The Kabbalah of Money
Mar 19, 2025
B"H
A portion of the Kabbalah Academy class - The Kabbalah of Money
The Half-Shekel Coin: A Lesson in Unity and Balance
In the book of Exodus (Parashat Ki Tisa), the Torah speaks about the donation given to the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Each person was required to give a half-shekel donation. The verse states, "The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less" (Exodus 30:15), signifying that every individual’s connection to the Mishkan was the same, regardless of their financial status.
This obligation continued throughout their travels in the desert and was renewed annually on Rosh Chodesh Adar. The giving of the half-shekel is commemorated even today as a symbolic reminder of our collective responsibility and unity.
Commentators ask several key questions about this commandment:
-
Why did the Torah specify giving a half rather than a full shekel?
-
Why did Moses need to be shown a fiery coin from under the Throne of Glory?
-
What deeper message does this commandment hold about our relationship with money and spirituality?
Two Parts of a Whole: The Divine Blueprint
One of the ultimate goals of mankind is to emulate G-d. Every act of kindness mirrors the divine act of creation, where G-d bestows good upon the world. Yet, to truly resemble G-d, we must not only receive goodness but also bestow it upon others.
When G-d first created man, Adam was a singular being. However, G-d then declared, "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart" (Genesis 2:18). This teaches us that true goodness can only exist in relationships. Just as G-d gives, so too must we give. The structure of creation itself is built upon this principle.
The half-shekel embodies this concept: each individual is only half of a greater whole. Just as Adam was incomplete without Eve, each person is spiritually incomplete without their fellow human beings and without their connection to the Divine.
The Two Tens: Our Role and God's Role
The Torah defines the full shekel as twenty gera but instructs each person to give only half. Instead of simply stating that the required donation is ten gera, it deliberately emphasizes the concept of a half.
In Kabbalah, the number ten represents the ten Sefirot, the spiritual faculties of the soul. Each person possesses two aspects of these ten faculties: one from their godly soul and one from their animal soul. This means that, in our individual capacity, we are inherently a "half"—we can only go so far on our own. The other "half" comes from above, from the Divine, completing the full twenty.
Moses himself was puzzled by the concept of the half-shekel. The Midrash teaches that G-d showed him a fiery coin from beneath the Throne of Glory, indicating that money is not just a physical entity but has a spiritual essence. True wealth comes when we align our financial actions with a higher purpose.
Money as Trust or Currency
The Hebrew word for money, mamon, shares a root with emunah, meaning faith. This reveals that money is not merely a means of transaction but is deeply tied to our level of trust in G-d.
-
Some people hoard money, treating it as a source of security (trust).
-
Others allow it to flow, using it wisely and generously (currency).
Our goal is to maintain a balance, ensuring that money serves as a tool for positive influence rather than a false idol.
Three Levels of Giving
Maimonides outlines different levels of charity, but in general, we can categorize them into three:
-
Giving with Strings Attached – This type of giving comes with expectations of recognition or reciprocity. While it still benefits others, it is not the highest form of generosity.
-
Giving Because It’s a Duty – Here, a person gives because they know it is a moral or religious obligation. This is a step above the first, as it recognizes the importance of charity beyond personal interest.
-
Fiery Giving – The highest level, where one gives selflessly, recognizing that everything they have comes from the Divine. This type of giving creates an unbreakable spiritual flow of abundance.
Money and Joy: The Connection to Adar
The giving of the half-shekel was done annually at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar, the month associated with joy. True happiness comes not from the amount of money we have, but from how we use it. A person with little can be happier than a billionaire if they approach money with the right mindset—seeing it as a tool for good rather than an end in itself.
When we recognize that we are only half, that we need both our fellow human beings and our connection to the Divine to be complete, we tap into an endless source of blessing. We create a personal Mishkan within, a dwelling place for the Divine, and contribute to a world of giving, light, and abundance.
This class is part of the 8 module course "Discover your life's Mission"
