Halachah 1 – Uses of Terumat HaLishkah
The funds of Terumat HaLishkah were used to purchase the daily communal offerings, the additional offerings of Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and festivals, and all other communal sacrifices. These funds also paid for the accompanying wine libations, the salt used on sacrifices, wood for the altar when necessary, the ingredients and preparation of the incense, the showbread, the Omer offering, the Two Loaves offered on Shavuot, the Red Heifer, the Yom Kippur scapegoat, and the scarlet thread used in that service.
Halachah 2 – Expenses Not Paid from Terumat HaLishkah
Certain offerings were not purchased from Terumat HaLishkah, including the communal sin offering brought when the Sanhedrin mistakenly ruled incorrectly and the communal offerings brought for idolatry. The main curtains of the Sanctuary were funded through Bedek HaBayit funds because they were considered part of the structure itself, while curtains covering gates were purchased from Terumat HaLishkah. The Menorah and other sacred vessels were normally funded from surplus libation revenue, but if such funds were unavailable, they could be purchased from Terumat HaLishkah. Priestly garments were also funded from Terumat HaLishkah.
Halachah 3 – Libations for Found Animals and Gentile Offerings
Animals found in Jerusalem and its surroundings were generally offered as burnt offerings. The accompanying wine libations for these sacrifices came from Terumat HaLishkah. Similarly, when a gentile sent a burnt offering to the Temple without providing funds for the wine libations, those libations were supplied from the communal treasury.
Halachah 4 – Special Expenses Paid from Terumat HaLishkah
If a convert died after setting aside sacrificial animals but did not provide funds for their libations, those libations were supplied from Terumat HaLishkah. If a High Priest died before a replacement was appointed, his daily meal offering continued to be funded from these communal funds. The salaries of experts who inspected blemishes, teachers of Temple laws, and women involved in raising children for the Red Heifer service also came from Terumat HaLishkah, with the court determining their compensation.
Halachah 5 – Protecting Produce in the Sabbatical Year
During the Sabbatical year, all produce was ownerless. The court therefore hired guards to protect grain that would be needed for the Omer offering and the Two Loaves. Since these offerings had to come from the new crop, special measures were necessary to ensure suitable grain remained available. The guards’ wages were paid from Terumat HaLishkah.
Halachah 6 – Why the Guards Had to Be Paid
Volunteers were not permitted to guard the produce for free. The Sages required that official paid guards be appointed so that people would recognize the produce as protected and would not seize it. Their wages came from Temple funds.
Halachah 7 – Salaries of Temple Scribes and Judges
The scribes who examined Torah scrolls in Jerusalem and the judges who handled cases of theft and robbery received their salaries from Terumat HaLishkah. Their standard salary was ninety maneh per year. If that was insufficient for their living expenses, additional support was provided for them and their households.
Halachah 8 – Projects Funded by Sheyarei HaLishkah
The surplus funds remaining in the treasury chamber, known as Sheyarei HaLishkah, were used for public construction and infrastructure projects. These included the ramps used for the Red Heifer and the Yom Kippur scapegoat, improvements to the altar and Temple courts, Jerusalem’s water system, city walls, towers, and municipal needs. Contributions from gentiles for these projects were not accepted because the rebuilding and maintenance of Jerusalem and the Temple belonged exclusively to the Jewish people.
Halachah 9 – The Surplus Funds Were Used for Burnt Offerings
Any money left over from Terumat HaLishkah or Sheyarei HaLishkah was used to purchase male animals for burnt offerings. These offerings were called “Kayitz HaMizbe’ach” (“the dessert of the altar”), because they were brought whenever the altar would otherwise be idle. Doves were not purchased because communal burnt offerings were brought only from animals.
Halachah 10 – When Bedek HaBayit Funds May Be Used
If the half-shekel collections did not provide enough money for communal sacrifices, funds designated for Temple maintenance could be redirected to cover the shortage. The reverse was not allowed: money designated for sacrifices could not be diverted to building repairs and maintenance.
Halachah 11 – The New Collection Begins on Rosh Chodesh Nisan
Beginning with Rosh Chodesh Nisan, all communal sacrifices should ideally be funded from the new year’s half-shekel collection. If the new funds had not yet arrived, the previous year’s collection could temporarily be used. Animals purchased for daily offerings from the prior year’s collection that remained unused when Nisan arrived were redeemed and the proceeds transferred to the fund used for supplementary altar offerings.
Halachah 12 – The Remaining Incense at the Start of the New Year
When Rosh Chodesh Nisan arrived, any remaining incense from the previous year had to be transferred into the new year’s accounting system. The sanctity of the incense was first transferred to money designated for the artisans who prepared it. The artisans then received the incense as payment and sold it back to the Temple using funds from the new half-shekel collection. This ensured that the incense offered after Nisan was considered purchased from the current year’s contributions rather than the previous year’s treasury.