The Light of His Face Upon Us:
Rav Pinchos of Koretz zy”a (Sefer Imrei Pinchos) would eagerly await the “Four Parshios”. He would say: “I can’t wait for the Arbah Parshios to arrive so that I can get together with the Eibishter!”
While he was speaking about all four of the Arbah Parshios, his words are especially relevant to Parshas Shekalim. At this time every year, Hashem’s Presence is revealed to us, just like it was in days of yore. The Medrash Tanchuma (Ki Sisa 3) relates that Moshe Rabenu told Hashem, “Master of the World, after I die, I will not be remembered.”
Hashem replied, “I promise that just like you are with them now and you gave them Parshas Shekalim and uplifted their heads, you will be with them every year when they read this Parshah, as if you are standing in front of them and lifting their heads.”
Tzedakah Atones for the Eigal:
The Sefas Emes explains the Medrash’s statement that the power of Shekalim lifts a person head by citing the pasuk in Mishlei (14:34): “Tzedakah uplifts.” He quotes the Zohar Hakadosh (Chelek 4, 142B) that says that actions done in this lower world influence matters in the Upper World and states that after the sin of the eigal hazahav, a great tikkun was needed for both worlds. That tikkun was made through the power of tzedakah, which was done through the Shekalim. Thus, the Shekalim lifted the heads of Klal Yisroel by granting them an atonement for their sin.
A Manhig Yisroel Must Give Himself Over to the People:
The Alshich Hakadosh explains the pasuk that states (Shemos 30:12): “When you lift the heads of the children of Yisroel according to their numbers and every man will give a redemption for their soul” by saying that this means that when a leader is lifted up to be “the head” of Klal Yisroel, he should be a man who is willing to give himself over to the people. He should be someone who gives his soul as “a redemption” for the people, meaning that he should be completely devoted to them.
The Bluzhever Rebbe’s Reading of the Parshah:
The following story is related in Sefer Uvda D’Aharon (page 104): Rav Yisroel of Stolin zy”a (known colloquially as “the Frankforter”) once spent the week of Parshas Shekalim with the Bluzhever Rebbe zy”a. The Bluzhever Rebbe served as the baal koreh, and he read the Parshah with much dveikus and passion. After Kriyas Hatorah, he turned to Rav Yisroel and asked him to daven Mussaf for the amud. Rav Yisroel placed his hand on the Rebbe’s shoulder and said, “No. No. Bluzhever Rov, you should daven Mussaf.”
After Mussaf, Rav Yisroel told his chasidim who were accompanying him, “Did you see how I patted the old man on his shoulder? Believe me, I didn’t really mean to press him to daven for the amud. I just wanted to touch his holy shoulder after hearing his lofty reading of the Parshah.”