Shabbos, Shekalim And Six

The parsha opens up with the parsha of the עבד עבריה that works for six years and goes free in the seventh.  Many holy books connect this to our  life cycle of the six days of work and the seventh day, שבת is the day of spiritual freedom.  This is true on a personal, physiological and spiritual level where everyone's focus on Shabbos is different from that of the week.  However, this is true for the interaction of the world's relationship with G-d as well.  In Torah Or Yisro (69:4) the Alter Rebbe points out that through the beginning of בראשית the name of אלוקים is used.  It is only after the creation of שבת that the name הויה is used.  During the six days of the week the world operates under the צמצום and העלמה of the name אלוקים.  It is only come Shabbos that the "cover comes off" and the world is indirect connection with the name הויה.  The world is "freed" from the bondage of the limitations of the שם of אלוקים.  In fact, our freedom on Shabbos is merely only an outgrowth of the general freedom of the world.  

There are 6 sides in the cube, it is the farthest טבע can extend.  שבת is the middle core, the פנימיות of it, as the Maharal and Sfas Emes explain.  One can becomes ensnared within the confines of this world, s/he can contaminate 6 days of the week but שבת, the core, will remain pure and is the doorway to release an individual from the bondages of the evil inclination.

The Yerushalmi Shekalim (9b) says: זה יתנו כל העובר על הפקודים ר' יהודה ור' נחמיה חד אמר לפי שחטאו במחצית היום יתנו מחצית השקל וחרנה אמר לפי שחטאו בשש שעות ביום יתנו מחצית השקל דעבד שיתא גרמסין [It is half like half of the day, 6 hours for it was at that point that they thought Moshe was late and started making the Egel.  Or since the sin started at 6 hours into the day we give half a שקל which equals 6 גרמסין (a coin that existed in Moshe's time.)]   The Shem M'Shmuel says the emphasis on the six represents that it is our external powers, the effect on the 6 directions that became tainted by the Egel.  However, it was a philosophical error as the Rishonim explain, and at the core we remained pure.  The fix to the darkness that spread on account of the Egel is to use this power of six for the good and that is represented by the giving of the shekalim.