Miller's Musings Parshas Ki Siso: Money Makes the World Go Wrong

בס''ד

To display an image of something can be a powerful tool for helping a person to understand what message they are trying to convey.  This is of course only necessary if the idea is otherwise vague or ambiguous.  In this week’s Parsha Hashem explains to Moshe that the Jewish people will have to donate half a shekel in order to take a census of the population.  This is seemingly a self-explanatory statement requiring no further elucidation, so why does Hashem, as described by Rashi, deem it necessary to produce an image of a coin of fire for Moshe, by way of clarification to what must be given? 

The way to understand this could perhaps begin with realising that there must have been something of significance being expressed by this representation of the currency and not just a way of illustrating what need to be contributed.  The Noam Elimelech provides the rationale for utilising a coin specifically of fire, with a statement about the nature of money and its comparison to fire.  Just as fire contains a dichotomy within itself of being on the one hand capable of tremendous destruction and on the other hand having the capacity to provide incredible benefit, so too money can bring about devastation when utilised unethically but can also be the cause of immense good if employed for the advantage of others.

I believe that one axiom of the Torah viewpoint of life, is that there is nothing inherently neutral.  Everything has the possibility of being used for good or bad, depending on the context, the nature of its use and the intent with which it is used, and this may never be as true as in the case of money.  When spent in the correct way, to further our pursuit of true happiness, through giving and through considered expenditure for our own needs, it can be a source of fulfilment and joy.  Yet when used only for self-gratification or as a means to damage others, its power can be immensely detrimental to the purpose of our existence.  Money is a double-edged sword and one must be careful how one wields it and contemplate its correct manipulation.  Whether one is its master or its slave can determine whether one gives life or death to those around us and ourselves.      

May we spend Shabbos wisely.

 

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם