The Limited and Limitless Shekel

It’s time to enter the Adar–Purim spirit with Parshat Shekalim.

The mitzvah of shekalim from the Torah is for each man to give machatzit hashekel — a half shekel — to the beit hamikdash for the korbanot. It was also a method used at times to count klal Yisrael. Nowadays, we use the half coin of the local currency: in America the half dollar, and in Israel the half shekel.

What if someone would want to give more than half a shekel? They are not allowed to. Everyone — from the wealthy to the poor — gives the same amount. But why a half? At least allow us to give a whole shekel! Half seems so little — yet that is exactly what Hashem commanded.

There is a deeper reason here (in addition to other explanations).

This becomes especially meaningful when we look at Haman’s plan in Megillat Esther.

Haman wanted to destroy and wipe out klal Yisrael. He approached King Achashveirosh with his plan, bringing many arguments to receive permission. He offered to pay the king 10,000 silver kikar kesef — an enormous amount of silver — to cover the losses to the treasury.

Tosafot in Megillah (16a) explains that Haman was calculating this amount based on 600,000 half-shekalim — corresponding to the number of men who left Mitzrayim and received the Torah at Har Sinai. In other words, he sought to uproot the very essence of klal Yisrael.

Achashveirosh responded, “Keep the money.” He was saying, in effect: “You are doing me a favor by getting rid of the Jews.” Achashveirosh was an even greater antisemite than Haman, but more cautious; he was happy to let Haman do the dirty work.

Haman was not foolish. He knew that Hashem protects klal Yisrael. That is why he first helped engineer Achashveirosh’s parties — to cause Jews to sin and thereby weaken their Divine protection. But his monetary offer had an even deeper meaning.

Haman was, in a sense, making an offer to Hashem. He was saying: “See how much I am willing to give up; see how strong my ratzon (desire) is.” Willingness to give money demonstrates seriousness of intent and creates what Chazal call a beit kibul — a spiritual “vessel” to receive blessing.

One word Chazal use for money is damim, from the word dam — blood. Earning money requires effort, sweat, and often hardship; when a person gives it away, they are giving part of themselves. That is why tzedakah is so powerful.

By offering 10,000 talents of silver, Haman was displaying tremendous willingness to sacrifice — hoping that this would earn him Heavenly favor.

The Gemara in Megillah (13a) says that when Hashem created the world, He already foresaw Haman’s offer — and countered it by giving klal Yisrael the mitzvah of machatzit hashekel.

How did this counter Haman?

From the moment klal Yisrael received the mitzvah, they were always willing to give more. They would have happily given a full shekel — or even more — but Hashem limited them: “Give only half.”

This limitation created something spiritually immense. Because they wanted to give more but were restrained, their ratzon became limitless. Once the desire has no ceiling, the beit kibul becomes boundless — a vast vessel for Hashem’s blessings.

Even if Haman would later say, “10,000 talents was just a starting point,” it would not help him. By naming a number, he placed a limit on his ratzon. In contrast, klal Yisrael’s desire remained unlimited — and that is what protected them.

This is the deeper meaning of machatzit hashekel: a limited act that generates limitless merit.

But this idea extends far beyond money.

We need ratzon to come closer to Hashem — and to merit the arrival of Moshiach. Do we truly want Moshiach? Sometimes even having a ratzon for ratzon is already a major step.

With all the upheavals in the world, the uncertainty, and the threats from Iran (Persia), Yishmael, and others, this should push us to yearn more deeply for Hashem’s salvation.

May we merit true ratzon, and be zoche to greet Moshiach very soon.

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R’ Dovi Chaitovsky and his family have the zechut to live in Eretz Yisrael, where he dedicates himself to Torah learning and teaching in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh. His divrei Torah often draw from the shiurim of Rav Yisrael Altusky, shlit”a, Yeshivas Torah Ore, Yerushalayim which can be heard at www.kolhalashon.com.