Weekly Torah Portion

A few years ago, Fred Barley had been sleeping in a tent on a university campus in Georgia for three days. When two police officers approached the 19-year-old they discovered he had traveled six hours by bicycle in 100-degree weather to attend his second year in college. He planned to camp and try to find work until school began a few weeks later.

The officers, moved by the young man’s grit, spent their own money to get him a hotel room. When word spread about their generosity, the motel owner allowed Fred to stay for free, a local pizzeria hired him as a dishwasher and the local community started a GoFundMe page that raised over $180,000. This effort even led to routine charity events in the area to help low-income families.

We often see things from the viewpoint of how it impacts us. If it feels good to us then it’s good, and if it’s annoying, it’s bad. We feel sorry for ourselves when things don’t work out as planned, and doubt ourselves when we fail to be perfect.

When we feel overwhelmed by life’s daily struggles, how can we remind ourselves that we aren’t actually at the center of all existence? One way is to give to others. Giving helps us realize we are part of a greater whole.

In this week’s Torah portion the entire Jewish nation is called upon to give. Rich and poor alike were each asked to contribute half a shekel. The compulsory gift helped create a census to count the people. It also enabled the construction and upkeep of the Tabernacle. Subsequently the half-shekel contribution was made into an annual campaign to cover the costs of communal offerings in the Temple.

Everyone, no matter one’s social or economic status, had to be an equal partner in the Tabernacle. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) asserts that this equal participation symbolized that all Jews must share in achieving national goals and give up on personal interests for the sake of the nation.

Why was each person required to give only a half-shekel? Some explain that it is because one person alone is incomplete. Only when combined with another can a person be whole. Each person gave only half a shekel to teach that we all need each other. No Jew is complete unless he joins with others; as long as we are alone, each of us is only “half” of our full potential.

Next week JOIN will be running its first ever crowdfunding campaign. Please JOIN us and “JOIN together” by giving generously to help us reach our goal, and together we can fund further community building in Orlando that we can all be a part of!

And next time you’re feeling down, doubtful, or depressed – choose to give. Giving kindness and generosity is transformational for us and those around us.