half-shekel
Counting the Soldiers in God’s army
The Book of Bamidbar, which literally means 'in the desert', is referred to in English as Numbers. Rather appropriately, it begins with a census of the Children of Israel (Numbers 1). This is, in fact, the third census taken during the...
Why We Read About the Silver Half-Shekel Before the Month of Adar
Shabbat Shekalim is the last Shabbat preceding the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar*, or the 1st of Adar itself if the month begins on Shabbat. In synagogues, the Torah portion describing the bringing of the silver half-shekel is...
The Holy Half-Shekel
In the beginning of the Torah portion of Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35), God commands the Children of Israel to take a census by collecting a silver half-shekel from every male over the age of 20. Every year, each Jewish male over the age...
