TORAH IN A MINUTE
Give your half!
(Shabbat Ki Tissa)
February 21, 2019
Some say, “you’ve got to give your all.” Our tradition says “you’ve got to give your half!” How so?
From Parashat Ki Tissa we learn that, during the time of the Temple, every male Jew of at least twenty years of age pays an annual poll tax of one-half shekel. The income from this tax pays for the public offerings. Whether Israelite or Levite, rich or poor, all are expected — not to give their all, but to give an equal share — to supporting our community. Every individual’s half-shekel is equally important and equally incomplete; it becomes a complete shekel through the contributions of others.
In the absence of the Temple, we recall the “Machatzit haShekel” by giving half-dollars to tzedakah in the days leading up to Purim. This custom shows that we Jews are still building community by giving our half.
Come on...let’s all give it our...half.
Shabbat Shalom!
(יג) זֶ֣ה ׀ יִתְּנ֗וּ כָּל־הָעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מַחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִ֤ים גֵּרָה֙ הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל מַחֲצִ֣ית הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל תְּרוּמָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃
(13) This is what everyone who is entered in the records shall pay: a half-shekel by the sanctuary weight—twenty gerahs to the shekel—a half-shekel as an offering to the LORD.
(טו) הֶֽעָשִׁ֣יר לֹֽא־יַרְבֶּ֗ה וְהַדַּל֙ לֹ֣א יַמְעִ֔יט מִֽמַּחֲצִ֖ית הַשָּׁ֑קֶל לָתֵת֙ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה לְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶֽם׃
(15) the rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than half a shekel when giving the LORD’s offering as expiation for your persons.
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לִתֵּן כָּל אִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה. אֲפִלּוּ עָנִי הַמִּתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה חַיָּב. וְשׁוֹאֵל מֵאֲחֵרִים אוֹ מוֹכֵר כְּסוּת שֶׁעַל כְּתֵפוֹ וְנוֹתֵן מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל כֶּסֶף שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ל טו) "הֶעָשִׁיר לֹא יַרְבֶּה וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט" וְגוֹ'. וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתְנוֹ בִּפְעָמִים רַבּוֹת הַיּוֹם מְעַט וּלְמָחָר מְעַט אֶלָּא נוֹתְנוֹ כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַחַת בְּפַעַם אַחַת:
(1) The Torah commands each member of Israel to contribute half a shekel each year. Even a poor man who lives on charity is required to give; he borrows or sells the garment off his back and contributes a silver half-shekel, as it is written: "The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel" (Exodus 30:15). One must not pay the half-shekel in several instalments, a little today and a little tomorrow, but has to contribute it all at once in a single payment.
(ז) הַכּל חַיָּבִין לִתֵּן מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּים וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים וְגֵרִים וַעֲבָדִים מְשֻׁחְרָרִים. אֲבָל לֹא נָשִׁים וְלֹא עֲבָדִים וְלֹא קְטַנִּים. וְאִם נָתְנוּ מְקַבְּלִין מֵהֶם. ...:
(7) All are required to contribute half a shekel: priests, Levites, Israelites, proselytes, and emancipated slaves; but not women, slaves or minors. If these, however, offer to pay, the half-shekel is accepted from them. ...
(ט) בְּאֶחָד בַּאֲדָר מַשְׁמִיעִין עַל הַשְּׁקָלִים כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּכִין כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל שֶׁלּוֹ. וְיִהְיֶה עָתִיד לִתֵּן. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ יָשְׁבוּ הַשֻּׁלְחָנִים בְּכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְתוֹבְעִין בְּנַחַת כָּל מִי שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָהֶם יְקַבְּלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן אֵין כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ לִתֵּן. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים בּוֹ יָשְׁבוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ לִגְבּוֹת. וּמִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ כּוֹפִין אֶת מִי שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן. וְכָל מִי שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן מְמַשְׁכְּנִין אוֹתוֹ וְלוֹקְחִין עֲבוֹטוֹ בַּעַל כָּרְחוֹ וַאֲפִלּוּ כְּסוּתוֹ:
(9) On the first of Adar announcement is made concerning the payment of shekel dues, so that each individual may prepare his half-shekel and be ready to pay it. On the fifteenth of Adar, the money-changers sit down in each town and gently request everyone to pay. They accept from everyone who offers them the half-shekel, without using compulsion against anyone who does not. On the twenty-fifth of Adar, they sit down in the Temple to enforce collection. From then on, payment is obtained by force from those who have not yet paid. Anyone who refuses to pay is subjected to compulsion by levy; a pledge is taken from him forcibly, even the garment he is wearing.