Siman 685, Se'if 1 · The Haftarah of Parshas Shekalim: Vayichros Yehoyada

"When Rosh Chodesh Adar falls on Shabbos, we read Parshas Shekalim, which is Ki Sisa up to 'and you shall make a copper laver.' We take out three sifrei Torah: in the first we read the weekly parshah, in the second the portion of Rosh Chodesh, and in the third Parshas Shekalim for maftir, and the haftarah is 'Vayichros Yehoyada'" (Shulchan Aruch, siman 685, se'if 1)

The Haftarah of Parshas Shekalim: Vayichros Yehoyada

(In s.k. 2 the Mishnah Berurah goes at length into the laws of one who forgot or erred in the order of the reading; these cases are extremely rare.)

• Maftir or haftarah: When the Mishnah Berurah uses the phrase "maftir Vayichros Yehoyada," he is not referring to the maftir aliyah read from the third sefer, but to the haftarah of that Shabbos.

"And the haftarah is Vayichros Yehoyada, because donations for the upkeep of the Temple are mentioned there" (Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 3)

• The surplus of the chamber: With the machatzis hashekel money they would purchase the communal offerings. If money was left over in the fund after all the offerings had been properly bought, it could not be used for the next year's offerings, because with Rosh Chodesh Nissan a new cycle begins. That leftover is called "mosar halishkah," the surplus of the chamber, and it went to bedek habayis.
• Bedek habayis: The ongoing maintenance of the Beis Hamikdash: repairs to the building and wages for the workers. A structure of that size requires constant expenditure.
• The theme of the haftarah: The haftarah relates that the machatzis hashekel money did not suffice for bedek habayis, so they took a chest, made a hole in it, and everyone who entered the Beis Hamikdash added money to it. In other words, a special collection drive was held, and that is the very same idea as the reading of Parshas Shekalim.

The Order of the Reading from Three Sifrei Torah

• First sefer, the weekly parshah: Six people are called up to it, because the seventh aliyah is read from the second sefer.
• Second sefer, Rosh Chodesh: The Rosh Chodesh reading is not the maftir, since the maftir is Parshas Shekalim; therefore it becomes the seventh aliyah.

"In the second, the portion of Rosh Chodesh, and one begins from 'Uvyom haShabbos,' and one places the third sefer Torah next to it and says half Kaddish" (Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 5)

• Where the Rosh Chodesh reading begins: Normally the Rosh Chodesh reading starts from "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael," but here we drop that opening and begin only from "Uvyom haShabbos."
• Third sefer, the maftir: In it we read Parshas Shekalim, which is in Parshas Ki Sisa.
• Where the half Kaddish goes: Half Kaddish is said over the second sefer. It is not said after the first sefer, because the seventh aliyah is still part of the reading of the parshah, and the Kaddish is always said at the conclusion of the weekly parshah reading and before maftir.
• The number of aliyos: Strictly speaking, when one keeps to the fixed number of aliyos on Shabbos, six are called to the first sefer and one to the second. But on Shabbos one may add to the number of aliyos as on any Shabbos, so one may call up seven or eight in the first sefer as well.

If One Erred and Read Parshas Shekalim Before the Rosh Chodesh Portion

"If, after finishing the weekly parshah, he took a sefer Torah that was rolled to Parshas Shekalim and recited the berachah over it and began to read, he should finish with Parshas Shekalim, and afterwards, for the one called up to the third sefer Torah for maftir, he should read with him the portion of Rosh Chodesh, and the haftarah will be 'Hashamayim kis'i,' since the Torah reading concluded with a matter of Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. And the same law applies on Shabbos Parshas Hachodesh, when Rosh Chodesh Nissan falls on Shabbos and he read Parshas Hachodesh first in place of the Rosh Chodesh portion" (Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 5)

• We do not embarrass the sefer: If he already recited the berachah and began reading from the sefer that was mistakenly opened to Parshas Shekalim, he does not put it back but finishes the reading in it.
• The haftarah follows the last sefer: The haftarah is always determined by the sefer in which the reading was concluded. In the normal order we finish with Parshas Shekalim, so we read "Vayichros Yehoyada"; when the reading ended with the Rosh Chodesh portion, we read "Hashamayim kis'i," which is the haftarah of Shabbos Rosh Chodesh.

Why Rosh Chodesh Is Read Before Shekalim

• The more frequent comes first: The Rosh Chodesh reading is more frequent than the reading of Parshas Shekalim, which occurs only once a year, and the rule is that when there is something frequent and something infrequent, the frequent one takes precedence. Therefore the Rosh Chodesh reading comes first, and Shekalim after it.

When Rosh Chodesh Adar Falls During the Week: Se'if 5

"If Rosh Chodesh Adar that is adjacent to Nissan falls during the week, even on Erev Shabbos, we read Parshas Shekalim earlier, on the Shabbos before it" (Shulchan Aruch, siman 685, se'if 5)

• The ordinary case: This is the common case, that Rosh Chodesh Adar does not fall on Shabbos, and then we read Parshas Shekalim on the Shabbos preceding Rosh Chodesh, even when Rosh Chodesh falls on Erev Shabbos.
• This year in practice: Adar Rishon has thirty days, so Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni is two days, Sunday and Monday. Therefore Parshas Shekalim is read on the Shabbos before it, Parshas Vayakhel.

Why the Shulchan Aruch Opens with the Uncommon Case

• The difficulty: The Shulchan Aruch opens in se'if 1 with Rosh Chodesh Adar falling on Shabbos, a case that is uncommon and occurs only once in several years, and only in se'if 5 does he bring the ordinary case.
• How it developed: The Shulchan Aruch follows the poskim, and the poskim open with this case, because that is also the order of the Mishnayos. Everything traces back to the Mishnah.
• The question that remains: Why the Mishnah itself opened with the complicated case rather than the ordinary one is a question that requires examination and clarification.

A Remembrance of the Machatzis Hashekel: Siman 694, Se'if 1

"Every person is obligated to give at least two gifts to two poor people" (Shulchan Aruch, siman 694, se'if 1)

(The mitzvah of matanos la'evyonim will be explained in its place, be'ezras Hashem.)

The Custom of Giving a Remembrance of the Machatzis Hashekel

"Some say that one should give, before Purim, half of the standard coin in that place and at that time, as a remembrance of the machatzis hashekel that they used to give in Adar. And since the word 'terumah' is written three times in the parshah, one should give three" (Rema)

• What we have learned until now: The reading of Parshas Shekalim is itself the remembrance of the machatzis hashekel. On Rosh Chodesh Adar the messengers of beis din would go out and announce that the machatzis hashekel must be brought to the Beis Hamikdash; in every city they collected the money and sent an emissary with the funds to the Beis Hamikdash. For us, the entire matter of machatzis hashekel is expressed in the Torah reading on Rosh Chodesh Adar or on the Shabbos near it.
• A new custom is born: Here an additional custom is introduced, that in practice one gives money as a remembrance of the machatzis hashekel, and on the face of it this is unconnected to the reading we have been learning about.
• The difficulty with the timing: The Rema himself writes "that they used to give in Adar," and not specifically on Purim, and the reading too is on Rosh Chodesh Adar or close to it. If so, why was the custom established to give specifically before Purim, rather than any time during Adar?

The Reason for Giving Before Purim: He Preceded Their Shekalim to Haman's Shekalim

"And ten thousand talents of silver I will weigh out into the hands of those who carry out the work, to bring into the king's treasuries" (Megillas Esther)

• The words of the Gemara in Megillah: "The Holy One, Blessed be He, preceded their shekalim to Haman's shekalim." The meaning is that the announcement about the shekalim is on Rosh Chodesh Adar, and it came earlier in time than Haman's shekalim.
• There was no fixed date for bringing them: The money had to reach the Beis Hamikdash between Rosh Chodesh Adar and Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Those living around Yerushalayim could bring the money immediately after the collection, while those living far away (say, in Metulla) collected and then sent, and the money arrived much later, as long as it arrived before Rosh Chodesh Nissan.
• The idea behind the custom: The shekalim that Klal Yisrael gives each year come to protect and to atone against Haman's "ten thousand talents of silver." Hence a custom arose to carry this out in practice: even though there is no Beis Hamikdash today, we give a remembrance of the machatzis hashekel before Purim and before Haman, to show that we precede our shekalim to his.
• A suggestion that was rejected: It was suggested that the giving was set before Purim so that the poor would have with what to buy for the Purim seudah. It is a nice idea, but that is not the reason; the reason comes from the words of the Midrash.

The Number of Coins: Three

• The source of the number: In Parshas Ki Sisa the word "terumah" appears three times; some say that "machatzis hashekel" appears three times; and some say both. For that reason we give three coins.
• A derashah upon a derashah: The giving itself is a remembrance of the machatzis hashekel, and the number of coins is derived from the verses in the parshah that we read, so we have a derashah built on a derashah.
• An opinion that three is not required: Some poskim hold that there is no obligation to give three coins, since this is only a remembrance, and one may give a single coin. Each place follows its own custom.

The Time of Giving

• The Rema's wording: It should be given on the night of Purim before praying Minchah, meaning at the end of Taanis Esther, before Purim comes in.

"On the night of Purim: in our lands the practice is to give it in the morning before the reading of the Megillah" (Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 4)

• An additional practice: And nowadays the practice is to give the machatzis hashekel before Minchah, and not between Minchah and Maariv.
• Why it is given by day: The daytime Megillah reading is the primary one, and the episode of Haman took place by day; therefore the shekalim are given before the daytime reading of the Megillah.
• This year in practice: Purim falls on Motzaei Shabbos, so Taanis Esther is moved up to Thursday, and that is when the machatzis hashekel will be given.
• Megillah money: Some have the practice of also giving "maos Megillah," an additional donation to the shul. This is not matanos la'evyonim, which a person gives to poor people personally.

Who Is Obligated to Give

• From age twenty and up: "And one is only obligated to redeem from age twenty and up." How they arrived at the age of twenty, and who is included in this obligation, will be explained be'ezras Hashem further on.

In passing · How the Custom Is Fulfilled Nowadays

• A coin with "half" written on it: According to the Rema and those who follow him, if one is making a remembrance of the machatzis hashekel, he should give a coin on which "half" is written, just as Klal Yisrael gave a half-shekel coin. In these countries they give three large halves, which was a type of coin in the Rema's time with "half" written on it, "for there is no coin bearing the name 'half' other than this one," and in the Austrian lands they give three half-Viennese coins. So too for each and every country, if it has a coin with "half" written on it.
• The coin of the State of Israel: Some years ago the state issued a machatzis hashekel coin, and even regarding that coin there are those who disagree.
• The practice in shul: Three coins with "half" written on them are set out, such as a half dollar, which in the past was made of silver, and some are particular about that. The giver puts down money for tzedakah, and with that money he as it were buys the three coins, and once they are his he returns them and gives them as machatzis hashekel.
• The value of the gift: According to the opinions that follow the value of the silver, we are speaking of about ten grams of silver, which at today's price is about twenty-four shekels, so one gives twenty-five shekels and with them buys the three coins.
• Lenient opinions: Some say that one may give whatever coin he wishes, and it need not specifically be a "half," and its monetary value is not critical either. On this matter there are various customs and opinions, among them the practice of the Vilna Gaon and the opinion of Rav Ovadia Yosef.
• A custom, not an obligation: All of these are customs, and not all the poskim agree about them. One who has the practice keeps it, and one who does not is not lacking anything.