The Custom of the “Commemoration of the Half-Shekel”- The Seventh of Adar
In the beginning of Parashat Ki-Tisa, which we read again not long ago for Parashat Shekalim, the Torah commands the Jewish nation to donate a Half-Shekel during the times when the Bet Hamikdash stood.
This Mitzvah was auspicious in that it protected the Jewish nation from all plague; indeed, the secrets of these Mitzvah are quite deep. When the Bet Hamikdash stood, the Bet Din would publicly announce the start of the Half-Shekel collection and they would call on the entire nation to donate immediately, beginning from Rosh Chodesh Adar, which is the time appropriate for this Mitzvah.
It is customary to donate money before Purim as “a commemoration of the Half-Shekel” which was donated by the entire Jewish nation when the Bet Hamikdash stood. This money is customarily collected on the eve of Purim before reading the Megillah, as our Sages tell us (Megilla 13b) that “it is revealed and known before the Creator of the world that Haman would, in the future, weigh Shekalim against the Jews, therefore, He preceded their Shekalim to his.” Nevertheless, one may donate this sum before this time, any time following Rosh Chodesh Adar.
Women should also participate in this commemorative donation, and it is preferable to donate on behalf of one’s children as well. Some even donate for their unborn babies as well.
Not Calling this Sum the “Half-Shekel”
The Poskim write that nowadays one should be careful not to call this sum of money “the Half-Shekel,” rather, “a commemoration of the Half-Shekel,” for if one would call it the former, there is concern that this money may be consecrated to the Bet Hamikdash and thus be prohibited to benefit from, thereby prohibiting its distribution to the poor.
This is mentioned openly in the Responsa of the Geonim that “calling Tzedakah money ‘the Half-Shekel’ is improper and this money becomes prohibited to benefit from.” Thus, it is proper to call this money just a “commemoration of the Half-Shekel” in order to avoid any doubt.
The Amount One Should Donate for the Commemoration of the Half-Shekel
What is the amount one should donate in commemoration of the Half-Shekel? The actual Half-Shekel coin amounted to the weight of nine grams of pure silver. However, if one’s financial situation does not allow one to donate this amount, donating any coin in commemoration of the Half-Shekel is sufficient.
The appropriate sum that one should donate in commemoration of the Half-Shekel this year (5782) is approximately $8 (USD) per person. (For those residing in Israel, based on the recent USD to NIS conversion rate, the sum this year is approximately 25 NIS per person.) £6.14
The way to calculate this sum is as follows: A troy ounce of silver consists of 31.1 grams. Thus, the price of one troy ounce of silver [recently approximately $25 USD] must be divided by 31.1 and then multiplied by nine in order to find the updated price of nine grams of silver, which is the value of actual Half-Shekel coin, as we have mentioned in past years. There is a disagreement among the Poskim whether the price per ounce of silver should be calculated including applicable sales tax. Halachically speaking, Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l has instructed us that one may be lenient and calculate this sum excluding tax. However, if one acts stringently and donates a larger sum for charity, one shall surely be blessed from above.
The minimum amount of the donation for the commemoration of the Half-Shekel for small children is the value of a coin which is a half of the local currency. Example: In the United States this would be a half-dollar coin, hence, the donation would equal fifty cents. (In Israel, this would be the Half-Shekel [NIS] coin.)
Whom to Donate to
This money must be given as charity to the poor. Hagaon Harav Chaim Palagi writes in his Sefer Ruach Chaim (Chapter 694, Subsection 2) that this money should be given to needy Torah scholars who toil tirelessly in Torah. This is the most important charity of all. Whoever works to raise the glory of the Torah and those who study it shall merit seeing the raised glory of Israel. As our Sages tell us (Baba Batra 10b): “Through what merit will the glory of Israel be raised? Through ‘Ki Tisa’ (donating charity).’”
Three Coins
The Rama (Chapter 694) writes that it is proper to donate the sum in commemoration of the Half-Shekel in the form of three coins in commemoration of the fact that the verse states “the donation of Hashem” three times in the portion of the Torah corresponding to the Half-Shekel. This custom is quoted by Hagaon Harav Chaim Palagi as well as by Maran zt”l in his Chazon Ovadia-Purim (page 103).
Thus, in Israel, it is preferable to donate this sum in the form of two Ten-Shekel coins and one Five-Shekel coin. (In the United States, one cannot reach the sum of five dollars using three coins of the local currency and thus, bills are perfectly acceptable.)
לוח זמני תפלה לחורף תשפ״ב
Winter Timetable 5782 – 2021/22
מוצאי שבת | ערבית | שקיעה | מנחה שבת | סוף זמן קריאת שמע | הדלקת נרות | מנחה וקבלת שבת | תאריך | שבת פרשת |
Shabbat Ends | Arbit | Sunset | Minha | Shema before | Candle Lighting | Minha & Kabbalat Shabbat | Date | Parasha |
PM | PM | PM | PM | AM | PM | PM |
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|
7:09 | 7:09 | 6:19 | 5:40 | 9:15 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 18/19 Mar | צו |
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- What separated the kohen's skin from the priestly garments?
6:3 – Nothing. - How often were the ashes removed from upon the mizbe'ach? How often were they removed from next to the mizbe'ach?
6:4 –
A) Every day.
B) Whenever there was a lot. - If someone extinguishes the fire on the mizbe'ach, how many Torah violations has he transgressed?
6:6 – Two. - The portion of a flour-offering offered on the mizbe'ach may not be chametz. But is the kohen's portion allowed to be chametz?
6:10 – No. - When a kohen is inaugurated, what offering must he bring?
6:13 – A korban mincha — A tenth part of an ephah of flour. - What three baking processes were used to prepare the korban of Aharon and his sons?
6:14 – Boiling, baking in an oven and frying in a pan. - What is the difference between a minchat kohen and a minchat Yisrael?
6:15 – The minchat kohen is burnt completely. Only a handful of the minchat Yisrael is burnt, and the remainder is eaten by the kohanim. - When is a kohen disqualified from eating from a chatat?
6:19 – If he is tamei (spiritually impure) at the time of the sprinkling of the blood. - What is the difference between a copper and earthenware vessel regarding removing absorbed tastes?
6:21 – One can remove an absorbed taste from a copper vessel by scouring and rinsing, whereas such a taste can never be removed from an earthenware vessel. - Can an animal dedicated as an asham be replaced with another animal?
7:1 – No. - How does an asham differ from all other korbanot?
7:3 – It can only be brought from a ram or sheep. - Unlike all other korbanot, what part of the ram or sheep may be placed on the mizbe'ach?
7:3 – The tail. - What three types of kohanim may not eat from the asham?
7:7 – A t'vul yom (a tamei kohen who immersed in a mikveh yet awaits sunset to become tahor); a mechusar kipurim (a tamei person who has gone to the mikveh but has yet to bring his required offering); an oman (a mourner prior to the burial of the deceased). - In which four instances is a korban todah brought?
7:12 – Upon safe arrival from an ocean voyage; upon safe arrival from a desert journey; upon being freed from prison; upon recovering from illness. - Until when may a todah be eaten according to the Torah? Until when according to Rabbinic decree?
7:15 – a) Until morning b) Until midnight - How does a korban become pigul?
7:18 – The person slaughters the animal with the intention that it be eaten after the prescribed time. - Who may eat from a shelamim?
7:19 – Any uncontaminated person (not only the owner). - What miracle happened at the entrance of the Ohel Moed?
8:3 – The entire nation was able to fit in this very small area. - Other than Yom Kippur, what other service requires that the kohen separate from his family?
8:34 – The burning of the parah adumah (red heifer). - What are the 5 categories of korbanot listed in this Parsha?
Olah (6:2); mincha (6:7); chatat (6:18); asham (7:1); shelamim (7:11).
מהלכות מקרא מגילה
כל אדם מישראל חייב בקריאת
המגילה ביום הפורים, וצריך לקרותה בלילה ולשוב ולקרותה ביום, שנאמר “אלהי,
אקרא יומם ולא תענה ולילה ולא דומיה לי”. ופסוק זה נאמר בספר תהילים בפרק
“למנצח על אילת השחר” ואמרו בגמרא (יומא כ”ט.) שאסתר נמשלה לאיילת השחר. ולכן מפרק זה אנו למדים
לענין המגילה שנכתבה על ידי אסתר המלכה יחד עם מרדכי היהודי, והם שתקנו לנו לקרותה
בימי הפורים.
ומכל מקום מכיון שאין הכל
בקיאים בקריאת המגילה, וגם לא לכולם יש מגילה כשרה כתובה על גבי קלף, לכן אנו
נוהגים לצאת ידי חובת קריאת המגילה מדין “שומע כעונה”, כלומר, מי ששומע
קריאת מגילה ממי שקורא אותה מתוך מגילה כשרה, יוצא ידי חובת הקריאה כאילו הוא קרא
בעצמו. לכן קורא השליח ציבור מתוך מגילה כשרה, והוא מכוין להוציא את כלל הציבור
ידי חובת הקריאה, וגם הציבור כולו צריכים לכוין לצאת ידי חובה בקריאתו, והרי זה
כמו שהם קוראים בעצמם ממש.
ואין חילוק בין האנשים לנשים
לענין חיוב שמיעת קריאת המגילה, כי אף הנשים חייבות בקריאה זו כדין הנשים, שאף הן
היו באותו נס ההצלה שבימי מרדכי ואסתר, ועוד שהנס נעשה על יד אשה, היא אסתר. ואף
על פי שבקצת מקומות נהגו שהנשים אינן שומעות מקרא מגילה אלא בלילה, אבל ביום לא
היו שומעות. אין לנהוג כן, ומצוה לבטל מנהג זה שאין לו כל יסוד בהלכה, ובודאי
הונהג על ידי עמי הארץ שבאותם המקומות. וישתקע הדבר ולא יאמר. (טבעת המלך).
בעת קריאת המגילה אסור לדבר
בשום עניין עד לאחר הברכה שבסוף קריאת המגילה. ואם השומע את הקריאה עבר ודיבר
דברים אחרים בעוד שהקורא ממשיך בקריאתו, לא יצא ידי חובתו, ודינו כדין מי שלא שמע
חלק מקריאת המגילה וכפי שיבואר להלן.
צריך לדקדק היטב בקריאת המגילה,
ובפרט יש להזהר בזה בזמן ששומעים את השליח ציבור קורא במגילה, שלא לאבד אף מילה
אחת מן הקריאה במגילה, משום שלדעת רבים מהפוסקים, (ומהם הרשב”א והר”ן
ועוד), אם חיסר תיבה (מילה) אחת מהמגילה לא יצא ידי חובתו.
ומכל מקום אם קרה לאדם שמחמת
איזה רעש וכדומה לא שמע כמה מילים מקריאת המגילה, יכול לקרות את אותן המילים מתוך המגילה שבידו, אפילו
אם היא אינה מגילה כשרה אלא מגילה מודפסת, ויזדרז בקריאתו וימשיך עד מקום שהשליח
ציבור קורא בו, ואז ישתוק וימשיך לשמוע הקריאה מפי השליח ציבור. (ויוצא בזה ידי
חובתו, כל זמן
ששמע לפחות את רוב קריאת המגילה מפי השליח ציבור, ורק מיעוט המגילה קרא בעצמו מתוך
המגילה המודפסת אשר בידו).
אסור לאכול קודם קריאת המגילה,
ולפיכך, נשים שאינן יכולות לבוא בזמן התפילה לבית הכנסת לשמוע קריאת המגילה,
וממתינות עד שיחזרו האנשים מבית הכנסת, ורק אחר כך הן שומעות קריאת המגילה, צריכות
להזהר ביום פורים בבוקר, שלא לאכול עד אשר תשמענה בעצמן את קריאת המגילה. ומכל
מקום מותר לשתות קפה או תה או לטעום פירות קודם קריאת המגילה. וכן מותר לאכול אף
עוגה או פת פחות משיעור כביצה (שהוא שיעור חמישים וששה גרמים).
והמחמירים שלא לטעום כלום קודם
מקרא מגילה, תבוא עליהם הברכה
Some Laws Regarding Megillah Reading
Every person in the Jewish
nation is obligated to read the Megillah on the day of Purim. One must read it
during the night and consequently read it again the next day, as the verse
states, “My G-d, I call out to you during the day and you do not answer; during
the night I have no rest.” This verse is written in the chapter of Tehillim
(Psalms) called “Lamnatze’ach al Ayelet HaShachar” and the Gemara in Yoma (29a)
refers to Queen Esther as the “Ayelet HaShachar”. Therefore, we learn out laws
from this chapter regarding the Megillah which was co-authored by Mordechai the
Righteous and Queen Esther since they were the ones to institute the reading of
the Megillah on the day of Purim.
However, since not everyone is an expert in Megillah reading along with the
fact that not everyone owns a kosher Megillah written on parchment, we
customarily fulfill our obligation of Megillah reading through the law of “one
who hears is like one who recites”. This means that one who hears another
reading from a kosher Megillah fulfills his obligation and it is as though he
has read the Megillah himself. Therefore, when the Chazzan reads from a kosher
Megillah while having in mind to read on behalf of the congregation and the
congregation has in mind to fulfill their own obligation as well, it is
considered as if they have actually read the Megillah on their own.
There is no distinction between men and women regarding the obligation to hear
Megillah reading, for women are just as obligated as men are since women were saved
in the same miracle during the days of Mordechai and Esther, in addition to the
fact that the miracle of Purim was brought about through a woman, namely, Queen
Esther. Although in some places it was customary for women to hear Megillah
reading only during the night but not during the day, one should not follow
this custom; this custom, which has no Halachic basis, should be nullified as
it was surely started by ignorant people. (Taba’at HaMelech)
During the time when the Megillah is being read, one may not interrupt by
speaking at all until after the blessing at the conclusion of the Megillah
reading has been recited. One who did indeed speak during Megillah reading
while the Chazzan carries on with the reading of the Megillah does not fulfill
his obligation, and his status is like one who missed a portion of the Megillah
reading, as will be explained later on.
One should listen carefully to the reading of the Megillah and one should
exercise special care not to miss hearing even one word from the reading of the
Megillah, for according to many Poskim (including the Rashba, Ran, and others),
if one misses hearing even one word of the Megillah, he has not fulfilled his
obligation.
However, if it happens that one missed hearing a few words of the Megillah
because of noise and the like, one may read those words from inside the
Megillah he is holding, even if it is not a kosher Megillah; rather, even if it
is a printed one, one should quickly read the words he missed until he reaches
the place where the Chazzan is currently reading, at which point he should once
again remain silent and listen to the Chazzan’s reading. (One will
satisfactorily fulfill his obligation as long as he has heard most of the
Megillah reading from the Chazzan and he has only read a minority of it on his
own from the printed Megillah in his hands).
One may not eat before Megillah reading. Therefore, those women who do not come
to hear Megillah at the time the congregation is praying in the synagogue and
wait for their husbands to come home from synagogue and only then do they go to
hear Megillah reading should be careful not to eat anything on Purim day until
they hear Megillah reading themselves. However, they may in fact drink tea or
coffee or taste some fruit before hearing Megillah reading. Similarly, one may
also partake of some cake or even some bread less than a Kebeitza (egg’s
volume, approximately 56 grams).
Those who are careful not to taste anything before Megillah reading are
especially praiseworthy