Rav Zevin on the Machatzit HaShekel

הֶעָשִׁיר לֹא יַרְבֶּה וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט מִמַּחֲצִית הַשָּׁקֶל וגו‘. (שמות ל:טו)

In Parashat Ki Tisa we learn of the famous “tax” which all Yisrael have a mitzvah of giving to- the Machatiz HaShekel. Throughout the world, taxing based on how much money you have, a “progressive tax,” is a major policy. Even if a rich person gives the same percentage of his money as a poor person, and even though that same percentage is much more when coming from the rich man, it is still a somewhat unequal tax since the rich one still has more left over than the poor one in the end. So, for example, rather than both the poor and rich giving 10% to taxes, the poor man gives 10% and the rich man gives 30%. This idea is not so new for we find it explicitly in Masechet Pe’ah (1:2) אין פוחתין לפאה מששים, ואף על פי שאמרו אין לפאה שיעור. הכל לפי גודל השדה.. Even though Pe’ah has no minimum amount m’deoraita, Chazal established that no less than 1/60 be given, and whatever amount is to be given is dependent on the size of your field. The Mefarshim ask, what is the need for “הכל לפי גודל השדה”? If a field is very large, then even if the owner only gives 1/60 it will be a lot more than what comes from a small field! However, the Mishnah is teaching us that we apply this “progressive tax” policy, that while 1/60 is a minimum, it is not sufficient for what would be considered a larger field; the owner of such a field would have to give a larger amount, say 1/40, to Pe’ah.

Rav Shlomo Zevin writes that there is yet another tax policy in the Torah, one which comes up in this week’s parashah by the mitzvah of Machatzit HaShekel – העשיר לא ירבה והעני לא ימעיט. Both rich and poor give the same amount, neither can give more nor less than the prescribed sum of money. Even if a rich man wants to generously donate a large sum we do not accept it so that he will not say that he has a greater share in the matter than someone else who is poor. When it comes to the Beit HaMikdash everyone is equal. Everyone gives a half-shekel to allude to the fact that every individual is a “machatzit,” only a half, a part of the whole nation.      

In Megillat Esther (3:9), Haman says to Achashverosh, אם על המלך טוב יכתב לאבדם ועשרת אלפים אלפים ככר כסף אשקול וכו', “If it pleases the king, let it be recorded that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand silver talents...” In the Gemara in Megillah 13b, Reish Lakish says that it was clearly known before HaKadosh Baruch Hu that Haman was to measure out shekalim (i.e. silver coins) over Bnei Yisrael, therefore He preceded their shekalim to his. The idea of the Machatzit HaShekel which brought all of Yisrael together as equal partners in existing gave them the strength to overcome future adversity. This is why on the first day of Adar we begin to announce the collection of the Machatzit HaShekel.

The shekalim of Yisrael are kedoshim and represent the achdut of all Yisrael, whereas the shekalim of Haman are temei’im and represent an attempt to destroy the nation. This very notion of achdut was how Bnei Yisrael were saved from Haman, as it says in Megillat Esther (4:16), לך כנוס את כל היהודים וכו', “Go, assemble all the Jews…” Gathering together was what saved them- The Gemara says of Adar 13, which commemorates when the Jews gathered together in ta’anit and tefilah, that it is זמן קהילה לכל הוא, a time of gathering. This was not just “achdut” the way we throw the term around, it was mamash in the manner of העשיר לא ירבה והדל לא ימעיט; Bnei Yisrael came together not as a group of individuals but as a single, solid unit. With the recent celebration of Purim, we commemorated our survival as a nation as well as upheld that which Rama writes to give three half-coins as a “Machatzit HaShekel” from the currency of our wherever we live, as a zecher to the original Machatzit HaShekel. Reading about it in this week’s parashah we should have in mind the fundamental nature of this mitzvah in that it seeks to unite is on a way that we realize that we are all equal and are all pieces that make up the living organism that is Am Yisrael.    

It's Purim, Be Happy!

It saysin the Tikkunei Zohar (57b) that Purim is like Yom HaKippurim; The Piaseczner Rebbe writes that this alludes to a fundamental similarity in the two days. On Yom Kippur, we fast and do teshuvah whether we want to or not because it is a gezeirah from HaKadosh Boruch Hu. So too by the simchah of Purim, it is not that if a person is already happy on his own or is in a situation where he can make hismlef happy that he must be mesamei’ach on Purim. Rather, even if a person is in a lowly state and has a shattered heart, his mind and spirit downcast, it is a mitzvah that some spark of joy must enter his heart on Purim.

By Yom Kippur, the day itself atones for our aveirot, even if we have not done a complete teshuvah. So too on Purim, even though a person may not be as happy and joyous as he should be, thus resulting in an incomplete avodah of Purim, the day still activates yeshu’ah and simchah over Bnei Yisrael.

חייב איניש לבסומי

Purim is one of the most, if not the most, festive chagim of the year. As we all know, the Seudat Purim is a big mitzvah which noticeably involves the imbibing of large amounts of wine. The Shulchan Aruch (695:2) brings down l’halacha from the Gemara in Megillah 7b: חייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא עד דלא ידע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי, one is obligated to intoxicate himself on Purim until he does not know between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordechai.” Rama there adds וי"א דאין צריך להשתכר כל כך אלא שישתה יותר מלימודו ויישן ומתוך שישן אינו יודע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי, some say that one need not make himself so drunk, rather simply drink more than you would normally drink and go to sleep, and by going to sleep you won’t know the difference between ארור המן and ברוך מרדכי.

Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank (Mikra’ei Kodesh: Chanukah u’Purim siman 44) writes that some make the mistake here in explaining the words of Rama to mean two separate things; that A) you do not have to get so intoxicated, rather to drink more than normal is sufficient, and B) that the obligation of “עד דלא ידע” can be fulfilled through sleep, even if you go to sleep before drinking. But this is not the proper understanding. Rav Frank writes that Rama means that one should fall asleep as a result of the drinking. This is the lashon of Rambam (Hilchot Megillah 2:15): ושותה יין עד שישתכר וירדם בשכרותו. One need not go around in a state of bumbling drunkenness on Purim, but should rather drink whatever amount it is that he will drink, and out of resulting insobriety he should go asleep. 

In terms of whether this intoxication must be with wine specifically, or if any alcoholic beverage is adequate, it seems that we learn from the lashon of Rambam quoted above that one can only fulfill his Purim obligation with wine. So too, Rashi writes in Masechet Megillah 7b on the word “לאבסומי” (to become intoxicated), “להשתכר ביין” to become intoxicated with wine. The Eliyah Rabbah writes that the reason why Chazal required us to drink on Purim, even though throughout Tanach shichrut is mentioned as something which is an impediment in being a proper Jew, because all of the nissim that happened for Bnei Yisrael in the days of Mordechai and Esther were through a mishteh. First, Vashti was deposed through Achashverosh’s mishteh at the beginning of Megillat Esther, leading to Esther becoming queen. Later, on Esther’s mishteh which brought about the downfall of Haman. Therefore, in order to remember the great miracles that occurred for us through the drinking of wine, Chazal obligated us to become intoxicated. Rav Frank writes that we can understand from these words that the mitzvah is davka with wine, in semblance of the mishteh yayin in the days of Achashverosh. However, many people are not careful with the parameters of this mitzvah and get drunk on other alcoholic beverages. So, if drinking on Purim, we should use wine.

Now that we have the basics down, we can further explore a more precise definition of “עד דלא ידע” and the nature of this yedi’ah of the difference between ארור המן and ברוך מרדכי? Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin (HaMoadim B’Halachah: Purim pp. 248-249) writes that there are innumerable explanations of this statement of the Gemara, be it in the realm of Halacha, Derush, or Chassidut. As stated above, Rambam writes that a person should drink until he falls asleep and then it will be that he doesn’t know between א"ה and ב"מ. Meaning, that on Purim one should drink and become intoxicated to the extent that he will fall asleep, and Rama writes the same. Another explanation offered by the Abudraham and brought down by the Magen Avraham and Darchei Moshe is that one must drink until he cannot calculate the gematriot of ארור המן and ברוך מרדכי (both are 502). Tosafot says it refers to the inability to properly recite the piyut of Shoshanat Yaakov (which includes “ארור המן” and “ברוך מרדכי”). The Taz (695:2) writes that one should not stop giving praise to Hashem b’simchah for the double-good bestowed on us – the fall of Haman and the rise of Mordechai – until he can no longer distinguish between the two and then he is patur from drinking more. Rav Zevin writes that according to the Taz, the focus is not the quantity of drinking but the amount of time spent doing it. One should not stop until he can no longer differentiate between Haman and Mordechai. This is similar to the Sefat Emet on Megillah 7b who writes that when the Gemara says חייב אינש לבסומי בפוריא עד דלא ידע, it does not mean that one must drink to the point of “לא ידע”, rather that up until that level of drunkenness one is still obligated to drink, even if that means drinking the whole day. However, even before reaching that level one is still yotzei for involving himself in the mitzvah.    

Rav Yehonatan Eibshitz (Ye’arot Devash) writes that ארור המן and ברוך מרדכי are seemingly two complete opposites and contradict each other. If Haman is cursed, Mordechai is not blessed, and vice versa. How so? If Achashverosh himself didn’t want the decree of l’hasmid l’harog u’l’abeid, but rather Haman in his evil lying ways convinced him to allow it, then certainly “cursed be Haman” for of his evil actions. If such was the case then there was no particular significance in Mordechai’s actions; even a lowly slave who made it clear to the king that Haman manipulated him to kill and innocent people would allow for Achashverosh’s wrath to come down on Haman. However, if Achashverosh was indeed acting of his own malevolent accord, then certainly “blessed be Mordechai” for his efforts to overturn the king’s desire. If such was the case Haman would not be specifically accursed for his wickedness for the king himself was wicked, and if Haman was not there to push for the decree against the Jews, Achashverosh had plenty of servants that could have acted and done exactly the same thing in his stead and the decree would have happened anyway. So, Rav Yehonatan writes that we should drink to the extent that we are no longer consciously bothered by this quandary of whether Haman is cursed or Mordechai is blessed.

Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach (Halichot Shlomo: Moadim 19:28) paskins that if one’s parents tell him not to get drunk on Purim, he must listen and he is still yoztei with Rama’s shita by drinking more than he would normally and going to sleep. It should be noted that grape juice is not a valid substitute for wine when it comes to this mitzvah. The Ran brings down that Rabbeinu Ephraim holds that we are not chayav to become intoxicated on Purim based on the Gemara of Rabbah who shechted R’ Zeira (See Megillah 7b). The Pri Chadash rejects this initially, but writes that due to the decline of generations it is proper to follow Rabbeinu Ephraim and not drink more than one would normally have on Yom Tov. With this one is yoztei since his intentions are l’shem Shamayim.

A Freilichen Purim!