This week’s Torah portion starts with the instruction of each member of the Jewish people to contribute half a shekel, the currency of the Jews in the desert, as an offering to God. Why does the Torah specifically command giving only a half shekel, and not a whole one? The Jews left Egypt with tremendous riches - certainly they could have afforded contributing a whole shekel. Moreover, why was everyone obligated to give the same amount? The mitzvah of ma’aser, tithing, requires that we give a percentage of our earnings to the Levite or poor, such that what we give is directly proportional to what we have. Why weren’t the Jews commanded to give in a similar manner – each according to what they possessed?

Lesson:

The half shekel teaches us many beautiful lessons in unity and humility. While everyone most likely could have afforded a whole shekel, the Torah is emphasizing the importance of unity. A whole shekel represents completeness – it is total and its monetary value stands on its own. A half shekel, however, is only a partial amount of the whole; only combined with another half of a shekel can it really be worth anything.

We are all ‘halves’ of a ‘whole’ on many levels. Husband and wives are two halves of a soul, coming together in completeness to help each fulfill their potential. However, this too is only a microcosm of the Jewish people. We are all interdependent and need each other to complete our collective mission as Jews. The second Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred, towards fellow Jews. As such, we know that the antidote is baseless love towards our fellow Jews. This is worth a pause, as we know what we need to do to rebuild the Temple! Just love our fellow Jew! How can we do this? When we do not think of ourselves as a whole, but only as a half.

No one is complete – as Jews we are all part of something much larger and greater than ourselves. When we recognize that every Jew is special, unique, and part of our collective mission in this world, we can truly have the unity necessary to rebuild the Temple. Moreover, the fact that everyone was commanded to give the same amount – half a shekel – regardless of what you owned, further emphasizes that every person shares equal importance and value. Regardless of what you own, your talents, or capabilities, God created you with a unique purpose that is just as important as everyone else.

Exercise: Think of someone who you find it more difficult to get along with and focus on their positive qualities. Visualize having a positive interaction with them (it could be made up). Recognize that you cannot complete your mission without them.