It Takes Two to Make One

It takes two to make one

by Rabbi DovidWachs

Exodus 30: 13-15 This they should give; everyone who passes through the census, a half shekel of the sacred shekel.....The wealthy should not increase and the poor should not decrease from half a shekel....."

Rashi explains that G-d told Moshe that if he wanted to count the people, he could not count them by number, but rather, each person had to give a half shekel and then upon counting the shekalim, he would know their numbers.

The question often asked is why a half shekel instead of a whole shekel?

Some rabbis say that it was to impress upon every person that he could not reach inner completion until he joined with another person. A person giving half of a shekel needed another person giving half of a shekel to give a complete shekel. In addition, each donor would be unaware of the person whose half shekel matched his, teaching him that itdidn't matter who the person was. The poorest of the poor could complete the richest of the rich. We are intrinsically all the same.

This is also borne out by the cited verse that the wealthy cannot give more than the poor; each person gave a half shekel when they were counted.

A similar idea is found at the beginning of Chapter 31. G-d tells Moshe that he has appointed Betzalel from the tribe of Yehuda to be the chief builder of the Mishkan (the tabernacle) and has appointed Ahaliav from the tribe of Dan to assist him. The Midrash ponders on the choice of these two individuals.Betzalel was from the tribe of Yehuda which was considered the most prestigious and noblest of the 12 tribes whereas Ahaliav came from the tribe of Dan, which was considered the lowliest of the tribes. Why were they put together?

To teach us, the Midrash says, that no person should ever feel haughty or more important than another because of his or her lineage. Whether a person comes from a noble family or from a simple family, in G-d's eyes, they are the same. The only things that count and set one apart from another are his choices and actions.

Have a Good Shabbos!