Haftorah Commentary Parshas Shekalim
By Rabbi Dovid Siegel
This week’s haftorah, read in conjunction with Parshas Sh’kalim, deals with the collection of funds for the Bais Hamikdash. In the days prior to King Yehoash, the Bais Hamikdash was seriously neglected and much repair work was required to restore it to its original splendor. After the kohanim’s unsuccessful attempt to collect the necessary funds, the righteous
King Yehoash spearheaded the collection
and an overwhelming response occurred.
The reason for this neglect is explained in Divrei Hayomim (2:23) wherein it blames the wicked Queen Atalya and her wicked sons for the deteriorated condition of the Bais Hamikdash. The royal family had seriously mistreated the holiest structure on Earth and roamed freely inside it, causing much damage to its walls and interior structure. Actually, money was constantly donated to repair the Bais Hamikdash but these funds were repeatedly misappropriated by Atalya. Instead of being used for the Bais Hamikdash they were channeled to further practices of idolatry. Now that the pious Yehoash came to power idolatry was removed from the royal family and the funds were finally applied to their intended usage.
After so many years of neglect the Bais Hamikdash
was finally restored to its previous glory.
The haftorah of Parshas Sh’kalim echoes the earlier experiences of the Jewish people read in the Torah portion this week. During
their exodus from Egypt Hashem rewarded the Jewish
people with an abundance of wealth from the Egyptian nation.
Instead of applying this towards the service of Hashem the Jewish people donated their precious gold ornaments to produce the Golden Calf. After Hashem’s severe response the Jews recognized their error and returned wholeheartedly to Hashem. They were given the opportunity to rectify their grave sin and were invited to participate in the building of a Mishkan. This time they utilized their money for proper purposes and generously donated their funds towards the construction of a magnificent sanctuary. Hashem accepted their teshuvah and consented to rest His divine presence amongst the Jewish people in this glorious edifice.
The reading of Parshas Sh’kalim and its accompanying haftorah serves as a most appropriate introduction to the month of Adar. As we read in Megillas Esther (3:9), the wicked Haman attempted to purchase the Jews from the king with an impressive ten thousand silver blocks. He intended to use his power of wealth to influence the king to grant permission to destroy the entire Jewish nation.
However, as the Gemara in Megilla (13b) teaches us, Haman’s efforts were preempted by the donations of the Jewish people to the Bais Hamikdash. Interestingly, this exact sum of ten thousand silver blocks was annually donated by the Jewish people for the sake of the sacrifices in the Bais Hamikdash. Hashem said, “Let the Jewish nation’s ten thousand abort Haman’s influential process of his ten thousand.” The Jewish people’s annual donation demonstrated that they were not influenced by the power of money. They properly allocated their funds to the most worthy of causes and annually gave ten thousand blocks of silver for the sake of Hashem and His Bais Hamikdash. Therefore, Haman’s financial influence, his ten thousand silver blocks had no influence over the Jewish people. They could not be improperly influenced by money and money could therefore never serve to produce an improper influence over them. Eventually, the king would and did see through Haman’s plot and his money and
influence were to no avail.
It is with this lesson in mind that we read Parshas Sh’kalim and usher in the month of Adar. Parshas Sh’kalim reminds us of the great significance of money when allocated in the proper ways. Through properly directed donations, the beautiful edifice of the Bais Hamikdash was restored to its glory. Through such donations the Jewish people received atonement for the gravest of their sins. And through these charitable donations we merited the miracle of Purim and learned that even our most powerful of enemies replete with significant funds had no influence over us.
This timely insight sheds a colorful light on the unique mitzvos of Purim. Unlike any other holiday, Purim focuses on the Jewish nation’s generosity to give and share its financial resources. The holiday of Purim asks of us to part with our money for numerous causes, such as Machtzis Hashekel, Matanos L’evyonim
and Mishloach Manos. Through these, we demonstrate our readiness to allocate our funds to the proper causes.
We display this supreme quality of generosity as the hallmark of the Jewish people and remind ourselves that in this merit we were privileged to experience the miracle of Purim. Therefore every Purim we demonstrate this Jewish quality of generosity and put our money to the proper usage. We guarantee through this that no foreign power will ever affect us through its financial influence and we remind ourselves that in this merit of generosity we will eventually witness the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash and the return of the divine presence to Israel.
So, I encourage you to make a significant contribution to your local synagogue of church that provides
you with your spiritual leadership.
And to continue this study with our contribution from Chabad.org with additional insight from Rashi…
2 Kings Chapter 11
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17And Jehoiada enacted the covenant between the Lord and between the king and [between] the people, to be the people of the Lord, and between the king and between the people. |
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between the Lord and between the king and (between) the people: that the king and the people will follow the Lord, and afterwards he enacted a covenant between the king and between the people that they should be servants of the king. |
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18And all the people of the land came to the temple of the Baal and tore it down, its altars and its images they smashed, and Mattan the priest of the Baal they slew before the altars; and the priest set up appointees over the house of the Lord. |
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appointees: appointed to watch in the place of their watch according to their law, since Athaliah had abolished the order of the watches of the Temple. |
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19And he took the officers of the hundreds and the mighty warriors and the couriers and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and they came by way |
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and they came by way of the gate of the couriers: to the king’s palace. |
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20And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city quieted down, and Athaliah they had dispatched by the sword in the royal palace. |
II Kings Chapter 12
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1Jehoash was seven years old when |
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2Jehoash became king in the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned in Jerusalem for forty years; and his |
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3And Jehoash did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord all his days, what Jehoiada the priest instructed him. |
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all his days, that Jehoiada the priest instructed him: but after Jehoiada died, the princes of Judah came to prostrate themselves before the king, and they deified him. They said to him, One who enters the Holy of Holies is in peril of dying. Yet you hid there for six years. You are fit to be a god. “Then the king listened to them” (II Chron. 24:17). |
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4However, the high places were not removed. The people were still slaughtering sacrifices and burning incense on the high places. |
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5And Jehoash said to the priests, "All money of the hallowed things which is brought to the house of the Lord, the money of anyone who passes [the numbering], each one the money of the value of the people [whose value he vows to donate,] all money which comes upon a man's heart to bring to the house of the Lord. |
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the money of anyone who passes the numbering, each one the money of the value of the people, [whose value he vows to donate]: Two types of money are mentioned here: (1) the money of anyone who passes the numbering. That is the money of the shekels, concerning which it is stated (Ex. 30:13,14), “Everyone who passes the numbering,” and (2) anyone who volunteers |
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all money which comes upon…: [I.e., all money which one desires to give,] such as one who says, It is incumbent upon me to donate a maneh (twenty-five selaim or one hundred dinarim) for the repairs of the Temple. |
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6The priests shall take for themselves each one from his acquaintance; and they shall strengthen the damage of the house, wherever damage is found." |
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The priests shall take for themselves: It shall be theirs, and they shall take upon themselves to strengthen the damage of the Temple from their own money. |
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from his acquaintance: [Heb. מַכָּרוֹ, like מַכִּירוֹ, i.e.,] from his acquaintance who frequently visits him. |
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damage: splits and cracks in the wall. |
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7And it was that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests did not strengthen the damages of the house. |
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8And King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the priests and said to them, "Why are you not repairing the damage of the house? Now, take no money from your acquaintances, but give it for the damage of the house." |
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Now, take no money: anymore, and do not repair the Temple from your money. |
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but give it for the damage of the house: If it will be little, let it be little, and if it will be left over, let it be left over. |
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9And the priests agreed not to take money from the people and not to repair the damage of the house. |
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10And Jehoiada the priest took one chest and bored a hole in its door; and he placed it near the altar on the right, where a person enters the house of the Lord: and the priests, the guards of the threshold, would put all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, into there. |
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near the altar: in the Temple court. |
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on the right, where a person comes: on the right of the people’s entrance. |
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the guards of the threshold: the thresholds of the Temple court, those in charge of the keys of the Temple court, for Jonathan rendered it as “Amarkalia,” and the “Amarkalim” were seven, for the seven gates of the Temple court. Tosefta Shekalim 2:15 |
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11And it was when they saw that there was much money |
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And it was: from day to day. |
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12And they would give the counted money into the hands of the foremen of the work who were appointed in the house of the Lord; and they spent it for the carpenters and for the builders |
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And they would give the counted money: They would give that counted money. After they would take it out of the chest and weigh it, they would give it into the hands of the treasurers who were in charge of the performers of the work. |
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the counted: Heb. [הַמְתֻכָּן,] an expression of a number, like (Ex. 5:18) “and the number (וְתֹכֶן) of bricks you shall give.” |
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who were appointed: [Heb. הַמֻּפְקָדִים]. |
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and they spent it: [lit. and they took it out.] An expression of expenditure to hire carpenters. |
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and for the builders: They are the architects, |
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13And for the masons and for the stonecutters and to buy wood and quarried stones to repair the damage of the house of the Lord, and for everything which would be spent for the house to strengthen it. |
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And for the masons: for the builders of the wall, |
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and for the stonecutters: from the mountain. |
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14However, there would not be made for the house of the Lord, silver pitchers, musical instruments, basins, trumpets, |
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15But they would give it to the foremen over the work, and they would repair therewith the house of the Lord. |
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16And they would not reckon with the men into whose hand they would give the money to give the foremen over the work, |
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And they would not reckon with the men: The supervisors would not make a reckoning with the men, the treasurers into whose hand the supervisors would always give the money to give it to the foremen over the work, since they were not suspicious in their eyes, for they did the work honestly. |
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for they did [the work] honestly: |
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17The money for guilt-offerings and the money for sin-offerings would not be brought to the house of the Lord; |
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The money for guilt-offerings and the money for sin-offerings: If one set aside money for his sin-offering or for his guilt-offering, and purchased an animal, and there |
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would not be brought to the house of the Lord: |
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they would go to the priests: who would in turn purchase therefrom burnt-offerings, “fruit” for the altar; the flesh was for a burnt-offering and the hides were theirs. Thus we learned in Temurah (23b). This interpretation Jehoiada the priest expounded on. Everything that comes from the remainder of a guilt-offering shall be used to purchase burnt-offerings. |
Our synagogue In Atlanta, Ahavath Achim. Is completing a MAJOR renovation of our sanctuary. We’ve been around for 137 years and some of our internal issues like electrical & plumbing no longer met code. Now it does!
It’s not quite complete, but even meeting where we are now, is wonderful. So, if you live within driving distance, I promise you will be blessed. We drove 2 ½ hours from Milledgeville for two years for all of the Holidays & for other special services. It was special enough that we moved to within 30 minutes!!!
Y’all come.
And please continue to pray for Debra & I to remain strong & in good health as we continue to serve G-d’s people as unto Him. And check out Debra’s music at debracohenmusic.com anywhere where music is available online: Spotify, Twitter, FaceBook…
Herer’s he latest, & I feel, her finest work ever:
Please enjoy & Share it everywhere,