BSD
Shkolim 5b
Shvat 6, 5784. January 16, 2024
Short notes for this week:
1- We discussed the topic of what happens on Rosh Chodesh Nisan, when the first batch is used by the גזברים to purchase animals used on that day.
We spoke about it last week and now, to clarify, we gave an example if worldwide, there are 10 million eligible מחצית השקל donors.
However, by Rosh Chodesh Nisan only 8 million have arrived. One million has been donated but has not arrived to Yerusholayim, The other million has yet to be donated – it eventually will be donated and arrive by the end of Adar of next year.
The גזברין need to have in mind, when taking some of the 8 million in the pot, also the other 2 million that have not arrived. They are donating for them as well.
כשהוא תורם מתכוין לתרום על הגבוי שיש בלשכה. ועל הגבוי שעדיין לא הגיע ללשכה. ועל העתיד לגבות כדי שיהיו אלו השקלים שהוציאן להסתפק מהן כפרה על ישראל וכאילו הגיעו כל שקליהן ללשכה ונתרמה מהן תרומה זו:
2- The Maharil uses this concept, of the גזברין donating for people that have donated yet, on a totally different topic.
The ראשונים write a הלכה which seems difficult to understand.
When giving מעשר כספים, a tenth of what one earned, one needs first to earn the profit. Meaning, whenever one makes a חשבון of the amount he was blessed with, he needs to donate 10% to צדקה
[We glanced over this מצוה and the discussion of whether it is מדאורייתא, מדרבנן or a מנהג]
Now say the year begins and no profit has yet been earned. A poor person knocks on the door and asks for a donation. You have not earned yet and therefore have no מעשר money to give him.
The ראשונים (also in the שלחן ערוך- YD 257, 5) suggests you do the following:
Give him money as a ‘loan’. Technically he needs to repay you.
When BEH, your earnings arrive at a later date, you take these earnings, designate 10% of them as מעשר and then ‘pay’ yourself back the loan.
Once the loan is ‘paid back’ the עני owes you nothing since you have been repaid!
3- In theory it makes sense. But, the מהרי”ל was asked, at the time of the loan, you have not earned your profit yet and not obligated to give מעשר, – so how can you give it then as מעשר? It’s a דבר שלא בא לעולם!
One cannot say: the apples in this bushel are תרומה for the apples that will grow in a few months time!
The מהרי”ל first answers that as opposed to תרומה that is מן התורה,
מעשר כספים is מדרבנן
Additionally, he uses the concept of the גזברין above to explain this הלכה.
The גזברין have the power to consider the future arrival of the שקלים as if they have arrived.
