The reading of Parshas Shekolim marks the beginning of Adar and heralds the upcoming Yom Tov of Purim. In Maseches Megillah (29b) the reason behind this practice is revealed.
When the month of Nissan would begin, the korbanos would have to be brought from the newly donated shekolim. The daily korban tamid, which was offered on behalf of all of Klal Yisroel, was required to be purchased with communal funds. The Torah employs the instruction תשמרו, indicating that each and every Jew had to be a partner in the korban tamid. The only way to fulfil the requirement is for each member of Klal Yisroel to contribute toward its purchase.
The korbanos in Nissan were to be purchased on behalf of and in partnership with every member of Klal Yisroel. To ensure that there were adequate funds donated prior to the onset of the month, the beis din would begin collecting the machatzis hashekel in Adar. Every adult member of the nation contributed a machatzis hashekel to the Beis HaMikdosh. The korbanos tzibbur [communal offerings] were purchased with these funds. Thus, through this national collection, each member of Klal Yisroel had a share in the communal korbanos.
Why A Half-Shekel?
As it was necessary for each member of Klal Yisroel to have a portion in each communal offering, every adult male gave money to augment the funds for purchasing the korbanos tzibbur.
The Alshich HaKadosh (Shemos 30:13) wonders why the sum of money that each male adult had to donate was a machatzis hashekel. Whatever coin would be selected, they ought to have required the entire coin be donated to the Mikdash. Why was it specifically legislated that everyone should give only a half-shekel?
Why Maseches Shekolim?
In the sefer Maaseh Rokeach (Maseches Shekolim – ois 5), Rav Eliezer of Amsterdam poses the following question: The Mishnayos of Maseches Shekolim discuss the halachos of the machatzis hashekel that is collected annually to provide funding for the Beis HaMikdosh.
The mitzvah is to give a machatzis hashekel, not a complete shekel. Why, then, is the masechta named Shekolim? “Maseches Machatzis HaShekel” would be a more accurate description and therefore a more appropriate choice. Throughout the entire masechta, why does Rebbi constantly refer to the mitzvah as shekolim? This seems misleading, since the mitzvah was performed with a half-shekel, not a complete one. It is, in fact, prohibited to donate a complete shekel, so why does the masechta never mention the actual coin that was obligated to be given? Why is the masechta titled with the coin that may not be given?
Achdus
Achdus is one of the most fundamental principles in Judaism. It is of such paramount importance to the Ribbono Shel Olam that its absence prompted the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdosh. However, as important as it is, it is a concept that is often misunderstood.
Why is it so important to Hashem that we all get along? Why can’t I do mitzvos in my home and you in yours? Let every Jew observe all the mitzvos on his own and avoid violating any aveiros. Why is it necessary that we have a sense of unity and friendship?
Of course, Hashem loathes bickering and discord. But why would it not be sufficient for each of us to peacefully and amicably go our separate ways and live our individual lives? Why do we actively have to like each other?
We will demonstrate that Jewish unity, achdus, is much more than a nebulous warm feeling that comes from being together with others. There is something about achdus that is critical to the very essence of what it means to be a member of the Am Hashem. This attribute is an essential component of the makeup of the Jewish people.
The Ambassadors of G-d
The Mesilas Yeshorim (Perek 19) writes that it is impossible for Hashem’s honor to be amplified except through the redemption of the Jewish people and through their honor. Only when Klal Yisroel is redeemed and recognized can Hashem’s honor be properly exalted and celebrated. The honor of the Jewish people and the kavod of Hashem are dependent on one another. G-d’s kavod is, kavayachol, reliant on ours, and vice versa.
The Jewish people are Hashem’s ambassadors, representing and reflecting His name throughout the world. It is our duty to be the lens through which the rest of the world views Hashem. When the world looks at our nation, we are the prism through which they are looking at Hashem.
Whenever Klal Yisroel is in a low, downtrodden state, Hashem’s honor is similarly lowered. When the Jews are worthy of kavod and respect, Hashem is also elevated to a position of honor.
This concept is manifest in many places in our tefillos. For example, three times a day we recite: אתה קדוש ושמך קדוש וקדושים בכל יום יהללוך סלה. Hashem and His Name are holy, and therefore the Jewish people are holy as well. We reflect the identity of G-d.
Hashem Echad
One of the most important concepts of the Torah is Achdus Hashem. There is only one G-d. This is articulated in Shema Yisroel, one of the first prayers a child is taught to say; it is often expressed in the final words of someone who is about to leave the world.
As Hashem’s ambassadors to the world, then, we must embody and reflect this idea, or we will not be able to portray Hashem’s Oneness to the world. Hashem’s being One, being Echad, is promulgated to the world when we display unity through peace, harmony, and friendship.
When the Jewish people are Am Echad, one cohesive nation, then the reality of Hashem being Echad is reflected.
We clearly state this idea in the Shemonah Esrei of Mincha on Shabbos: אתה אחד ושמך אחד ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ. This sentence begins my mentioning Hashem being One and His Name being One, and then concludes that the same is true of the Jews – they too are one unified nation. What is the connection between Hashem’s Oneness and that of the Jewish people?
Clearly, since Hashem is One, so too are his ambassadors to the world. They reflect Hashem’s singularity through their unity and cohesiveness. Klal Yisroel’s achdus is therefore an integral component of the praise that is offered to the Ribbono Shel Olam. When the Jews are at peace with one another, that proclaims to the world that Hashem is One.
When the Jews do not get along, when there is discord among them, Hashem is perceived as fragmented as well.
When We Are One, Hashem Is Seen As One
The Ramchal (Maamer HaChochmah) writes that every Jew needs to know and recognize the fact that Hashem is One. Hashem’s illumination is strengthened only through the medium of another entity that coalesces into a single cohesive unit.
Even though each member of Klal Ysiroel has a distinct identity and personality, the Jews are still considered goy echad, a single nation. Because they too are one, they are worthy that Hashem’s Oneness should be strengthened through them.
The only way Klal Yisroel can promulgate the Oneness of Hashem throughout the world is by having achdus. Jewish cohesiveness is not meant just for the betterment of our society, but much more importantly, it conveys Hashem’s identity to the world. Jewish achdus proclaims to the entire world that Hashem Echad!
The converse is also true. If there is discord and disparity among the Jews, then the message of Hashem’s being One is lost, and chas v’shalom, a different message is conveyed. If there are multiple ambassadors, there must be multiple kings. This alternative message is heresy!
This is the fundamental nature of achdus among Klal Yisroel.
Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad
In a similar vein, the Vilan Gaon (Aderes Eliyohu, Bereishis 2:4) revolutionizes the meaning of the pasuk Shema Yisroel. שמע ישראל does not merely mean “Listen, Yisroel.” We are not telling people to “Listen up! There is only one G-d!”
When Shaul HaMelech wanted to muster the troops and galvanize them to fight against Amalek, the pasuk states: וישמע שאול את העם – “Shaul had all the people summoned” (Shmuel 1, 15:4). Shaul was gathering Klal Yisroel, urging them to unite and wage war against Amalek, and the word used to express this idea is וישמע.
When we recite שמע ישראל, in truth we are saying that we are gathering and uniting with all the other Jews of the world. Then, because שמע ישראל, because Klal Yisroel has gathered as one, what follows is the reflection of that: ה' אלקינו ה' אחד – “Hashem is One!”
Shema Yisroel is not merely a declaration regarding Hashem’s singularity. Actions speak louder than words, and reciting Shema is an active demonstration of the achdus of Klal Yisroel. When we are together as one, the obvious message is that Hashem is One as well.
Why We Only Give a Half-Shekel
Based on the above we can now understand why we only give half a shekel. The Alshich HaKadosh quotes Rav Shlomo Alkabetz, who explains that giving only a half-shekel is testament to the fact that Klal Yisroel has achdus. We understand and believe that no Jew can stand alone. Without the other members of Klal Yisroel, we are not whole. As individuals, we are only half an entity, and we need the rest of the community to complete us.
Giving only part of a shekel highlights that each person is part of whole. Every single member of Klal Yisroel plays a critical, irreplaceable role, and with the absence of any given individual, we are lacking.
The Maaseh Rokeach (Shekolim – ois 2) writes that the word שקל has the same gematria [numerical value] as .נפשA complete shekel is a complete soul. A half-shekel on the other hand, reflects half a soul.
Giving a machatzis hashekel shows that each individual person recognizes that he is not a complete being without his fellow Jew. We only become a נ פש , a whole soul, when we join together with one another. Only when we have achdus are we complete.
Rav Yitzchak Issac Chover (Siach Yitzchok, Derush to Parshas Shekolim) points out that this message of the machatzis hashekel is further highlighted when we look at what it was used for in the time of the Mishkan.
When Klal Yisroel was in the Midbar and they constructed the Mishkan, the machatzis hashekel coins that were donated were melted down to form the adanim, the support sockets that held up the beams of the Mishkan.
Thus, the foundation of the edifice that was Hashem’s residence among the Jewish people was achdus.
Understanding Why It Is Maseches “Shekolim” and Not “Machatzis HaShekel”
The Shach al HaTorah (Parshas Ki Sisa) provides another explanation as to why only a machatzis hashekel is given. There is a system of gematria known as א''ת ב''ש. In this scheme, the first letter of the aleph-beis, א, is exchanged with the last letter, ת . The second letter, ב, is swapped for the second to last letter, ש. This continues through the aleph-beis, with each subsequent letter changed to the letter that is the same distance from the end of the aleph-beis as this letter is from the beginning.
Thus, a ג, become a ר, a ד a ק , and so on.
In א''ת ב''ש, the word שקל translates to בד''כ, which has the gematria of twenty-six. This is precise value of the gematria of Hashem’s complete name, Yud Kei Vav Kei. The reason we do not bring a full shekel is to symbolize that while in galus, Hashem’s Name is not complete, and at present, it does not total twenty-six.
Maseches Shekolim
The Maaseh Rokecah uses this principle to explain why in Shas the Masechta that discusses the machatzis hashekel is named Shekolim, and not Machatzis HaShekel.
According to the Shach, the reason we give a half, incomplete shekel is because Hashem’s Name, symbolized by the word shekel shaleim, full shekel, is not complete now. It stands to reason, then, that le’osid lavo, when Hashem’s Name will be complete and will once again total twenty-six, we will give a complete shekel.
The Maaseh Rokeach points out that this is, in fact, alluded to in the Torah. When instructing us in the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel, the Torah writes:מחצ ית השקל בשקל הקדש - “a half-shekel of the sacred shekel” (Shemos 30:13) The redundancy in the pasuk can be explained in the following way: The first clause, the מחצ ית השקל, is what must be given in the era until the Final Redemption. Then, when Moshiach comes, we will be obligated in the second clause, בשקל הקדש, a complete shekel hakodesh.
Generally, the word הקודש is spelled with a ו. In this pasuk, it is spelled without it. This is because the gematria of שקל הקדש without the ו is the same as the phrase ן דודביאת משיח ב. The שקל הקדש will be brought when Moshiach comes.
Further support for this electrifying idea is contained in the piyyutim that are recited in Mussaf on Shabbos Parshas Shekolim. Rav Eliezer HaKalir writes:ושקל אשא בבית נכון ונשא – “I will offer a complete shekel in the Beis HaMidkosh.” Why does he not use the words מחצית השקל? But as we have explained: When the Beis HaMikdosh will be rebuilt, we will bring a complete, whole shekel.
Rebbi chose the name of Maseches Shekolim with an eye on the future, when the ideal form of the mitzvah will be performed. He titled it for a time when we will give a full, complete shekel.
Until then, we give a half-shekel, representative of the incomplete nature of Hashem’s Name. As we have learned, the diminution of Hashem’s Name is caused by lack of achdus in Klal Yisroel. Therefore, we should contribute to the machatzis hashekel with the proper intention, with the recognition that without our friend, without another Jew, we are incomplete; we should contribute the half-shekel as a way of joining together with the entity of the Jewish people and work to achieve a state of גוי אחד בארץ, to merit the realization of אתה אחד ושמך אחד. Then, Hashem’s Singular Name will be recognized all over the world, and we will see the fulfilment of ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד. (Adapted from a much lengthier essay written by R’ Doniel Glatstein shlita in his sefer “The Concealed and the Revealed” titled “Purim and the Power of the Half-Shekel”)