Shekel Sense

The Rambam in the beginning of the Laws of Shekalim rules that the half shekel must be given in on shot, one can’t give part of it one day and complete the rest another day.  However, the Ramban says in verse 15:  והנראה מן הכתוב הזה שאם הביא הדל בשקלו פחות ממחצית השקל, שהוא עובר בלאו הזה, שהכתוב הזה מניעה. שאם נאמר בהעשיר לא ירבה שיהיה שלילות, לומר שבכך די לו, לא נוכל לפרש כן בוהדל לא ימעיט. ואם כן, שתיהן מניעות, אם שקל העשיר היחידי יותר, ושקל הדל פחות, עבר בלאו. ושמא מה שהיו תורמין בקופות על האבוד ועל העתיד לגבות (בבלי כתובות ק״ח.) יתקן להם זה, כי הדל הממעיט במותר עתיד לגבות הוא, ומן העשיר המרבה לא יתרמו הגבאין ביתרון, ולא יהו מזכין במותרות. וראיתי לבעל הלכות ולכל המונים המצות שלא הזכירו הלאו הזה.  It is clear that he holds that if one gave part of the half-shekel that he can make up the rest later on.  What is the source of the Rambam and what is this debate about?

I would have expected the Laws of Shekalim to appear in the Rambam’s book of Avodah.  (I polled a few people and most also assumed it would be in Avodah.)  However, that is not the case; it appears in Zemanim.  Why does it appear there (the Rambam really is copying the Mishna which places Shekalim in Moad, but that itself needs an explanation?)  The Rambam is teaching us that the giving of the shekalim isn’t just for the sake of the korbanot, it is its own mitzvah.  The Ramban on the other hand holds that the point of the shekalim is for the korbanot, for the korbanot to be offered from new shekalim.  This may also be the debate between Rav and Shmuel if parshas shekalim is what we read, Ki Sesa or Tzav, the parsha of the korban tamid (Rav Zolti in Kovatz Moadim.)

The Levush cited in the Mishna Berura says that reading parshas shekalim is a fulfillment of ונשלמה פרים שפתינו.  That would seem to fit only if the shekalim is connected to korbanot but if it’s a separate mitzvah than it wouldn’t seem apropos to say ונשלמה פרים שפתינו.  

The achronim ask why does the Rambam hold that shekalim is different from pidyon haben where the 5 selaim don’t have to be given in one shot?  The Rogotchover explains that the half-sheklel isn’t a shiur in quantity, it’s a shiur of quality.  The siman to know if it’s a shiur in quantity or quality is if it causes something else positive than the numbers can add up to equal the required number, if it is to remove something than you can’t add up to the shiur.  According to the Ramban, the shekalim are for the korbanot therefore the half-shekel is a quantitative shiur to be donated towards the korbanot.  The Rambam holds that it is its own mitzvah לכפר על נפשותיכם, to remove sin, hence it’s a qualitative shiur and giving less than a half-shekel is nothing.

The Krias Sefer says the source of the Rambam is from the verse והדל לא ימעיט, why doesn’t it just say you must give a half-shekel?  Rather it means even the act of giving can’t be less than half a shekel.  However, we don't find a hint to this in the Rambam and that would seem to be a detail in the mitzvah so why would the Rambam put it in the first halacha which teaches us the basics of the mitzvah?  The Rambam in Sefer Hamitzvot says:   המצווה הקע"א הציווי שנצטווינו לתן מחצית השקל כל השנה. והוא אמרו יתעלה: "ונתנו איש כפר נפשו לה'" (שמות ל, יב), ואמר "זה יתנו" (שם שם, יג). וברור, שאין הנשים חייבות במצווה זו, לפי שהכתוב אומר: "כל העובר על הפקודים" (שם). וכבר נתבארנו דיני מצווה זו במסכתא המיוחדת לה, כלומר: מסכת שקלים. ושם נתבאר, שמצווה זו אינה נוהגת אלא בפני הבית. (Kopach edition courtesy of http://www.daat.ac.il.)[Other editions of Sefer Hamitzvot have slight changes in the text.]  Why does the Rambam need to cite two verses when citing this mitzvah?

The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 16 Ki Sesa #1) explains based upon the Rogotchover that the first verse, ונתנו איש כפר נפשו לה, tells us the geder of the shekel is a כפרה, it is a law pertaining to the giving of the individual (דין בגברא.)  The second verse, זה יתנו tells us a law pertaining to the חפצא, that this, the half-shekel must be given, not its value, the coin itself must be given (see ibid footnote 50.)  That is why this law that the half-shekel can't be given in multiple installments is the first law in the Rambam, for it reflects the very essence of the law.

It is noteworthy that Rashi disagrees with the Rambam as well.  Rashi (30:15) says ונתנו כל אחד מחצית השקל, והן לקנות מהן קרבנות ציבור של כל שנה ושנה, והושוו בהן עניים ועשירים. ועל אותה תרומה נאמר: לכפר על נפשותיכם, שהקרבנות לכפרה הן באין.  It is clear that he holds there is no intrinsic atonement in the shekel itself, the atonement is affected by the korbanot bought with the money.  That is why Rashi holds (Menachos 52a ד"ה לרבות) that one must have intent for the korbanot when donating the half-shekel.

The Ramban entertained that if a poor person gives less than a half-shekel or a wealthy person more that it is a violation of a lav.  We understand that giving less would be forbidden but why is giving more a lav, what is the test for the wealthy man that the Torah must make it a lav?  Rav Yeruchem (Daas Chachma U'Mussar #19) explains that if a wealthy individual gives a larger donation he tends to feel look what I did, I made this building etc. and that's why a person wants to give more.  The Torah says, the mishkan is equally owned by everyone.  No one can say the mishkan or korbanot are mine, it was my donation that made it happen.  The same applies in learning, if one thinks of a sevara and then he finds it in a sefer there a sad feeling that it isn't my idea.  It is this feeling of selfishness, sense of self, that the Torah is teaching us to eradicate.