The parsha study is a lesson on the weekly portion {parsha} of the Torah specified for study by our sages.

Within Parshas Ki Sisa there are ten mitzvahs. There are 4 performative and 6 prohibitive. Of these mitzvahs, 9 are required of B’nei Yisroel and 1 is required of the Kohanim. None are required of B’nai Noach {Spiritualists}. Each of these mitzvahs are important themes. One mitzvah is especially important to Parshas Ki Sisa. It is the first of the ten mitzvahs discussed. I am referring to the mitzvah of Sh’Kolim.

We read in Shemos 30:13, “This your gift the pass by [offering] the counting of the half shekel established in the shekel of the Holy [Bet Ha Mikdosh] where a shekel is twenty Gay Raw and where half a shekel [must be given] as a terumah offering to Hashem.”

Classmates, what we read here must be first understood according to Ha Torah and then second according to history.

Here in Ha Torah {in Shemos 30:13} Hashem the Creator of the universe established a weight and measurement of the shekel. This shekel is unlike the Sh’Kolim of the community or the nation or the world. It is the shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh... it is the shekel of weight and measurement representing accuracy... exactness... holiness! Why? This shekel is based upon the scale of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

What does this mean? In pesuk 15 we observe that as part of the EXACT fulfillment of this mitzvah... each male age 20 and above must give exactly a 1/2 shekel. What shekel? The shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh. What is the importance of this?

The Bet Din {the Holy Jewish Court} established money exchangers in the Temple courtyard to accurately exchange money from around the region and around the world into the holy currency, “Ha Shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh.” This holy currency is termed Sh’Kolim. According to the command of Hashem in Shemos 30:13 a Jew could not give just any money for the terumah offering. Why? The mitzvah... the commandment is for every Jewish male age 20 and above to give exactly the same amount. The terumah offering had to be “EXACT”. The rich could not give more! The poor could not give less! Every Jewish male was required to give exactly the same amount. To observe Hashem’s command, the Bet Din issued a half shekel coin in accordance with Hashem’s command in Shemos 30:13. This coin was ONLY issued... ONLY exchanged by approved exchangers in the courtyard of the Bet Ha Mikdosh. Why? Because one could NOT charge more for “Ha Shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh” than the exact amount. If an exchanger did, it would be in direct violation to this mitzvah of Sh’Kolim. That is why the only exchange was at the Bet HaMikdosh. The Bet Din regulated the money exchangers. They had to regulate and monitor the “EXACT” exchange of the world currency into “Ha Shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh.” This was extremely important for the fulfilling of the mitzvah of Shemos 30:13.

This exchange was established from 15 Adar to 1 Nisan.

Classmates, all this information I have provided you with has been common knowledge AMONG JEWS for thousands of years. Please understand that every Kohen Godal {High Priest} of Hashem during the time of the Bet Ha Mikdosh approved of the process of “Ha Shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh.” Every Novie {Prophet of Hashem} approved of the process of “Ha Shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh.” This includes Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel... all the holy prophets of Hashem.

The Bet Din required that the portion which is referred to as Parshas Sh’Kolim {Ki Sisa} be read at the beginning of the month of Adar to remind every Jewish male of his obligation of the annual terumah offering. The terumah offering was used by the Kohanim to acquire the sacrifice offerings, wood and other necessities for the general Bet Ha Mikdosh offerings for Kal Yisroel for the coming year. All Yisroel would share exactly in the offering...

What is the point?

Well, we read in the New Testament in Matthew 21:12, in Mark 11:15 and in Luke 19:45 that Jesus... Jesus who was not a sitting member of the Bet Din, who had ZERO AUTHORITY to alter rabbinic or Torah halacha, began to overturn the tables of the money exchangers. There are several points one must understand here:

Let’s review the New Testament passage to establish the exact time according to Christians:

1. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2. Jesus said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” [According to the New Testament] 4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5. “Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6. The disciples [of Jesus] went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. [Again, according to the New Testament] 8. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the L-rd!” “Hosanna in the highest!” [According to the New Testament] 10. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11. The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 12. Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”

The Christian church refers to this day as “Palm Sunday.” According to the Christian church Palm Sunday took place on the Sunday before Pesach {Passover}. WHAT IS THE POINT?

Again the time set up for the money exchangers by the Bet Din was from 15
Adar to 1 Nisan. When was the Christian Palm Sunday? When did Jesus enter Jerusalem according to the New Testament?

John states, [according to the New Testament] 2. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9. Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11. For on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. 12. The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the L-rd!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14. Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15. “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

Classmates, I have shared these long arduous passages of the New Testament first in their entirety and second to establish several facts.

1.) Notice John 12:1 In blue... “Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.”

2.) Notice that in John 12:12-15 this was on “the next day.” The next day was only “five” days before Pesach {Passover}. 12. The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the L-rd!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14. Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15. “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

WHAT IS THE POINT? Classmates, this supposed incident occurred five days before Pesach. That would be on 9 Nisan. What is the significance? THIS WAS 9 DAYS AFTER THE BET DIN REMOVED THE MONEY EXCHANGERS!!

The New Testament is claiming that Jesus went to Ha Bet Ha Mikdosh on 9 Nisan and drove out the money exchangers... They weren’t there!!

However for the sake of argument let’s say for whatever reason the money exchangers were still there. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM!

Matthew 5:17 quotes Jesus as saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

As pointed out earlier, the first Bet Ha Mikdosh and the second Bet Ha Mikdosh both enjoyed the approval of every Kohen Godal {High Priest} of Hashem and every Novie {Prophet of Hashem} including Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. of “Ha Shekel Ha Bet Mikdosh.” They understood and completely agreed with the precision of the Temple half shekel and the establishment and the purpose for the money exchangers in the Temple courtyard during this two-week period. What I am saying here is for hundreds and hundreds of years this was the Torah practice. There was no problem with this practice, yet the New Testament - a non-Jewish book - attempts to imply there was something evil and dirty about what G-d commanded. Then this Jesus... an unknown rabbi.. a proclaimed rabbi of the New Testament... a rabbi who does not sit on the Bet Din {among the 73 greatest rabbium of Kal Yisroel} supposedly rides into Jerusalem on 9 Nisan, nine days after the exchangers are gone, and is accredited with overturning their money tables and driving them out...

This supposed rabbi is also quoted as saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

What is the point? Classmates, the New Testament rabbi, Jesus, according to the New Testament did exactly what he said he would not do...

Here we have this supposed historical story about Jesus, hundreds of years old, recorded in the New Testament scribed by a follower of Jesus... that makes two claims. One is that Jesus drove out money exchangers on 9 Nisan which was nine days after they were gone. The second is even though money exchangers were established by Hashem the Creator of the universe as such in Ha Torah and even though they were an important part of fulfilling the mitzvah of Shemos 30:13 and even though they were honored and recognized by every Kohen Godal and Novie of Yisroel... the New Testament states that Jesus drove them out. Classmates, Jesus drove them out in violation of G-d, the Creator of the Universe, Ha Torah and the greatest authorities in the world. Jesus did attempt to change the Law {Ha Torah} and go against Ha Novium {the prophets}.

Every year at this time during the month of Adar we must remember the Sh’Kolim. and the pseudo New Testament...

Blessings and peace to all who study Ha Torah...

Wishing you the best!


Dr. Akiva G. BelkWishing you the best