Reb Shlomo's Commentary on this Week's Torah Parsha Parshat Ki Tisa
The Half a Shekel
“This shall they give – everyone who passes through the census – a half of the sacred shekel” (Sh'mos 30:13)
Connecting to what’s already there
In the time of the Holy Temple, each person had to donate a machatzis hashekel. And everyone is asking, why only half?
Imagine I would have to create light. It would be a very heavy thing, but if the light is there and all I have to do is to connect it, it means I only have to do half of it. Something is already there, all I have to do is to plug it in.
Now listen to the deepest depths. Haman came to Achashverosh and said, “I’m giving you 10,000 shekels to wipe out the Jews.” The Medrash says that G-d says to the Yidden, “You give half a shekel and I’ll wipe out all the shekels of Haman.” You know what that means? Evil comes to you and says, “You can’t bring any light into the world with half a shekel. You have to create the whole thing on your own, which is not simple at all. Don’t kid yourself, you won't make it in your lifetime.” So here I come and I say, “The world is filled with light. All I have to do is to connect to it, it’s right here.”
I want you to know, it’s also so true between people. If I have to create love and the other person has to create love, it’s very heavy, we will never make it. The world filled us with love. All you need is this half a shekel, this little connection, this little bit of plugging in.
Do you know what happened to us on Purim? LaYehudim hayesa orah v'simcha v'sason Veyikar. (Esther 8:16. On Purim we realized the whole world is filled with light. Every little good thing you are doing connects you to the highest light there is. Some people think I have to work like a dog and cut myself into pieces for two thousand years until I smell or feel a little bit of light. The light is right here, you just have to connect.
The Half a Shekel
“This shall they give – everyone who passes through the census – a half of the sacred shekel” (Sh'mos 30:13)
Connecting to what’s already there
In the time of the Holy Temple, each person had to donate a machatzis hashekel. And everyone is asking, why only half?
Imagine I would have to create light. It would be a very heavy thing, but if the light is there and all I have to do is to connect it, it means I only have to do half of it. Something is already there, all I have to do is to plug it in.
Now listen to the deepest depths. Haman came to Achashverosh and said, “I’m giving you 10,000 shekels to wipe out the Jews.” The Medrash says that G-d says to the Yidden, “You give half a shekel and I’ll wipe out all the shekels of Haman.” You know what that means? Evil comes to you and says, “You can’t bring any light into the world with half a shekel. You have to create the whole thing on your own, which is not simple at all. Don’t kid yourself, you won't make it in your lifetime.” So here I come and I say, “The world is filled with light. All I have to do is to connect to it, it’s right here.”
I want you to know, it’s also so true between people. If I have to create love and the other person has to create love, it’s very heavy, we will never make it. The world filled us with love. All you need is this half a shekel, this little connection, this little bit of plugging in.
Do you know what happened to us on Purim? LaYehudim hayesa orah v'simcha v'sason Veyikar. (Esther 8:16. On Purim we realized the whole world is filled with light. Every little good thing you are doing connects you to the highest light there is. Some people think I have to work like a dog and cut myself into pieces for two thousand years until I smell or feel a little bit of light. The light is right here, you just have to connect.
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