the various types of the sacrifices, and the sellers of pigeons who sold pigeons to women who had given birth and were obligated to bring them as a sacrifice, he saw this as profanation of holiness and caused a great commotion in the Temple court. Here we see the tremendous difference between us and Christianity. What he saw as a profanation of holiness, we consider to be greater holiness. Making money and materialism subservient to holiness is the greatest form of holiness.

The half shekel was intended for public sacrifices and money was not deducted from it for other purposes, such as building the walls or making repairs to the Temple. Only at the end of the financial year were the surplus amounts transferred for other purposes.

b) Varying incomes

In addition to the half shekel, the Temple received other amounts on a non-permanent basis. If there was not enough money in the boxes of the half shekel, the other amounts were re-allocated for the purpose of purchasing sacrifices.

What were these moneys?

In the central collection point in the Temple, there were 13 trumpets. These were boxes built in the form of a trumpet, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top. Each box was intended for a different payment of the Temple expenses. The boxes were constructed in this shape so that it would be impossible to steal from them. A person would be unable to put his hand into the box in order to give money, as it were, and at the same time remove a coin of a larger value than that he had given. There were 13 trumpets of this type at all the collection points, that were set up at various places (the tables).

One of the trumpets was for the half shekels of the current year and another for the half shekels of the previous year.

One trumpet was intended for the use of women who had given birth. Such a woman was obligated to bring a pair of doves as a sacrifice, one as an "olah" and the second as a sin offering. The sages referred to this pair of doves as a "nest". Some of the women who had given birth used to come to the Temple in order to see how their sacrifice was being made. However, not all the women who had given birth, even if they lived in Jerusalem, were able to do so. Therefore, a woman who had given birth, who had placed the price of a pair of doves into the box in the Temple - i.e., into the appropriate trumpet - could be sure that by the evening her sacrifice would have been made. In other regions of the country, women who had given birth gave the appropriate amount of money to the Temple treasurers, who made sure that the money was transferred to Jerusalem and used for making sacrifices on behalf of the women.

Another trumpet was used for providing a gold coating in the Temple. Those who had contributed gold for coating the house of the Holy of Holies with gold, gave the gold in the appropriate box. There was no need for daily work using this gold. It was not stored in the treasury, but instead a golden vine was made for it, having leaves, berries, and bunches. This was placed on the entrance to the Temple, apparently because David compared the people of Israel to a vine, in the book of Psalms. When there was need, some of this gold was taken for maintenance work in the Temple.

This vine greatly impressed visitors to the Temple. A Roman historian relates, that he did not know what the Jews worshipped and there were those who believed that they worshipped the God of wine, because of the vine which was placed on the entrance to the Temple. However, he did not believe this, since the ritual to the wine god was accompanied by rejoicing, but the Jews were always very sad - presumably since drunkenness amongst Jews was considered by him to be sadness.

There were other trumpets into which contributions were given for additional purposes, such as wood, incense, etc.

Families who had the franchise for the supply of wood to the Temple, made those days when they went up to Jerusalem to give the wood, into special rejoicing days, which were called "the days of the sacrifice of the wood".

There were also contributions, not made through the trumpets. Contributions were made to the Temple even of such things as building materials. It is related of Rabi Hanina, that all the inhabitants of his town brought sacrifices to the Temple and he did not have anything to give. He took a stone, engraved it, and wished to take it up to Jerusalem, but did not succeed in hiring workers at a price which he could afford. The Almighty arranged five angels for him in human shape, who only requested five "Sla'im", whose value today is about 20 NIS, and they took his stone up to Jerusalem. When he wished to pay their wages, they vanished. They told him in the hewn stone chamber: it appears that the serving angels brought your stone to Jerusalem. He gave to the sages the money that he had wished to pay to the angels.

There was also an office for vessels in the Temple, where vessels contributed to the Temple were stored. Every 30 days, the treasurer entered and examined the vessels. Vessels that were needed for the Temple, were put into current use. Vessels that were not needed, were auctioned every month - the person who offered the greatest amount bought it.

In general, the Temple operated in a way that today we would call correct administration. Everything that had been dedicated but was not required immediately, was auctioned - the person who made the greatest offer bought it.

It should be emphasized, that the Temple itself was also obligated to participate in these auctions and it would make the first offer. The minimum price that it was permitted to offer was four Prutot - at today's prices a coin of ten Agorot. The reason was, that if the owners themselves redeemed the article, they had to give an additional fifth. Therefore, in order that there would be significance to the fifth, they had to offer a price for which the additional amount was one Pruta.

This is the place to point out that the Halachic fifth was an overall fifth, which included the amount paid. That is to say, a quarter. For example: the fifth of a shekel is 25 agorot and not 20 agorot. This is because the fifth is calculated as a fifth of 125 agorot, that is to say, a fifth of 125%. In the language of the sages, "a Malbar fifth", from outside.

All the amounts, apart of course from those that were dedicated to voluntary sacrifices, were used for renovation of the Temple - that is, for the maintenance work of the Temple. Surpluses were used for improving the appearance of Jerusalem, and repairing and renovating roads, used by the pilgrims when going up to Jerusalem.

The obligatory sacrifices were financed only from the half shekels - no one from Israel was able to say that his contribution to the obligatory sacrifices was greater than anyone else's.

In addition, the Temple also dealt with social security. It had a special office, where money was contributed for charity. The treasurers from this office looked after poor people of a good background, secretly. In the following articles, we shall see the deep involvement of the Temple in the social welfare policy of the entire country.

Next Article

IN THE NEWS

IINS News Headlines February 23, 1998.. 27 Shvat 5758.. Volume III, Number 385

JEWISH WORSHIPER ARRESTED ON TEMPLE MOUNT

According to a VIF News Agency report, Assaf Yafin, a member of the Chai Vekaiyam organization was placed under arrest yesterday, while silently praying on the Temple Mount of Jerusalem's Old City yesterday.

Yehuda Etzion, founder of the Chai Vekaiyam organization stated that the arrest of a Jew, by Israeli police, for praying in Jerusalem was outrageous and unacceptable and he called for Freedom of Worship for Israel's Jewish population.

IINS News Headlines February 23, 1998.. 27 Shvat 5758.. Volume III, Number 386

MORE ARRESTS FOR ATTEMPTS AT JEWISH PRAYER ON TEMPLE MOUNT

Chai Vekaiyam member Shlomo Neiman was arrested by police this morning as he tried to pray on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, the holiest site to the Jewish people.

Yesterday, another Chai Vekaiyam member was taken into custody for having begun to pray while he was on the Mount.

Chai Vekaiyam vows to continue its struggle to ensure Freedom of Worship for Jews in Israel, stated the organization's founder and director, Yehuda Etzion.

CORRESPONDENCE

Yirmi:

In your response to my e-mail you wrote that HaTenu'ah LeChinun HaMikdash has dealings with the Islamic Waqaf at times. For what type of matters do you deal with them?

Lastly, are there any publications of HaTenu'ah LeChinun HaMikdash available in English? (i.e. books or videos)

All the best!

Paul,

Paul

The Ministry of Religions in the Israeli government is required by (secular) Israeli Law to divide the authority of holy places among the Chief Rabbinate (representing the Jewish religion) and the Waqaf (representing Islam). Since the Chief Rabbinate does not exercise its rights over the Temple Mount, the Islamic Waqaf has defacto control. In such a situation, those acting on the Temple Mount are forced to deal with the Islamic Waqaf.

This publication and the web site are the Tenu'ah's most extensive collection of material in English. We would like to print this and other material once we find a publisher who will print it for us inexpensively and/or we acquire more resources.

Chazak ve-ematz,

yirmi

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