“A man’s sacred items shall be his; a man who gives to the priest, it shall be his” (Numbers 5:10). “A man’s sacred items shall be his” – why is it stated? Because it says: “All the gifts of the sacred items that the children of Israel separate [for the Lord, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as an eternal portion]” (Numbers 18:19). Do I hear that they may take it by force?
The verse states: “A man’s sacred items shall be his.” This tells that the allotment of sacred items is at the discretion of their owners. “A man’s sacred items shall be his” – the sacred items of the Israelite shall be for the Israelite: the money of his tithe, the tithe of his animal, peace offerings, fourth-year saplings, a thanks offering, and his paschal offering. The sacred items of the priest shall be for the priest: his sin offering, his guilt offering, his tithe,45The teruma of the tithe that the Levite gives to the priest from the first tithe. and his firstborn.
“A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his” – because they said: The priestly watch that acquired the money acquires the ram; one who gave money to the priest but did not manage to bring the ram before he died, will we take the money from the priest and return it to the man’s heirs? The verse states: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his.” Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: This was the mishna of Rabbi Akiva until he came from Zeifirin.
When he came from Zeifirin, he said: What is it to me whether Yehoyariv takes the money or Yedaya takes the money. If he gave the money to Yehoyariv but did not manage to bring the ram before Yedaya entered,46The week of the priestly watch of Yehoyariv concluded and the week of Yedaya’s watch began. may he, perhaps, take the money from Yehoyariv and give it to Yedaya? He said: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his.”
It says: The gift of an adult man is a gift, but the gift on a minor is not a gift. I have derived only the gift of a man. From where is it derived to include the gift of a woman and the heirs of a minor? It says: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his.”47The gift in this passage is referring to teruma.
“A man’s sacred items shall be his” – if one measured for a priest on the ground48The midrash is referring to a case in which anything that is placed on the ground belongs to the priest. and other priests joined them, do I perhaps read in their regard: “A man’s sacred items shall be his”?49In which case, all of them would share in the teruma. The verse states: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his.”
Or perhaps even if he measured for him in a basket50A basket belonging to the owner of the field. and others joined them, do I perhaps read in their regard: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his”? The verse states: “A man’s sacred items shall be his.” Rabbi Yosei says: If one redeemed his son within thirty days and he [the son] died, do I perhaps read in his regard: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his”?
The verse states: “A man’s sacred items shall be his.” After thirty days, one does not remove it from the possession of the priest, and I read in his regard: “A man who gives to the priest, it shall be his.”