Siman - Shekalim Daf 12

• המקדיש נכסיו

The next Mishnah states, המקדיש נכסיו – If one is makdish his possessions without specifying whether they are for the mizbei’ach or for the bedek habayis, and among them were animals suitable for the mizbei’ach, Rebbe Eliezer says, the males should be sold for the needs of olah offerings and the females should be sold for the needs of shelamim, and their proceeds should go, together with the rest of his possessions, for the upkeep of the Beis Hamikdash . Rebbe Eliezer holds סתם הקדש לבדק הבית – that when someone is makdish without stating his intentions, the consecration is assumed to be for Temple upkeep. Rebbe Yehoshua says the males themselves should be offered as olos, and the females should be sold for the needs of shelamim offerings, and with their proceeds one should bring olos, and the rest of the possessions should fall to the bedek habayis. The Tiklin Chaditin explains that Rebbe Yehoshua holds that stam hekdesh of an animal fit for the mizbei’ach is assumed to be for the mizbei’ach. Therefore, if the animals are male, they should be brought as olos. He also holds that the person’s intent was to offer them in their entirety as olos. Therefore, female animals which cannot be brought as olos, are sold, and their proceeds are used to purchase olos.

• The source for סתם הקדשות לבדק הבית

Rebbe Yochanan said that the basis for Rebbe Eliezer’s ruling that even animals consecrated without specification have their proceeds go for bedek habayis, comes from the parsha of redemptions. The passuk states, ואיש כי יקדש את ביתו קדש לה' – And if a man consecrates his house to be holy to Hashem, the Kohen shall evaluate it. ביתו – His house, cannot be referring to a dwelling place, because a dwelling place is written in the next passuk, ואם מקדיש יגאל את ביתו – If the consecrator will redeem his house. Rather we are dealing in this passuk with one who is makdish his property, meaning his possessions. The passuk then states, קדש לה' – holy to Hashem, מכן שסתם הקדשות לבדק הבית – From here we derive that unspecified consecrations are for the upkeep of the Temple.

• The source for Rebbe Yehoshua that unspecified consecrations endow animals as olos

Rebbe Zeira said in the name of Rebbe Shimon ben Lakish the reason that Rebbe Yehoshua rules that the nonspecific consecration of animals fit for the mizbei’ach endows them with the kedushah of olos. The passuk states, דבר אל אהרן ואל בניו ואל כל בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם איש איש מבית ישראל...אשר יקריב לה' לעולה – Speak to Aharon and his sons and to all Bnei Yisroel and say to them: Any man of the House of Yisroel…who will bring his offering…to Hashem as an olah. This teaches us that הכל קרב לעולה – all animals which are a type that can be offered upon the mizbei’ach, are brought as olos, unless otherwise specified. The next passuk states, לרצנכם תמים זכר – To be favorable to you, it must be an unblemished male. One might think that this applies only to males. The passuk therefore states, בבקר – from the cattle, in order to include females. The Tiklin Chaditin explains that both male and female animals are called cattle.