Feature Tidbit On the One Hand... Three weeks ago, in the beginning of Parshat T'ruma, G-d commanded Moshe about the building of the Mishkan. Moshe was instructed to appeal to the people and ask them to voluntarily give to the cause of construction of the Mishkan the various materials that would be required: gold, silver, copper, dyed wool, linen, goat-hair, skins, wood, oil, gemstones. Additionally, skilled crafts people were to be asked to donate their services for the work on the various facets of M'lechet HaMishkan. This week, at the beginning of Vayak-hel, Moshe gathers the people and transmits G-d's "requests" to the people. The response was OVERWHELMING. P'sukim 21-29 describe the enthusiasm with which the people responded. Reading those p'sukim, one cannot help but get caught up in the spirit of contributing - both materially and with one's talents - to the worthy cause. In the following p'sukim, Moshe informs the people about the appointment of Bezalel and Ohaliav to do the work, together with many talented craftsmen. And the people continue to give, generously and abundantly. The Torah makes a point about Moshe having to tell the people to stop giving. After the sedra of Vayak-hel is read this Shabbat, we take a second Sefer Torah and we go back to the opening six p'sukim of last week's sedra. And we read of another kind of donation. Not the voluntary kind. Not the give whatever you want and as much as you want kind. We read of the mitzva of MACHATZIT HASHEKEL, the command to give half a silver shekel to the communal fund each year. "Hey, that's cool. He're five silver shekels; I can afford it." Sorry, the wealthy shall not add. One half shekel per person. "I'm sorry, but I can only afford 5 or 6 GERA." Not acceptable. A poor person may not give less. You must give a half silver shekel. "I don't feel like giving this time." Oh, but you must. It is a requirement. Sandwiched between the commands of T'ruma and the carrying out of those commands in Vayak-hel, we find the Half-Shekel mitzva, in Ki Tisa. And it is that reading which (this year) caps off the reading of the construction of the Mishkan in Vayak-hel. How do we view these two very different kinds of giving. On the one hand, there is a required, specific amount that everyone must give equally, and on the other hand, there is the unrestrained, give whatever you want, if you want, etc. Whatever you want to say about this topic, the thing to realize is that the two types of giving exist simultaneously, all rolled into one. Parshat T'ruma, parshat Ki Tisa, Vayak-hel, Sh'kalim. First the one, then the other. Then the first one. Then the other again. This seems to be an important observation. It is not an issue of choose one method. Which one do you like better? Each has its place. Let's use a Jewish organization of our time as an example. A school, a shul, an Israel Center, a friends of this or that. It doesn't matter. As examples, they are all the same. There are many situations where generous contributions from wealthy individuals are desirable. One who can afford to give more should be encouraged to give more. And a person who gave less should not feel bad because someone else had more to give. Each person according to his own heart and ability. But membership in the organization is a different story. Membership dues is 36NIS a year or 185 or 500. Whatever it is, each member gives the same. No member is more of a member because he gave more. This is what the MACHATZIT HASHEKEL was/is. Membership dues in Klal Yisrael (so to speak). The daily Tamid sacrifices of morning and afternoon came from that fund. Every Jew (who wants to be part of the community) has an equal share. No one can or should be able to feel superior or inferior. Every Jew is the same when it comes to being a Jew. Putting up the building? Whatever you can give. Day to day functioning, on behalf of the community? That has to be equal for each member. To paraphrase a famous prayer: May we have both and the wisdom to know the difference.
TORATHON 5760 will take place IY"H from 8:30am Thursday to 10:00am Friday, March 30-31, 23-24 Adar Bet. 251/2 hours of Torah and nothing but Torah (davening too). Theme: The Multi-faceted Shabbat
NCSY-in-Israel For those who read last week's piece on our program "Lichyot b'Yachad Zeh BaTeva Shelanu", NCSY prides itself on this very inspiring program of outreach to secular high schools. As a follow up to their tour of Yeshivat Har Etzion and the Gush, the 10th grade of Meikif Gimel of Ashdod invited NCSY to their home turf for more of that informal learning. And so, the dedicated students of Yeshivat Har Etzion and Midreshet Migdal Oz set out early Wednesday morning to Ashdod. Splitting up into groups of 10 kids per madrich/a, the madrichim used the story of Kayin and Hevel as a launch for discussions on violence vs. communication. Some of the concepts raised were that violence stems from a person's frustration and lack of fulfillment in their own life, and the idea that those who get the most angry at another's opinion, are those least secure with their own. At the concluding assembly, one 10th grader stated that "aside from dress and way of life, there is not much difference between us (and yeshiva students)." For me personally, the meeting of minds in such a setting is the ultimate in my teaching experiences. It is truly Shevet Achim NCSY.
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