The parashah<\/i> of this week, Ki Tis\u00e1<\/i> (when you count) begins with the command to give half a shekel (majatzit haShekel<\/i>so that Moshe could count how many Jews there were. In general, when it comes to the observance of a mitzvah, our sages insist on the completeness of the observance, that is, on doing it in the best possible way, in the most beautiful way possible, etc. However, in this mitzvah of majatzit haShekel<\/i> We found something opposite: it must be given half<\/b> shekel.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the Torah emphasizes several times that half a shekel must be given, and even defines what half a shekel is: 10 gerahs. Why doesn't the Torah say that each person must give 10 gerahs, a "full" measure, instead of emphasizing the half<\/b> shekel?<\/p>\n
Our sages say that giving the half-shekel was a form of atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. Now, if the idea of the half<\/b> In this mitzvah, we can assume that in that emphasis there is a kind of correction of said sin. The sin of the Golden Calf was a form of idolatry (avoda zar\u00e1<\/i>The sin of idolatry consists of separating oneself from God and assuming that there are other beings in the world apart from Him. The root of this separation is man's feeling of independence. The feeling of being able to live without God can lead to idolatry.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the correction of this sin is the recognition of God's oneness that fills all of creation. When a person recognizes that they do not have an existence independent of God and that He is the source of their vitality and sustenance, the possibility of idolatry is automatically eliminated.<\/p>\n
This idea is contained within the half<\/b> shekel. The Torah tells the Jew that he must make atonement for his soul. He asks the Jewish<\/i>What am I worth? The Torah answers: You are only half. You have no existence independent of God. Only when you unite with Him (the other \u201chalf\u201d), do you become whole together.<\/p>\n
From here we also learn what union with God means. God and the Jewish<\/i> They are not two separate things that come together, but rather, so to speak, two halves that, together, make a complete thing.<\/p>\n
This union is present within each Jewish<\/i> And it is expected of each and every one of you that, throughout your life, you will reveal that union, to make yourself and the world around you a sanctuary for God.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"La parash\u00e1 de esta semana, Ki Tis\u00e1 (cuando cuentes) comienza con el mandato de dar medio shekel (majatzit haShekel) para que Moshe pueda contar cu\u00e1ntos jud\u00edos hab\u00eda. En general, cuando se trata de la observancia de una Mitzv\u00e1, nuestros sabios insisten en la completitud de la observancia, o sea, en hacerlo de la mejor manera… Read More \u00bbIdolatry<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,56],"tags":[1097,1098,1096],"series":[],"class_list":["post-3132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editoriales","category-ki-tisa","tag-becerro-de-oro","tag-idolatria","tag-shekel"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Shekel.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/avatar1400.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"castbox":{"key":"castbox","url":"","label":"CastBox","class":"castbox","icon":"castbox.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/en\/feed\/podcast\/rabino-tuvia-serber","embedCode":"Idolatr\u00eda<\/a><\/blockquote>