The word שקל in the Gemara means to take. The Chidushei HaRim zt'l said that Shabbos Shekalim is an ideal time for one to take himself in his hands and improve (Imrei Yehudah).
Rebbe Pinchas Koritzer zt'l would say (Imrei Pinchas 4:225), "I wait for this time [when we read the four parshiyos], when I meet with the Eibeshter."
We say in the yotzros of Shabbos Shekalim, נשא אדון עלינו פניך אור, "The light of Your countenance upon us, Master, extend." This indicates that on this Shabbos, keviyachol, we meet with Hashem. The Ruzhiner Rebbe zt'l said, "In the [Shabbosim of the] four parshiyos, each Yid can become attached to the Shechinah because each week represents another letter of Hashem's name (ה"הוי)."
The Alshich HaKadosh explains that the ancient law of Persia was that if a person sentenced to death merited to see the king, he was pardoned. When Achashveirosh's anger was aroused on Haman, someone quickly covered Haman's face, so Haman wouldn’t see the king’s face and be forgiven. The Alshich explains that this is the meaning of (Esther 7:8), חפו המן ופני, "Haman's face was covered." Someone covered Haman's face so he wouldn't see Achashverosh’s face and be pardoned. As we said, during the weeks of the “four parshiyos,” we merit seeing Hashem’s face, keviyachol. And when one sees the King's face, all his sins are pardoned.
It states (30:13, 15), ...פקודים על העובר כל יתנו זה נפשותיכם על לכפר ...השקל מחצית, "This they should give... a half-shekel... to atone for your souls." The Yerushalmi writes that על העובר כל הפקודים means "all those who transgressed Hashem's commands" (and sinned with the egel) with the machatzis hashekel, נפשותיכם על לכפר, they will have atonement.
The Midrash (Tanchuma Tisa 3) states that Moshe said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, "Ribono Shel Olam! When I die, will no one mention me?" Hakadosh Baruch Hu replied, "I swear, just as you are now standing and teaching them parashas Shekalim, and you raise their heads, so will it be every year. When the nation reads this parashah before Me, it is like you are standing there, and you raise their heads." Raising the heads of the Jewish nation means so much. It means, as we say on Rosh Hashanah, לראש שנהיה, that we become the head of the world, and not as it appears now to the gentiles, that we are just the tail. It also means that we will have financial success. And most importantly, it means that we will have spiritual success. Tzaddikim said that an animal's head and body are at the same level. Their body leads their head. In contrast, the head of a human being is above his body because he can lead his body according to the dictates of his intelligence. On this Shabbos, Moshe Rabbeinu raises our heads, and we can live in this world with our heads leading our bodies rather than the body leading the head.
The Gemara (Chagigah 16.) states, "Human beings are similar to malachim in three ways. They have intelligence like malachim, walk erect like malachim, and converse in lashon hakodesh like malachim." So, one of the attributes of a human being that makes them similar to malachim is that they walk erect, with their heads above their bodies. This occurs on this Shabbos, when Hashem raises our heads, and we become like the malachim, with our heads leading us.
