Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11−34:35)
This Week’s Torah Portion: Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11−34:35)
The Israelites are being counted (a census) but we are not allowed to count human beings. Humans are created in the image of God, counting us is like counting how much Divine presence is in the world. So each person gives half a Shekel “The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less” and we count the money. This money pays for the ongoing expenses of the temple.
Two lessons:
- We are all created equal.
- You want to be counted as part of the Jewish community, you need to participate in the financial burden of maintaining it.
