Page 251 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ םירופ תוכלה · 249

Zecher Lemachazit Hashekel

There is an ancient custom practiced to this day that is cited in the Rema to give tzedaka (charity) every
year before reciting Mincha on Ta’anit Esther. This tzedaka is known as the zecher lemachazit hashekel, a
remembrance of the half shekel donation that would be given annually to the Beit Hamikdash. Nowadays,
instead of the money going to the Beit Hamikdash, it is given to the poor. 5

a Rema, Orach Chaim 694:1 א:דצרת ח"וא | א”מר 4 .
Some say that before Purim one should give a half coin from ןמ תיצחמ םירופ םדוק ןתיל שיש ,םירמוא שי
the commonly used currency in that locale and that time, as רכז ,ןמז ותואבו םוקמ ותואב עובקה עבטמה
a remembrance for the machazit hashekel that was given in רחאמו ;רדאב ןינתונ ויהש לקשה תיצחמל
[the month of] Adar. Since the word teruma is written three ןתיל שי ,השרפב המורת בותכ םימעפ השלשש
times in that parsha, one should give three. One should give ,החנמ םיללפתמש םדוק םירופ לילב ונתיל שיו ;’ג
it on the eve of Purim before reciting Mincha, and this is קר ונתיל בייח ןיאו …ולא תונידמ לכב ןיגהונ ןכו
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the custom in all these lands… and only one who is at least
twenty years old is obligated to give it. .הלעמלו םירשע ןבמ אוהש ימ

Although the Rema states that the custom is that only those age twenty and older give, the Mishna Berura
quotes other opinions as well, and concludes that the custom is to give even for a fetus.

a Mishna Berura 694:5 ה:דצרת | הרורב הנשמ 5 .
From twenty years and older – This is the opinion of Rav לבא ארונטרבמ ע”ר תעדל והז – הלעמלו ’כ ןבמ
Ovadia of Bartenura, but the Tosafot Yom Tov writes that ג”י ןבמד ל”סו םיקלוח םיקסופהש בתכ ט”יותה
the poskim disagree and hold that from age thirteen, when לקשה תיצחמב בייח שיא ללכב אוהש הלעמלו
one is already included in the category of a man [ish], one אוה גהנמה לבא אנידמ קר הז לכד בתכ ר”או
is obligated in [the mitzva of] machatzit hashekel. The דעב תרבועמ השאו םינטקה וינב דעב וליפא ןתיל
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Eliyah Rabba writes that this is all according to the letter לוקשל ויבא ליחתהש ןטק לכ הנשמב אתיא הדלו
of the law, but the custom is to give even on behalf of one’s
young boys, and a pregnant woman gives on behalf of her .קסופ וניא בוש ודי לע
fetus. It is brought in the Mishna (Shekalim 1:3) that once
a father started giving on behalf of a minor, he should not
stop afterward.

5. Ideally, this money should not be given as part of one’s ma’aser kesafim, 10% of one’s income that is customarily given for tzedaka.
6. In Jerusalem, where Purim is celebrated on the 15 of Adar, the money for zecher lemachatzit hashekel is customarily given by some at Mincha
th
on the 14 of Adar (Halichot Shlomo), while others give it on Ta’anit Esther (Luach Eretz Yisrael of Rav Tuchachinsky). [Addition of the editors
th
of the English edition]
7. The mention of age thirteen and a “man” seems to indicate that according to the Mishna Berura, females are not obligated to give the zecher
lemachatzit hashekel even according to the Tosafot Yom Tov. Nevertheless, the prevalent custom is to give on their behalf as well, since the Torah
states (see Shemot 30:15) that the machatzit hashekel provides atonement, which benefits them as well (Kaf Hachaim 694:27; Piskei Teshuvot
Siman 694, #4).

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