This Shabbat is a special Shabbat, Shabbat Shekalim. We take out two Torah scrolls and read from the second Torah, the beginning of Parshat Ki Tisa which describes the half shekel which was given to the Tabernacle by each adult male as a form of a census. While there were many opportunities for individuals to give more than the half shekel, there was a desire to have at least one form of contribution reflect the equality of each individual and each individual's equal stake in the community.

We read this reading today because, according to the Mishna, the call went out to collect the half shekel on Rosh Hodesh Adar, the first day of the month of Adar, which we will observe this coming week. Thus, on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hodesh Adar (or on Rosh Hodesh Adar itself should it fall on Shabbat), this reading is read.

In Temple times, the shekalim were used for two purposes. First, they were used to purchase and prepare the communal offerings offered on the three pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. Then, we can surmise that some of the money was used to repair the roads and buildings which were damaged during the winter rainy season so that they were ready to be used by individuals coming up to Jerusalem for Pesach since the Mishna says that such repair began just after Purim.

The Mishna brings up another idea which I find interesting as well. The Mishna indicates that on the 15th of Adar, after Purim, members of the Rabbinic court would go out and take care of the violations of the law of kilayim. This law, mentioned in Leviticus and Deuteronomy forbids the planting of two different types of crops in the same area.

Rabbi Yehuda is quoted in the Mishna as saying that the original course of action was that the members of the court used to inspect the fields during this time of year and uproot any kilayim which were found and throw them at the feet of the owners of the field. (Perhaps to insult the owners for their negligence.) But, the Mishna goes on to say that that didn't work (and here we depend on the commentary of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura who is the most noted of traditional commentators on the Mishna) because the farmers were appreciative of the free weeding done by the court and used the uprooted kilayim to feed their cattle.

Thus, Rabbi Yehuda continues, they decided just to tear them out and throw it on the road which prevented them from being used for food for the animals since they were stepped on by passersby. However, the farmers were still happy because they didn't have to do the work themselves.

Finally, the Rabbis took the last step and declared that any such field in which the owner was negligent in clearing out the kilayim was to be considered hefker, ownerless, and became common property. If anyone wanted to come and clean these inappropriate crops out themselves, they could take ownership of the field.

The study of the Mishna is fascinating. Whether or not it reveals an accurate description of life in Rabbinic times, it is interesting to see how the actions it describes are relevant to us today.

In this particular case, the Rabbis began a process which, while it might have ended satisfactorily from their perspective, sounds to us like it a disaster. They kept trying to solve the problem for people and instead found the people less and less responsive to the problems they were concerned about until they finally had to resort to taking property away from people because they weren't complying with the law.

This whole issue brings up some interesting points in regard to how Rabbis should work with Jews today.

First off, it is clear that we recognize the rights of individuals to observe or not observe Judaism as he or she sees fit. I have no standing nor do I desire such standing to walk into someone's home (or field) and question what they do. The Rabbis of the Mishna lived in a different world. It is, to us, a scary world which ought to be familiar by what we hear and read of fundamentalist nations or areas in which the private lives of individuals is very much considered the concern of the clergy. Thank God we live in a country in which it is up to each individual how to conduct their own home life.

But, I, as any Rabbi, still have an interest in encouraging people to observe Kashrut more seriously, to be more observant of Shabbat, to study more Torah, to raise their children as Jews. And yet, how to accomplish that is a serious issue. We often go off on the wrong direction when we offer, as did the Bet Din in the Mishna, to do things FOR people without their asking or even with their asking. Our goal as Rabbis and as Synagogues ought to be encouraging people to take control, to take ownership of their Jewish lives, to make the decisions for themselves, to find ways to observe Judaism in their own lives and not just in the Synagogue. Of course, to do that properly, people need to learn from their Rabbis and their Synagogues but they need as well to know that ultimately, it is their decision how to reflect what they have learned in their private lives.

The Half shekel was a way of bringing everyone together equally and then allowing them to give more or less as they saw fit. Once someone has identified himself or herself as Jew, it is up to him or her how exactly that commitment will be reflected. I, we, want to teach anyone who wants to learn, and want to encourage everybody to do that much more but of course we won't be coming around to change the way you do things and while we may encourage you to do more, the important actions are the ones you do for yourself with the guidance of those who can help you find different ways to deepen your commitment to Judaism.

Robert Dobrusin, Rabbi
Copyright © 2002, Robert Dobrusin.
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This message was originally posted on February 7, 2002.

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