At the beginning of this week’s Parsha the Possuk states; כִּי תִּשָּׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ בְּנֵֵֽי־יִּשְּרָּׂאֵל לִּפְּקֻדֵיהֶם גוֹ׳ זֶה יִּתְּנוּ גוֹ׳ מֵַֽחֲצִּית הַשֶקֶל וְּגוֹ׳. “When you take the sum of the Yidden according to their numbers ... This they shall give ... half a shekel ...”
The Beginning: In this Maamor the Mitzvah of giving the half Shekel (a whole Shekel is twenty Geirah and a half Shekel is ten Geirah) will be explained with its connotation in man’s Avodah (Service of Hashem). Drawing down Emunah (Faith) internally through Moshe Rabeinu. Through this Hamshocho (drawing down) a person does his Avodah (Service of Hashem) with all his ten faculties (symbolised by the ten Geirah) which he gives to Hashem. In this merit he receives an empowerment (Ten strengths) from above to serve Hashem in a much more exalted way. It becomes a complete Shekel twenty Geirah is the Shekel. At the beginning of Parshas Ki Sisah Moshe Rabeinu is instructed to count the Jewish people by each Yid contributing one half Shekel to the Mishkan (Tabernacle). So that when they count out all the coins, they will know how many Yiden there are.
This week’s Parsha: Parshas Ki Sesah.
The Possuk: Shemos Ki Sesah (30:12-13) כִּי תִּשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִּשְּ רָּׂאֵל לִּפְּקֻדֵיהֶם וְּנָּׂתְּנוּ אִּישׁ כֹפֶר נַפְּשׁוֹ לַה׳ בִּפְּקֹד אֹתָּׂם וְּלֹא יִּהְּיֶה בָּׂהֶם נֶגֶף בִּפְּקֹד אֹתָּׂם׃ זֶה יִּתְּנוּ כָּׂל הָּׂעֹבֵר עַל הַפְּקֻדִּים מַחֲצִּית הַשֶקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹדֶשׁ עֶשְּ רִּ ים גֵרָּׂה הַשֶקֶל מַחֲצִּית הַשֶקֶל תְּרוּמָּׂה לַה׳ “When you take the sum of B’nei Yisroel according to their numbers, let each one give to HaShem an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted. This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty Geiroh equal one shekel; half of [such] a shekel shall be an offering to HaShem”.
