The original source for this custom is the paragraph in the Chumash
(Exodus 30:11-16) which is read as maftir. The subject is the prohibition
against a direct head count when taking a census of the nation. Instead each
man must give a half shekel donation which is described as a ransom for his
soul. The money is to be used for the Temple service. This paragraph is
puzzling. It seems misplaced as it is in the middle of a lengthy discussion of the
building of the tabernacle. It has some nexus to the Temple but its primary
emphasis is on the census. Even more puzzling, it labels the half shekel
donation as redemption for the soul.
Psalm 49 is associated with Parshas Shekalim primarily because of two
verses with difficult text. My translation of them is, “A brother he would not
redeem [make] a redemption, a man did not give to G-d his ransom. To costly is
the redemption of their own sole, and he abstains forever”. This is the
original Hebrew text but the puzzles remain, “אָח לֹא פָדֹה
יִפְדֶּה אִישׁ לֹא יִתֵּן לֵאלֹקִים כָּפְרוֹ. וְיֵקַר פִּדְיוֹן נַפְשָׁם וְחָדַל
לְעוֹלָם”. The psalm itself is basically a polemic against greed. It
clearly lends itself to the theme of Shabbos Shekalim, because in the days of
the Mishna this was the start of a fund raising drive to pay for repairs and
maintenance of public facilities, among them roads, public baths, and cemeteries.
The psalm describes itself as wisdom, understanding, and heartfelt
meditation. It then poses a riddle, “Why should I fear the days of evil?”
meaning the day of death, and answers, “the sin I trampled (עקב) on surrounds me”. The psalm then heaps contempt on the wealthy
that do not use their wealth to help their fellow man. Rather they put their
trust in money, live in luxury, and see their physical possessions as their
glory and posterity. It concludes by saying that they will come to the
generation of their fathers but will never see light, and that a person with
wealth and no insight is like an animal.
The Yalkut Shimoni explains, “the iniquity I tread (עקב) upon surrounds me”, thusly. Said David 613 mitzvahs were given
to us, both easy and difficult. I’m not concerned about the difficult ones in
the Torah because I will turn to the difficult ones. Rather I’m concerned about
the easy ones, namely the ones nobody pays attention to and throws them under
his heel (עקב) . . .
these are the mitzvahs that a person treads on with his feet. “Those
that keep them have a great result (עקב)”,
(Psalm 169:12) means that much is hidden away for those that keep the easy
mitzvahs.
The Midrash Tanchuma comments: Said Rabbi Yehuda ben Simon in the name
of Rabbi Yochanan, this is one of the three things that Moshe heard from the
Mighty One and was stunned. At the moment He said to him, “a man will give a
ransom for his soul”, (Exodus 30:12), Moshe replied who can give a ransom for
his soul as it is written, “Flesh for flesh and a man will give everything for
his life,” (Job 2:4), and this would still not be enough as it says, “a brother
will certainly not redeem a man and will not give to G-d his ransom”, (Psalm
49:8). HaKadosh Baruch Hu said to him I am not requesting according to my ability
rather according to their ability. “They should give” (Exodus 30:13), Rabbi
Meir said the holy One blessed be he took something like a coin of fire from
under his glorious throne and showed it to Moshe and said like this they should
give.
The haftarah for Shabbos Shekalim continues the theme of using charity
for maintaining basic community facilities. It specifically warns against using
the money for things which are expensive, showy luxuries. In it King Jehoash
directs that the contributions placed in the charity box in the Temple be used
to repair the dilapidated walls of the building and not to use them for silver
implements.
What we see is that there is an evil inclination to not only to evade
the expense of maintaining essential community facilities but to absolutely
neglect them as well. People will generously spend money on things, personal
and religious, that are big and beautiful but not of great importance. At the
same time they will laugh at the gabbai when he is collecting money to fix huge
holes in the wall of the synagogue, replace faucets and toilets, and pay for
the electricity.
Parshas Shekalim comes to say that this is a crime. The Tanakh uses
cryptic language and riddles to deal with this joke. What it is really saying
is that if a person wants to be part of the Jewish people he must pay taxes for
things like garbage collection and make a contribution to the shul to pay the
janitor. It’s easy to forget these things but for the people who are careful
about this easy mitzvah, there is a great reward.
לע"נ
הסבתא טויבע בת יואל לייב ז"ל נלב"ע כה בשבט תשכ"ג
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
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