Hi I was learning mishnayos Shakaim and we got up to the fourth perek which mentions that they would use some of the leftover money to buy gold which would be used to plate the kodesh hakodashim. Me and my chavrusa were wondering, in the interim were the walls only half gold and half something else? Or along the same lines, once they finished covering the walls and ceiling with gold, what was the leftover money used for?
Thanks!
Aaron Kaplan, RBS Israel
Shalom R' Aaron,
It's great to hear from you! It appears that even if the Kodesh ha'Kodashim was already fully plated with gold throughout the year, the gold plating was nevertheless replaced annually. See Shitah Mekubetzes to 106b, DH Mizbe'ach.
While I did not find explicit proof regarding what to do if, after purchasing new gold, there are still leftover funds, it is tempting to assume that any remaining money was allocated to Kayitz ha'Mizbe'ach. This seems reasonable, for in a sense it is less of a Chidush than using the money for gold plating, because the funds were originally collected for Korbanos Tzibur in the first place.
Bi'Verachah,
Yishai Rasowsky