The Benefits of Unity

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

The first of the daled parshyos is Parshas Shekalim, in which each Jew over the age of 20 is commanded to give a machatzis hashekel (half-shekel) for use in the Mishkan. These coins also functioned to conduct a count of the Bnei Yisrael.

Why such a small sum? When donating for the construction of the Mishkan, everyone gave as much as he wanted. Why, here, did the Torah fix an amount?

Also, we see that “a poor man must not give less” (Shemos 30:15). Usually, one who cannot afford to fulfill a mitvzas asseh is exempt from doing so, yet here, the Rambam (Laws of Shekalim 1:1) rules that one who could not afford the half-shekel donation had to sell even his clothes to be able to give it. Moreover, “the rich man must not add more than a half-shekel.” Why should the Torah limit him if he wanted to give more?

Lastly, this census of the Bnei Yisrael via the half-shekel was in order “that there not be a plague in counting them” (Shemos 30:12), even though counting the Bnei Yisrael is known to bring calamity (see Rashi, Rabbeinu Bechaya there). Why should each Jew giving a half-shekel have the power to combat a plague on the nation?

Rav Dovid Cohen, in the name of Rav Yitzchak Isaac Chaver, explains that the main part of the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel wasn’t the giving of the coin itself, but rather the fact that everyone gave this together. This was an activity that united the nation — all had to take part. Once they were united as a tzibbur, they merited Hashem’s special protection.

Therefore, the poor man had to do everything to be able to take part in it, and the wealthy man could not give more, as this would cause him to stand out and not be simply a part of the whole of the Jewish nation. That’s why they gave half a shekel — symbolizing that each man on his own was just a “half,” part of the greater whole called Klal Yisrael.

The census of all Klal Yisrael involved counting each Jew separately, which risked Hashem’s looking into each person’s deeds individually. This, as said above, can bring calamity on the nation. The giving of the half-shekel made each Jew part of the tzibbur. Nobody stood out, and each gained Hashem’s special protection over the tzibbur.

We see proof of this from the Shunammite woman who declined Elisha the Prophet’s offer to intervene for her with the king, explaining: “I dwell among my people” (Melachim II 4:3). Meaning, I want to be mentioned together with everybody else. Don’t mention me separately and cause me to stand out.

Rav Yitzchak Isaac Chaver also notes that unity brings the Shechina. The Divine Presence manifests itself on a greater level when Klal Yisrael comes together. By giving the machatzis hashekel, there was unity, and therefore the Shechina, and a plague could not happen.

In fact, unity wards off not only plagues caused by counting Jews, unity can even undo the evil decrees of the gentiles, as is recorded in Megila (13b): Haman “gave shekalim” (i.e., his colossal donation to Achashverosh in order to issue a decree of genocide against the Jews), but Hashem made sure that the remedy preceded the problem — Hashem commanded the Jews to give the machatzis hashekel. The unity of the Jews at that time was what thwarted Haman’s decree and preserved the nation.

Rav Steinman points out that even today, it’s possible to reap the advantages of unity that came from the machatzis hashekel that was given together by all Jews. Even a small kehilla or yeshiva – if everyone lives and works together in unity, they can merit special protection and siyata DeShemaya. The Maharal proves this from the mitzvah of egla arufa, in which a town’s elders must perform a ceremony at the outskirts of their town if a wayfarer passed through their area and was later found killed outside the town. Among other things, the elders declare that “our hands did not spill this blood.” (Devarim 21:7)The Sages (Sotah 46b) ask: Does anyone suspect that the elders of the town actually killed this wayfarer, that they should have to make such a statement?Rather, the elders are declaring that they did not let this wayfarer leave their town without first inquiring about him, seeing to his needs and escorting him on his way.

The Maharal explains that helping and escorting wayfarers makes them feel part of the tzibbur. Through this, they gain the special protection Hashem gives to the tzibbur. This divine protection of the tzibbur is so real that if the elders failed to make this wayfarer feel part of the tzibbur by offering him help, they are deemed guilty of his murder! (Chidushei Agados Sotah 46b)

Rav Shlomo Brevda said that once, among the daveners in his kehilla in London was a Jew who faced trial, and the kehilla’s unity wrought an absolute miracle: The British Court ruled in this man’s favor, even though their ruling went against British law. Only one other example of this existed, Rav Brevda would point out, and in the other case, the ruling only defied international law, whereas in this case the court actually took a stand against its own body of law. Look at the great protection that the unity of a kehilla can bring!

Rav Steinman would note that unity doesn’t mean simply that there are no quarrels or dissension among the kehilla. Rather, each member of the kehilla has to be truly concerned about his fellow Jew, always thinking and asking about what he can do to help him (see Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuva 3:13). Helping one’s fellowman can be a challenge, as sometimes the one in need may not want to accept help. Extra caution is required, so as not to hurt this man’s feelings. Sometimes, one must be very clever and take counsel in order to do chessed in the proper way. The more unity there is among the kehilla, the greater will be its siyata deShemaya.

After the defeat of the Nazis, the Skuliner Rebbe was in a Displaced Persons camp, one of many Holocaust survivors. Before Pesach, the Rebbe launched a personal initiative of baking matzos, planning to give one to each of his fellow inmates. Among the inmates was the Skverrer Rebbe, who sent a shamash who insisted on receiving not one but three matzos. The Skuliner Rebbe was taken aback by the request, and tried to explain to the shamash that supplies were very limited. The shamash insisted, and the Skuliner rebbe acquiesced and gave him three matzos.

On erev Pesach, as the Skuliner Rebbe was preparing himself for the Seder, the shamash of the Skverrer Rebbe came to him and returned to him two of the matzos.

The Skuliner Rebbe was confused. “Why did you ask for these extra two, just to return them now?”

The shamash explained, in the name of the rebbe: “My rebbe was afraid that you would end up giving away all the matzos and would leave only one for yourself, or none at all. Therefore, he made sure to take these two extra matzos while you were still in the middle of baking to make sure you would have enough.”

May we find ways to help our fellowman and reap the benefits of unity!