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”.
The Rebbe Rashab’s Explanation
The Rebbe Rashab explains in a Maamor dated 5679-1919 and opening with the same verse by introducing a familiar concept [in Chassidus] that Moshe is called a ‘faithful shepherd’ because he shepherds and supports the Jewish Neshomohs by means of strengthening them in their faith in Hashem.
He explains at length that; ‘One needs to have complete faith not just at a Divine level of Memalei Kol Almin but also at a level of Sovev kol Almin and even [higher] in Hashem’s Atzmus—the infinite light which is spiritually exalted above both Sovev Kol Almin and Memalei Kol Almin.
And it is concerning this, that the Possuk in Tehilim states: אֱמוּנָּׂהוּרְּעֵה “Be nourished by faith” that the faith needs to be shepherded to be internalised.
Accordingly, the Frierdiker Rebbe also explains in his Maamor with the opening words וְּקִּבֵל הַיְּהוּדִּים that he delivered on Purim Koton in the year 5687 - 1927 which he based [largely] on the above-mentioned Maamor of the Rebbe RaShab from the year 5679-1919 (except that his Maamor starts with the words וְּקִּבֵל הַיְּהוּדִּים and the Maamor does not elucidate the Possuk from Parshas Ki Sisah).
The Rebbe RaShaB explains in the Maamor that this Hamshocho through which Moshe Rabeinu causes the faithfulness to be internalised is represented by the concept of the half Shekel of the holy Shekel.
And it is with this concept, that we will understand that which the Possuk says; כִּי תִּשָּׂא וְּגוֹ׳ that when the Emunah is internalised (תִּשָּׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ בְּנֵֵֽי־יִּשְּרָּׂאֵל elevate the head and connect the Pnimiyus of B’nei Yisroel), then the general behaviour [also] in Thought, Speech and Action will be as it supposed to be. This [process] also nullifies all things that are undesirable, as is alluded to in the Possuk with the word לִּפְּקֻדֵיהֶם which can also mean ‘lacking’ as in the Possuk: וְּנִּפְּקַדְּתָּׂ כִּי יִּפָּׂקֵד מוֹשָּׁׂבֶךָ “You will be remembered, for your seat will be vacant” so that through internalising one’s ‘Emunah’ all of one’s undesirable things are rendered obsolete.
This is akin to the Posuuk: מַצְּרֵף לַכֶסֶף וְּכוּר לַזָּׂהָּׂב וְּאִּישׁ לְּפִּי מַהֲלָּׂלוֹ “The refining pot is for silver, the crucible for gold, and a man according to his praise”. Just as the refining pot and crucible refines gold and silver by removing all the dregs and dross, so too with a person and prayer.
This means that, according to one’s praise in prayer, so is the refinement and purification to [be able to] remove from oneself all the dross; even the very subtly delicate dirt.
This is the reason why in the Shmoneh Esrei we say the Brocho of אָּׂבִּינוּ כִּי חָּׂטָּׂאנוּ לָּׂנוּסְּלַח “Pardon us our Father for we have sinned”. Only after the initial prayers of preparation prior to the Pesukei Dezimrah, and continuing through the Pesukei Dezimrah, and then the Brochos leading to the Shema and the Shema itself and up to the first three Brochos of the Shmonei Esrei, only then is one able to discern that even the very delicate fine dirt is also undesirable and [consequently] must also be removed.
Now we will understand the principle of; כִּי תִּשָּׂא גוֹ׳ ...לִּפְּקֻדֵיהֶם that when the Emunah radiates internally, then one can sense even the very fine, delicate particles. This creates an awareness of shortcoming (לִּפְּקֻדֵיהֶם ) and all unwanted things (not just the bad things) even at such a subtle level.
The Symbolism of the Half Shekel
Beis The Rebbe Rashab continues to explain in his Maamor by asking on the Possuk: זֶה יִּתְּנוּ גוֹ׳ מֵַֽחֲצִּית הַשֶקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹדֶשׁ “This they shall give ... half a shekel of the holy Shekel” What is the specific significance, of the half shekel? And why does the Torah tell us the value of the whole Shekel? Especially considering that one only needs to give half a shekel? And why is the obligation an equal amount for the rich and for the poor?
And he answers: Half a Shekel which has a value of Ten Geira, alludes to man’s ten faculties, for every Jewish soul has ten faculties. These ten faculties parallel the ten supernal Sefiros from which they evolved.
In this aspect all Neshomos are equal. Since there are ten supernal Sefiros—not nine nor eleven. Therefore, every Jewish Neshomoh also has ten faculties. This is even true for the Neshomos that derive from the level Nefesh of the Nefesh of Asiyah, that there are [quantitively] no less than ten faculties. And it is also true for Neshomos that derive from the Neshomoh of Atzilus that they have [quantitively] no more than ten faculties.
The difference between them is that the ten faculties themselves are of different levels, because the level of the ten faculties of the Nefesh of the Nefesh of Asiyah, is different from the level of the ten faculties of a Neshomoh of Atzilus to the extent they are incomparable; hence the designations poor and rich. Notwithstanding this, all Jews are equal in the respect that all possess ten faculties. The Avodah is [thus] that every person needs to give his ten faculties. Whether his ten faculties are of the highest calibre or whether his ten faculties are of the lowest level, Hakodosh Boruch Hu only ever demands according to one’s ability.
