קול רם – 38:25,26 “וכסף פקודי העדה מאת ככר, ואלף ושבע מאות וחמשה ושבעים שקל בשקל הקודש. בקע לגלגלת מחצית השקל בשקל הקודש” – “The silver of the accountings of the assembly, a hundred Kikar, one thousand seven hundred seventy-five Shekel, in the Shekel of the Kodesh. A Beka for every head, a half Shekel in the Shekel of the Kodesh.” We find in the Mishkan that the only thing that silver was donated for, was for the Machatzis Hashekel, that were then used for the אדנים, the brackets, in the Mishkan. In matters of the household, people would generally use copper and metal for their needs and for their sustenance. Then there are metals which are more valuable, and the valuable metal which is a level above the regularly used metal of copper, is silver. The Torah constantly references “silver” when it refers to money. The reason that silver is used as the mode of reflecting money in the Torah (Koheles 5:9 “אוהב כסף לא ישבע כסף”) is because Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants Klal Yisroel to have Shefa Brocha, an abundance of Brocha, and therefore silver is used, for it is considered higher than the norm, it represents Shefa, flowing Brocha of Gashmiyos. However, the Posuk keeps stressing here, “בשקל הקודש” – that the Shekel – the silver, that one receives must be “קודש” – it must be used for Ruchniyos, L’shem Shomayim. There is an added point that we must know, and that is that while Hakodosh Boruch Hu gives Shefa in silver, Gashmiyos, He also gives people certain skills and abilities. Just as one must use the money that he receives from Hakodosh Boruch Hu L’Shem Shomayim, so too one must use his abilities that Hakodosh Boruch Hu gives him to serve Him. (Notice that silver was used, one level above copper, and not gold or another precious metal – for we are not supposed to be consumed by Gashmiyos – we should want Gashmiyos to serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu, but it should not be a focus of how much money we can attain).
