THE HALF-SHEKEL OFFERING: PARTNERSHIP IN THE HOLY TEMPLE!
THE HALF-SHEKEL DONATION: MUST IT BE A SILVER HALF-SHEKEL COIN OR SHOULD IT BE GIVEN USING CONTEMPORARY CURRENCY?
It is necessary to clarify how the performance of this commandment is to be done in our time.
Must the half-shekel donation be given as a silver coin, as it was done in the past, or may it be given in contemporary Shekel currency or maybe even to donate using bills?
It is written in the Mishnah, “all monetary obligations are redeemed, (paid) with coins or with items of the equivalent value of money, except for the half-shekels that are donated to the Temple each year, which must be given specifically as coins.” Meaning, any monetary obligation may be paid with money or with merchandise of its value, except for the half-shekel donation which must be a monetary donation and not merchandise. The Talmud gives the reason behind this ruling, “In the event that the value of the merchandise goes down… the Temple Treasury would be at a loss."
Therefore, in our time it is not possible to give silver coins as the half-shekel donation, as was in the past, because these coins today are under the category of merchandise. Today, silver coins are not a viable currency with which purchases may be made. (Talmud, Bava Metzia, see beginning of chapter “The gold”). Therefore, today it is necessary to use contemporary currency, whether it be of metal - coins or paper - bills.
Additionally, it will be permissible to donate foreign currency, as long as it is an accepted form of payment in the state of Israel, meaning stores accept this currency to pay for merchandise.
However, it is not permissible to make the half-shekel donation using a check or money order, since some authorities do not consider them an actual form of money.
There are several opinions as to the weight of the silver coin which was donated for the half-shekel. One opinion states that the weight of pure silver was the equivalent to the weight of 160 kernels of barley. According to Rashi, the weight of silver was 7 grams. Since the value of silver fluctuates, it is necessary to recalculate the current value each year. For example, in the year 2013 (Hebrew year: 5773) the value of the silver half-shekel was between 30 to 40 ILS.
However, in contrast to this fixed amount, in the beginning of the Second Temple period, the Sages instructed to give for the half-shekel donation a coin of gold called a ‘darcon’ (this was a Persian coin which they brought with them from the area of Persia and Media.) As quoted from the Mishnah: “When the People of Israel returned from the exile they would give ‘darconot’ of gold, afterwards they continued to give ‘selaim’.” Each ‘darcon’ of gold was worth two shekels, meaning four times the value of the original half-shekel donation. We conclude from this source two important lessons:
- It is permissible to give coins of other currencies for the half-shekel donation.
- The amount of money to be donated is subject to change, depending on the circumstances of the time. The Great Court is to issue an instruction for the amount of the half-shekel donation, in accordance with the necessary budget.
THE HALF-SHEKEL DONATION - IS IT A COMMANDMENT FOR OUR TIME?
QUESTION:
Is there a Torah obligation to give a half-shekel donation in our time or is this commandment applicable only when the Holy Temple is built? This question arises from the words of the Mishnah (Shekalim 8:8): “The practice of giving half-shekel donations… is only done in the presence of the Holy Temple.” And so writes Maimonides in Mishneh Torah, Shekalim 8:1.
From these sources it seems that the half-shekel donation will be given only after the Holy Temple is built in order to purchase the offerings with these funds.
ANSWER:
In the works which list the 613 commandments of the Torah, the obligation to donate the half-shekel is listed as a commandment for all generations. It was never canceled.
Those that fail to give this donation forgo the opportunity of fulfilling a commandment of the Torah and hamper the possibility of fulfilling the commandments in the Holy Temple.
The half-shekel donations were allocated for the funding of the building of the Temple. This was the practice throughout history: In the time of the Tabernacle the coins were used to build the silver sockets for the base of the wall beams; in the time of the First Temple the ‘tax ordered by Moshe’ was allocated for the upkeep of the Temple; and so it was in the time of the Second Temple in which the half-shekel donations were used to build the altar and to purchase the daily offerings, even before the Temple was built. (Detailed above.)
The conclusion is that the words of the Mishnah “In the presence of the Temple” refers to a time when the People of Israel are obligated to build the Temple.
The Sages taught that when the People of Israel are in their land, and neglect to bring the offerings on the Temple Mount, they are punished, G-d forbid. Such an occurrence took place in the time of King David when the great plague struck. Nachmanides wrote in his commentary on Numbers (16:21): “The People of Israel were punished for their delay in building the Holy Temple… [even though they brought offerings in the Tabernacle] and the tribes of Israel did not rise up and say, ‘We will seek out the Presence of God and we will build a house in honor of His Name’, as is commanded in the Torah (Deuteronomy 12:5): “there you shall seek out His presence and come there.”
From the time when the Israeli Defense Force conquered the location of the Holy Temple it is incumbent upon every individual of the People of Israel to immediately donate the half-shekel to fund the building of the Holy Temple and the bringing of the offerings. This is what we say in our (New Month and holiday) prayers, “May it be Your Will… that You will bring us up joyously to our land… and there we will bring before You the offerings which we are committed to bring”. And it is written in the Torah (Deuteronomy 23:24): “You must observe and carry out what emerges from your lips”.
It is important to remember that the People of Israel who returned to the land following the Babylonian exile were under the rule of Persia. Despite this, they were proactive in resuming the service in the Holy Temple. These halachic (Jewish law) guidelines pertain, all the more so, to our time. The Talmud teaches (Berachot 34b) that from the time that G-d frees the People of Israel from the yolk of foreign dominion a new period of time begins in which they are committed to perform all the commandments of the Torah. And so Maimonides states as the law in Mishneh Torah, the Laws of Repentance 9:2 and in the Laws of Kings 12:2.
IS THE HALF-SHEKEL SANCTIFIED TEMPLE PROPERTY (‘HEKDESH’)?
Sanctifying funds or property to the Holy Temple is a positive commandment. In the time of the Holy Temple all would have in their possession items that were consecrated for the Holy Temple, such as: the half-shekel, money from the redemption of the second tithe, etc.
Following the destruction of the Holy Temple, the Sages forbade the consecration to the Holy Temple regarding certain commandments, out of concern that it may accidentally be used for a different purpose (‘me’ilah’). However, regarding the half-shekel no such prohibition was issued. On the contrary, as is written in the Mishnah (Shekalim 8:8): “One who consecrates their shekels [after the destruction] - it is holy.” For the commandment of the half-shekel is the facilitator for the rest of the commandments of the Holy Temple. Therefore, the Sages did not pass a decree to cancel their consecration, so as not to delay the building of the Third Temple.
However, in the event that individuals are concerned that consecrated funds may be misused, there is the possibility of fulfilling the commandment with a clause that the funds are not yet consecrated. When giving the donation one may declare: “With this money I am fulfilling the positive Torah obligation of the giving of a half-shekel and this money is not consecrated.”
The Temple Institute is stringent in following these instructions in the production of the vessels for the Holy Temple and the garments for the kohanim (priests).