In this lesson we will learn the first Mishnah of chapter five of Maseches Shekalim. The Mishnah lists the officers who served in the Beis HaMikdash - the men appointed to defined positions in the Temple service, each one placed in charge of a particular area.
"Eilu hen hamemunin shehayu bamikdash": These are the officers who served in the Beis HaMikdash:
"Yochanan ben Pinchas al hachosamos" - in charge of the seals. A seal was a kind of ticket, and he would sell tickets for certain offerings. The subject of the seals will be explained further on, in Mishnah 3 and Mishnah 4 of this chapter.
"Achiyah al hanesachim" - in charge of the libations. As we will see further on, along with the offerings a person was required to bring wine and a meal offering, and he would supply these items.
"Masisyah ben Shmuel al hapayasos" - in charge of the lotteries. The payis was the lottery held to determine who would perform which tasks and which services in the Temple.
"Pesachyah al hakinin" - in charge of the kinin. The word literally means nests, but it refers to the bird offerings that were brought. Since bird offerings can become extremely complicated, an entire tractate is devoted to them - Maseches Kinim - which discusses the questions that arise regarding them. The Mishnah continues and reveals: "Pesachyah zeh Mordechai" - this is Mordechai Bilshan. Some say this is the Mordechai of the story of Megillas Esther, and others say it is a different Mordechai. "Velamah nikra shemo Pesachyah" - and why was he called Pesachyah, if his real name was Mordechai? "Shehayah poseach bidvarim vedorshan" - he would open up subjects and words that were obscure and difficult to understand, and explain them. "Veyodea shivim lashon" - and he knew seventy languages. Knowledge of seventy languages was a general requirement of anyone who sat on the Sanhedrin.
"Ben Achiyah al cholei me'ayim" - in charge of intestinal ailments. Why was a special officer needed for this? The Yerushalmi explains that intestinal illnesses were common among the kohanim, because they walked barefoot on a cold floor, ate the meat of the offerings in abundance and drank water; and this officer knew how to treat them.
"Nechunya chofer shichin" - he would dig the wells and water sources for the residents of Yerushalayim and for the pilgrims who came up for the festivals, and he was expert in the entire process.
"Gevini karoz" - the announcer. Every morning he would call out the announcement that the kohanim and Leviim should go to their stations, and the Yisraelim to theirs.
"Ben Gever al ne'ilas she'arim" - in charge of closing the gates; he determined when they were opened and when they were locked.
"Ben Bevai al hapakia" - some explain that he was in charge of preparing the wicks for the Menorah. Others explain that he was in charge of punishing those men who had the duty of guarding the Beis HaMikdash. These guards were not there for actual protection but for honor (much like the honor guard at Buckingham Palace), and if they fell asleep he would strike them - and this was part of his job.
"Ben Azai al hatziltzal" - the tziltzal is the cymbals, a metal musical instrument whose sound was the signal for the Leviim to begin their song in the Beis HaMikdash.
"Hugras ben Levi al hashir" - in charge of the song in the Beis HaMikdash, which was performed by the Leviim.
"Beis Garmu al ma'aseh lechem hapanim" - in charge of baking the lechem hapanim, which required special craftsmanship because it had walls, and precise work was needed for the walls to stand up.
"Beis Avtinas al ma'aseh haketores" - in charge of preparing the ketores, which contained special ingredients.
"Elazar al haparochos" - in charge of the curtains that were used in the Beis HaMikdash before the entrances.
"Pinchas al hamalbush" - in charge of the garments, the priestly vestments.
A dispute among the commentators regarding the identity of the names:
Some explain that the Mishnah is speaking specifically about those uniquely outstanding individuals who held each position over the course of the generations, and they were selected from different eras because they were the best known in their fields and great tzaddikim.
Others understand that the Tanna, the author of the Mishnah, is choosing the officers who served in his own generation.
And some say that these names were given to whoever held the position, exactly as the king of Egypt was always called Pharaoh.
In summary: In this Mishnah we listed the officers of the Beis HaMikdash and their areas of responsibility - from the seals, the libations and the lotteries, through the bird offerings, intestinal ailments, the digging of wells, the announcing, the locking of the gates, the pakia, the cymbals and the song, to the lechem hapanim, the ketores, the curtains and the garments. We also examined the dispute among the commentators as to whether the names refer to specific individuals, to the officers of the Tanna's own generation, or whether they were titles by which every holder of the position was called.