Calm and Collected

Seemingly, one collection box would have sufficed for this purpose. Yet, Chizkiyah opines that six containers were necessary in order to prevent feuding. The kohanim were divided into 24 groups called mishmaros. Every week, it was the turn of a different mishmar of kohanim to perform the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash. Out of 24 weeks, the mishmar only had one week assigned to them where they could perform the avodah. Every mishmar was further divided into six extended family groups. Every family was assigned one day of the week to perform the avodah. All the family groups together shared the avodah on Shabbos. It worked out that out of 24 weeks, a kohen was only assigned to perform the avodah one weekday and Shabbos.

People are random. There is no telling on any given day how many people will decide to bring a personal korban. Perhaps on a warm and sunny day, the Beis HaMikdash was particularly busy. On such a day, when many personal korbanos were brought, there was less downtime for the Mizbeiach and therefore fewer extra communal sacrifices were brought. The extra communal sacrifices were a source of additional income for the kohanim who worked on that day. The valuable animal hides from the extra sacrifices were split among the family members whose turn it was to do the avodah that day of the week. Chizkiyah opines that this led to jealousy and strife among the six family groups. One day of the week might have been a sunny day, and the family assigned to that day received few if any of the animal hides from the extra communal sacrifices. On a rainy day, there could potentially be a lot of downtime for the Mizbeiach. The family assigned to work that day would profit dearly from the many hides from all the extra communal sacrifices that became necessary. The result would be that while one family could rake it in, one family could possibly be left without even one extra animal hide. (In fact, Rashi explains that it was not as disparate as it sounds. This calculus leaves out the profit from an individual’s korban. See Rashi for why that is not taken into consideration.)

Chizkiyah said that the solution is to have six different collection containers, one for each day of the week. Every family only took out money from their assigned container for the extra korbanos needed for that day.

The Sfas Emes raises the obvious question. The solution doesn’t really help at all. The families will still be jealous of each other, because one family may profit dearly and one family may not. How did dividing the available funds for extra korbanos into six different boxes help?

A possible answer can be found in the Mesillas Yesharim. Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato writes in the 11th chapter of his magnum opus that jealousy occurs in various degrees to most people. “But if they would know and understand that ‘no man can touch what is designated for his fellow even a hair’s breadth’ (Yoma 38b), and that everything is from G-d according to His wondrous judgment and unfathomable wisdom, they would have no reason whatsoever to feel pained by the good fortune of their neighbors.”

The Ibn Ezra writes that people are not jealous of something that is totally unattainable. The Mesillas Yesharim is echoing this idea by advising those struggling to overcome jealousy to fully realize and appreciate that their friends’ items and stature are theirs alone. Whatever Hashem wants you to have, you will attain. My rosh yeshiva, HaGaon Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt’l, added a dimension to the words of the Mesillas Yesharim. Not only does a person need to realize that he cannot attain items that belong to his friend, but, likewise, he must realize that his friend cannot attain items that belong to him. People have an illogical tendency to assume that if their friend achieved something that they are jealous of, it somehow came at their expense. This is true even if this supposition has no basis in reality. So jealousy is really a feeling that a person wants to claim what is rightfully his. To overcome this warped idea, one must contemplate and absorb the idea that “no man can touch what is designated for his fellow even a hair’s breadth.”

The kohanim had jealousy in a specific area. They illogically assumed that, somehow, if another family earned more hides on their day, then it came at their expense. Of course, on the highest level they would not have been jealous at all. Still, not all kohanim achieved that angelic level. Therefore, to facilitate peace on this particular aspect, Chazal instituted dividing the money into six different containers. True, this didn’t actually change the outcome. Some families would still get more hides than other families. However, in this way, they were able to visualize and realize that the other family’s success did not come at the expense of their own. The successful family was only able to purchase extra korbanos from their own container. The family with fewer hides saw that no one took funds from their designated container. This helped the not-so-successful family visualize that in no way did another family’s financial success come at their expense. In truth, this was true whether or not they shared a collection box; however, this institution of Chazal helped them realize this.

The Mesillas Yesharim notes that we will only be fully rid of the trait of jealousy when Mashiach comes. He explains the verse: ‘“And the envy of Ephraim shall cease, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah...’ (Isaiah 11:13). This is the peace and contentment among the ministering angels who all rejoice in their service, each in his place, no one feeling any jealousy whatsoever on the other, for they all know the full truth, delighting with the good in their hands and happy with their lot.”

May we merit fulfillment of that verse speedily, in our days. „