"If her father refuses to give her unto him, he shall pay money equivalent to the dowry of virgins" (Exodus 22,16)

"Everyone who is counted will give a half shekel in sanctuary coins, twenty gera equal one half shekel- as an offering to the Lord" (Exodus 30,13)



In 1966, "The Beatles" composer/singer Paul McCartney provided the explanation to the lyrics of the song "Can't Buy Me Love" by stating that "all these material possessions are all very well, but they won't buy me what I really want". Such a comment in those days was ‘music’ to people identifying with the social revolution of the sixties aimed at rejecting the values anchored in capitalism. Western society, fueled by capitalistic economies, had promoted the myth that wealth equals success since money could buy it all.

It seems that King Solomon identified with the claim that money could buy it all. In Ecclesiastes 10:19, he wrote "money is the answer for everything". The classical Biblical commentators, however, did not view the phrase in this

Torah is not oblivious to the centrality that money plays in our daily affairs.

 light.

Ibn Ezra translates the Hebrew word “yaane” (the Hebrew word in the verse quoted) not as "answer", but as "available". Indeed, the fact is that money does make things readily available. This, however, does not constitute a value judgment. Rather, it is a message of practical advice.

Rashi understands these words as a pronouncement promoting a work ethic in order to sustain oneself.  Work is, indeed, a value and should not be confused with a mere goal of material acquisitions.

It cannot be denied that money serves various important purposes in life. The Torah is not oblivious to the centrality that money plays in our daily affairs. Many sections in this week's Parshat Mishpatim deal directly with monetary issues. They include areas of work relationships, personal damage compensation, property damage, fines, loans, and other charitable concerns.

The special Maftir (last portion) reading for this week is  Parshat Shekalim, which  also speaks of the commandment to annually contribute the uniform sum of the Half-Shekel to be used towards the purchasing of the Temple's public sacrifices.

The Torah acknowledges and anticipates the ups and downs of real life situations. Its commandments in the monetary realm provide guidance and instruction for healthy personal and communal life.  



In this spirit, we can understand the insurance policy woven into the fabric of every marriage. Standing under the Chuppah at the pinnacle of a couple's most joyous moment, the groom hands over the signed marriage contract, the Ketubah, to his young bride for her safe keeping. The last thing in the world going through the minds and hearts of this new couple is the horrific possibility of the loss of the husband (either by death or divorce). Yet, through the instrument of the Ketubah, the husband - up front - commits a significant sum of money to be awarded to his wife in the event of his absence. While this money cannot buy love, it can buy financial security. The Halakha, Jewish law, recognizes this as an integral part of a husband's responsibility in life.

To be fair, whether or not the Ketubah is part of one’s Biblical responsibilities rather than a commandment of rabbinic origin issue from the days of our Sages until this very day. The authors of Tosephot (Ketubot 10a) adopted the Talmudic view that the Ketubah has its Halakhic origins in the Bible, in the text (Exodus 22:16,) quoted at the beginning of this article. They say that the Tosephot cite the widespread Diaspora custom of Ashkenazi communities to highlight the Biblical nature of the commandment in the very text of the Ketubah by writing that the

Fiscal responsibility stands at the core of the marriage Ketubah.

money is a Biblical ordinance.

On the other hand,  the Rambam (Hilchot Ishut 10:7) emphatically states that the Ketubah is of rabbinic origin, insitituted to make it harder for couples to break up. [The prevalent custom in all of Eretz Yisrael today is to delete from the Ketubah text the word “Biblical” in deference to Rambam's view.] While couples ought not to marry for the sake of monetary gains, the Halakha does take into consideration the realities of difficult financial situations. Fiscal responsibility stands at the core of the marriage Ketubah.

Indeed, values and emotions are not up for sale. Neither the love of man nor the Love of G-d can be treated as marketable items. As the Torah tells us (Devarim 10:17) with reference to bribery, no payoff can swing G-d to man's side.

However, money can be appropriately used as a medium to foster lofty ideas. This is the essence of the Parshat Shekalim, equally donated by rich and poor. The Shekel coin becomes hallowed by the fact that it is dedicated to a holy cause. Aside from being an equal contributor to the purchasing of public sacrifices, the fulfillment of this affordable commandment ("the rich shall give no more, and the poor shall give no less than a Half Shekel") is a clear indication of connection to the nation as a whole.

Our Sages (Talmud Yerushalmi, Shekalim 1:3) play on the numerical equivalent of the word zeh  (this) which equals twelve.   All twelve tribes are obliged to contribute. Yet, why would anyone think otherwise? The novelty is not the fact that all must contribute, but that all contributors become an integral part of the whole!  Rambam, in his opening chapter of Hilchot Shekalim, mentions both the personal obligation to contribute  followed by the communal obligation.

While it is absolutely true that money can't buy anyone love, it can be used effectively and responsibly to build a better world which will “please both G-d and man”, as  King Solomon said (Proverbs 3:4).