Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel Lowers the Price of Birds
When birds for korbanos cost a gold dinar a pair, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel vows not to sleep until the price falls, and his ruling drops it to a hundredth.
There was a time when birds used for korbanos became exceedingly expensive. Each pair of birds sold for a gold dinar. A gold dinar at that time represented about a month’s salary for the average person. Women who had recently given birth could hardly afford to purchase them for the korbanos they were required to bring.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel cried fowl and declared, “I will not go to sleep tonight until the price drops dramatically.” He went to the beis midrash and declared that any woman who hitherto would have brought five korbanos is now free as a bird to just bring one; she may bring the others if she so chooses. (This is a rather simplistic interpretation; see the Gemara for all the technical details.)
After Rabban Shimon’s declaration, the price of the birds swooned dramatically – to a hundredth of the original price.