Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner‘Chassidus’ in English and Hebrew: Parshas Bechukosai – 24 Iyar 5784
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Bechukosai – 24 Iyar 5784
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
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After the conclusion of the blessings and curses, the Torah turns to the topic of Erchin valuations (Vayikra 27:2-9). One of the sixty-three tractates of Shas Mishnayos was designated to Erchin, although only the first six chapters deals specifically with Erchin.
Often when giving charity, one contributes an amount that has a numerical significance, such as multiples of 18 "Chai". Alternatively, as an appeal for merit, atonement or blessing, there is also a concept of giving a Pidyon, a 'redemptive' contribution, which is equivalent to the 'value' of the person. One common method is giving to charity the numerical value of ones name, i.e. Moshe might give 345 of his local currency to charity.
In the times of the Beis HaMIkdash, when one vowed to contribute the value of oneself or another person to the Mikdash, there were two general methods. One way was to state "D'mei Plony Ah'lye" or "I take upon myself the monetary value of so-and-so". Such a verbal formula would obligate one to contribute an amount of money equivalent to the individuals selling price as a slave in the marketplace.
Erchin is an alternative verbal formulation, such as, "Erech Plony Ah'lye" or "I take upon myself the inherent value of so-and-so". This format would obligate one to contribute a fixed amount – an Erech - as prescribed by the Torah, unrelated to the health or working capacity of the individual, but solely based on their age and gender. Erechin are divided into age groups with thresholds of one-month, five years, twenty years and sixty years of age and while a male Erech is always more than a female Erech, the ratios are not in a uniform proportion. Thus, it would appear that these objective 'inherent' values are based on divine calculations and seemingly beyond human mathematical logic and understanding.
In the Purim story, Haman offers Achashveirosh "ten thousand Kikar of silver" (Esther 3:9) in return for the right to draft legislation to exterminate "a certain nation scattered and dispersed among the nations in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose religion is different than other nations, and they do not follow the kings laws…" (3:8). The Gemara (Megillah 16a) states that after Haman was commanded by Achashveirosh to parade Mordechai through the city square in royal robes atop the king's horse, the Haman found Mordechai teaching the laws of Kemitzah and flour offerings. Haman asked Mordechai what he was teaching. Mordechai explained that during the times of the Beis HaMikdash one could voluntarily offer a Kemitzah-sized amount of flour and receive atonement. Haman remarked, "Your Kemitzah-sized amount of flour has pushed aside my 10,000 Kikar of silver"
Tosfos there comments that 'he heard' that Haman's offer of 10,000 Kikar of silver is equal to a half-shekel for each of the 600,000 Jews that left Mitzrayim, and was given to Achashveirosh as a Pidyon redemption amount. Tosfos does not make the manual calculation himself, but encourages us that if we make the calculation it will come out correctly. However, using the standard conversion rate of 1 Kikar to 3,000 Shekel, the 30 million Shekel of Haman was 100 times more than the 300,000 Shekel the Jewish people raised through their half-Shekel contributions. Many commentaries have audited Tosfos and have made suggestions of how to properly reconcile his accounting books.
Rav Yaakov Emden suggests that a misreading of an abbreviation is the root cause of the misunderstanding. He maintains that the words 'half-Shekel' in Tosfos's commentary was originally written as an abbreviation ח"ש and was transposed as Chetzi (half) Shekel instead of Chamishim (fifty) Shekel. This reading is supported by the Midrash (Esther Rabba 7:19) which records that Haman's offer to give 10,000 Kikar of Silver was based on a calculation of 50 Shekel for each of the 600,000 Jewish men who left Mitzrayim (Shemos 12:37).
This 50 Shekel would correspond to the Erech of a male between the ages of 20 and 60 as recorded in Parshas Bechukosai, which is the maximum Erech for any individual. Accordingly, the 30 million Shekel paid by Haman would be as if Haman took upon himself to pay the Erech of Klal Yisroel to the King's Treasury, as represented by the 600,000 men that Hashem took out of Mitzrayim and brought to Har Sinai to receive the Torah.
May our charitable contributions and our Kemitzah-sized offerings to Hashem in the form of Tefillah, Torah and Mitzvos continue to tip the scales in our favor, and overcome the calculations of our enemies, so that we may warmly greet the Go'el Tzedek and celebrate the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash, speedily in our days.
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