the people living in the distant countries.

GEMARA: It was taught in the mishna that the members of the house of Rabban Gamliel would arrange that their shekels be the ones collected from the chamber and used for the purchase of the communal offerings. The Gemara asks: If there were two piles of produce, and one separated teruma from one pile on behalf of the other, hasn't he exempted with this teruma the other pile as well? When tithing produce, it is not necessary to separate teruma from each pile. It suffices to set aside an appropriate measure of teruma from one of them, and this counts as teruma for the other as well. Here too, the shekels are collected from the chamber not only on behalf of those who contributed those specific shekels, but even for those whose shekels were not collected. If so, why did the members of the house of Rabban Gamliel make such efforts to ensure that their shekels be the ones collected from the chamber? The Gemara answers: Even so, they got satisfaction from the fact that the communal offering was necessarily brought from their shekels first. For this reason, they exerted themselves to ensure that their shekels were collected from the chamber.

The Gemara records several halakhot dealing with the collection of funds from the Temple treasury chamber. It was taught in a baraita: If the one collecting the funds from the chamber mistakenly removed the leather covers that he had placed on the large baskets, so that now he doesn't know from which baskets shekels have already been collected and from which they have not yet been collected, all the shekels in the uncovered baskets take on the status of the remainder of the chamber. It was taught in another baraita: The third collection of funds from the Temple treasury chamber that took place half a month before Sukkot was the most abundant of all, as it contained both isteriot, small coins of gold, and darics, large coins of gold.

It was taught in yet another baraita: He collected funds from the first basket on behalf of the people living in Eretz Yisrael and on behalf of all of Israel; from the second basket on behalf of the people living in the cities [kerakim] near Eretz Yisrael and on behalf of all of Israel; and from the third basket on behalf of the people living in Babylonia and Media, and on behalf of those who dwelled in the distant countries, and on behalf of all of Israel. The Gemara discusses the order in which the funds are taken from the baskets. It was taught in a baraita: After shekels were first taken from the first basket labeled with an alef, although shekels still remain in the first basket, shekels are taken from the second basket labeled with a beit. After shekels were taken from the second basket, although shekels still remain in the second basket, shekels are taken from the third basket labeled with a gimmel. If the third basket is completely emptied, he goes back to take from the second basket. If the second basket is completely emptied, he goes back to take from the first basket. If all three baskets are completely emptied, he goes back to the chamber and takes from the shekels that have arrived since the last time shekels were collected from the chamber. He does not take from the shekels that remained in the chamber at the previous ceremony of collection into the baskets, as those coins acquired at that point the status of leftover shekels, which do not have sanctity. Rabbi Meir says: He goes back to take from the leftover shekels. Because Rabbi Meir said: The halakhot of misusing consecrated property apply even to the leftover shekels, as they remain in their sanctified state. Why so? Perhaps they will be needed in the end, since if the shekels collected from the chamber are depleted, the leftover can be used for the purchase of communal offerings.

§ Since the previous mishna deals with the obligation to be guiltless even in the eyes of men and this mishna speaks of the alacrity displayed by the members of the house of Rabban Gamliel when they gave their shekels, the Gemara brings a baraita dealing with worthy traits, including the trait of alacrity: And so Rabbi Pineḥas ben Yair would say: Alacrity in the proper performance of the mitzvot leads to cleanliness of the soul, so that one will not sin. Cleanliness of the soul and refraining from all sin leads to purity, so that one purifies his soul from his previous sins. Purity leads to holiness. Holiness leads to humility, as one recognizes his lowliness. Humility leads to fear of sin, because when one recognizes his inferiority, he becomes more fearful of sin and is careful to avoid temptation. Fear of sin leads to piety, as one begins to impose upon himself stringencies beyond the letter of the law. Piety leads to the holy spirit, because when one acts in a manner that goes beyond the letter of the law, Heaven acts with him in a way that is not natural to man, and informs him of the secrets of the Torah through divine inspiration. The holy spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, because the spirit of holiness and purity that descend upon him enter the bones of the deceased and resurrect them. The resurrection of the dead that will precede the arrival of the Messiah leads to the coming of the Prophet Elijah, of blessed memory, who will herald the upcoming redemption. The Gemara adduces proof texts for each of the previous statements: Alacrity leads to cleanliness of the soul, as it is written: "And when he has made an end of atoning" (Leviticus 16:20). "He has made an end" denotes alacrity; since one hastens to bring the process to conclusion, he achieves atonement, which cleanses the souls of sinners of their iniquities. Cleanliness leads to purity, as it is written with regard to the offering that a woman brings after her days of impurity and purity that follow childbirth (Leviticus 12): "And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be pure" (Leviticus 12:8). Once she finishes the process of her atonement, that is to say, once she cleanses herself of sin, she reaches purity. Purity leads to holiness, as it is written with regard to the High Priest's sprinkling of the blood of his bull and goat offerings on the golden altar on Yom Kippur: "And he shall purify it, and hallow it" (Leviticus 16:19), teaching that purity is followed by holiness. Holiness leads to humility, as it is written: "For thus says the High and Lofty One that inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell on high and in a holy place, yet with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15). God's holiness is drawn to a contrite and humble spirit. Humility leads to fear of sin, as it is written: "The reward of humility is the fear of the Lord" (Proverbs 22:4). Fear of sin leads to piety, as it is written: "But the loving-kindness [ḥesed] of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him" (Psalms 103:17). The recognition of God's loving-kindness indicates piety [ḥasidut], which results from fear of God. Piety leads to the holy spirit, as it is written: "Then You spoke in vision to Your pious ones" (Psalms 89:20). The holy spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, as it is written: "And I shall put My spirit in you, and you shall live" (Ezekiel 37:14). The resurrection of the dead leads to the coming of the Prophet Elijah, of blessed memory, as it is written: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord" (Malachi 3:23). The day referred to here is the day of the resurrection of the dead. The Gemara concludes the chapter with a different discussion of virtues: It was taught in a baraita in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone who lives permanently in Eretz Yisrael, and speaks the holy tongue, and eats the fruits of Eretz Yisrael in purity, and recites Shema in the morning and in the evening, will receive the tidings and assurances that he is one who has merited of the World-to-Come.

Halakha 1 · MISHNA At certain times of the year, half-shekels that had been donated to the Temple and stored in a chamber in the Temple were collected in order to be used for various purposes. The mishna asks: The collection of half-shekels, what would they do with it? They would purchase animals for the daily offerings, which were offered each morning and afternoon; and for the additional offerings, which were offered on Shabbat, the New Moon, and Festivals; and wine for their libations; barley for the omer meal-offering; and wheat for both the two loaves offered on Shavuot and the shewbread; and animals for all the communal offerings. § The guards of the sefiḥin, grain that grew without being purposely planted, during the Sabbatical Year, ensured that people did not take this ownerless grain, so that it remained available to be used for the omer and the offering of the two loaves. They collect their wages from the collection of the Temple treasury chamber. Rabbi Yosei says: One who so desires may even volunteer his services and guard the grain as an unpaid bailee. The Rabbis said to him: Even you must say that the omer and the two loaves come only