Jewish Moments
Counting Each Person: The Mitzvah of Donating Half a Shekel
What is the biblical commandment of donating half a shekel, connecting with the month of Adar? How can we use the values behind this mitzvah to illustrate the importance that each and every person contribute to bringing the hostages home?
There is a commandment in the Torah which calls on every person over the age of 20 to contribute a half-shekel to the community. This commandment is read in synagogues today during the regular Torah reading cycle, with an additional reading that highlights this commandment on the Shabbat leading into the month of Adar (or Adar Bet during a leap year). How can we use the values behind this mitzvah to illustrate the importance that each and every person contribute to bringing the hostages home?
Dedicate this activity in honor of
Sudthisak was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri. He was murdered on October 7, 2023, while working in the orchards near the kibbutz. On May 16, 2024, the IDF spokesperson announced that his family had been informed he was killed on October 7th, and that his body was being held by Hamas.
