A well-known question on the topic of the machatzis hashekel is why did Hashem command us to give a half a shekel and not a full shekel? The gemora says in Bava Basra that Moshe Rabeinu asked Hashem: “What can we use to uplift klal Yisroel?” Hashem says Parshas Ki Sisa. What does this mean?
The Beirach Moshe brings the gemora in Pesachim 50 that the highest madreiga is to learn Torah and do mitzvos lishma, for the sake of the mitzvah alone. If you do it shelo lishma, for an ulterior motive, it’s also okay, because eventually you will get to do it lishma. The lashon there is “leolam” – always, a person should do mitzvos shelo lishma because through performing mitzvos shelo lishma he will come to doing it lishma. What is this lashon of “leolam” – always?
The Chernobol Rebbe explains that every person must strive to reach the level of doing mitzvos lishma. However, the more he grows, the more he realizes how much he lacks in avodas Hashem. Therefore, even as he reaches a lofty level of lishma, he then realizes that there is a much higher level of lishma that he has yet to reach, and so he considers his present madreiga to be shelo lishma. This is because avodas Hashem is truly endless and there is no limit to the levels we can reach. Therefore, the gemora uses the lashon of “leolam”, always, saying that a person’s attitude should be that he never reached lishma. He considers as if he always is shelo lishma and always striving for the higher madreiga of lishma. No matter how much shleimus you have attained, your attitude should be that you never reached the peak. You keep on growing, and so yesterday’s avoda is insufficient. There is so much to strive for.
The Imrei Chaim from Viznitz says that Moshe Rabeinu reached the highest madreiga in every level. There was no one greater than Moshe Rabeinu – “lo kum navi od k’Moshe”. Literally, the word “od” means more. Lo kum navi OD k’Moshe can mean that no navi ever stood up like Moshe Rabeinu who felt that he always had more to do. Although Moshe Rabeinu was so perfect, he felt there was always more he had to do in his avodas Hashem.
The Maharal says that the Torah ends with the words “l’einei kol Yisroel”, and this phrase is in middle of a line – why? To show that you never finished the Torah. The Torah stopped in middle of the line because you never finished the line yet. There is always more. That is our avoda – to know and understand that there is always more for us to accomplish.
