G-d told Moses, “This is what everyone must give: half-shekel…” (Shemot 30:13)
The half-shekel was an expression of Jewish unity-rich and poor alike gave the same amount. Everyone gave only half a shekel in order to teach us that we can only achieve unity when we recognize that we are only halves. H”S didn’t make out of us this supersonic human beings complete with all gadgets that can achieve everything needed under the sun. On the contrary, H”S created each one of us with strengths and weaknesses so we can be united with others who can do what we can’t and vice versa.
Similarly, we are also “half” in our relationship with G-d.
The ten powers of the soul (3 intellectual and 7 emotional) parallel the ten powers that G-d used in creating the world and continues to use to recreate the world at every instant. When we use our ten faculties in the service of H”S, we align our soul-powers with G-d’s attributes and our 10 becomes 20-a holy shekel.
Some excerpts taken from “Daily Wisdom” from the insights of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
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