A little while ago I remember coming upon lots of blog posts where people were talking about one thing, and that was “money”. It seemed as though it was the common language that everyone understood. The drive behind people’s actions were based on how much money they would get out of it. This didn’t feel right to me, that a person should lie and cheat to get money.
Something To Say:
This shall they give… a half shekel (30:13)
This parshah speaks of the contributions that were made to the Mishkan. The use of the word Zeh,this, implied that something was actually shown to the listener. Rabbi Meir explained that God removed a coin of fire from beneath His holy throne and said to Moses, “Let the people give a coin such as this.”
It is interesting that the metaphoric coin was made of fire. The Noam Eliezer comments that one must realize that money is like fire. If fire is misused, it can destroy, but it can also be used constructively, to prepare food or to provide warmth. Money also has this double potential: If used for mitzvos, it can be a conduit of great blessings. But if a person keeps his money exclusively for himself and spends it foolishly and wrongly, it can cause great destruction.
So Money isn’t all that good, there’s two sides to it. Like everything in life it can be used for good and for bad. To use money for mitzvos and other worthy things then it can be a great tool. But if used solely for one self it can be destructive. Money isn’t meant to be hoarded for oneself, but rather used additionally for mitzvos and good things. A person should make decisions based on if the action is right or wrong and not based on how much money they will get out of it.
4 comments:
Your post reminds me of the expression:
Ayn kemach, ayn Torah. Ayn Torah, ayn kemach.
Without flour, no Torah. Without Torah, no flour (physical needs).
We need both. Thanks for emphasizing using our "shekalim" for mitzvot.
Wonderful money lesson...Shavuah Tov!
BS"D
But you have forgotten that the essence of Ki Sisa is that it is rashei teivois Kol Yisroel Tizaki Shygetz Aross (All of Israel will shout Shygetz Aross)!
Actually that Shygetz Aross was apparently someone's Purim Torah which was reported years ago in a b'h now shut down loshon horo rag as real Torah stemming from a community dispute in a well known Chassidus. At the time people were making fun of the dispute by setting the words Shygetz Aross to all kinds of popular tunes etc.
When I realized during what week Ki Sisa is read and therefore that the rashei teivois had to be a joke, I threw the copy of that newspaper (which I only read as a joke anyway) across the floor and started laughing; years later I used Shygetz Aross as part of Creedmoor.
Leora: very true, Your welcome!
Shorty: Thanx!
Der Shygetz: what does Shygetz Across mean?
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