Siman - Shekalim Daf 15

• אשרי משכיל אל דל

The next Mishnah discusses the לשכת חשאין – The Chamber of the Discreet, where sin-fearing people would deposit donations into it discreetly, and paupers from aristocratic families would sustain themselves from it discreetly. The Gemara then illustrates the importance of tzedakah performed discreetly and with sensitivity, with several stories.

Rebbe Yonah said, the passuk in Tehillim does not write, אשרי נותן לדל  - Praised be he who gives to the needy, rather it is written, "אשרי משכיל אל דל" - Praised be he who contemplates the needy. זה שהוא מסתכל במצוה היאך לעשותה – This refers to one who looks at a mitzvah to see how to best perform it, so that it should not be demeaning to the poor person. When Rebbe Yonah would see a poor person from an aristocratic family who had lost his estate, he would say to him, “My son, since I heard that an inheritance has fallen to you, and you will soon be out of your financial difficulties, take this money now and you will repay me when you receive your inheritance". After the poor person took the money, he would tell him that he is giving it to him as a gift. The Tiklin Chaditin explains that when Rebbe Yonah told the pauper that he will repay, he meant that one day the pauper will repay the favor by helping out another pauper.

That pauper might be Rebbe Yonah’s descendant since poverty is a cyclical phenomenon. 

• The Story of Nachum Ish Gam Zo 

The Gemara brings the story of Nachum Ish Gam Zu who did not attend sufficiently to a pauper. Nachum Ish Gam Zo was bringing a gift to his father-in-law’s house and was met by a man afflicted with boils. The man said to him that Nachum Ish Gam Zo should gain merit by giving to him. He responded, “Upon my return”. The Tiklin Chaditin explains that he did not rush to fulfill the pauper’s request because it did not sound urgent, and he felt it was more respectful to first bring the gift to his father-in-law. Upon his return he found the man dead, and facing the corpse he said, “May my eyes that did not prompt me to help you, go blind, may my hands that did not stretch out to give you, be cut off, and may my legs that did not run to give you, be broken.” After all these calamities happened to him, Rebbe Akiva visited him and expressed his dismay in seeing him in such a state. Nachum replied, אי לי שאין אני רואה אותך בכך – Woe is me if I do not see you one day in such a state!” When Rebbe Akiva asked why he was cursing him, Nachum responded, ומה את מבעט ביסורין – And why are you spurning afflictions? Afflictions are precious and they atone for one’s sins. 

•  The aron’s location

The opening Mishnah of the sixth perek mentions a tradition that the aron was hidden under the דיר העצים – Wood Chamber, where wood is kept to be burned on the mizbei’ach. The Tiklin Chaditin explains that Yoshiyahu Hamelech hid it towards the end of Bayis Rishon.

The Gemara brings a Baraisa that teaches in the name of Rebbe Eliezer, הארון גלה עמהן לבבל – The aron went into exile with them to Bavel. Rebbe Yehudah ben Lakish says, במקומו היה הארון נגנז – The aron was hidden in its place. This is referring to a secret underground chamber that Shlomo Hamelech had built under the Kodesh Kedoshim.