After reading over the last post, I initially was worried that I hadn’t been entirely intellectually honest. (For those who didn’t read it)R’ Eliezer Simcha Weiss, maintained the suitability of Hakodosh Baruch Hu’s request for money. He discussed that this request for donations was the perfect test of Klal Yisrael’s loyalty. Nonetheless, I preceded that Dvar Torah with a (Quickie), which was said in the name of the Ohr Chaim HaKadosh. Accidentally, it just so happens, that the Ohr HaChaim was of the original opinion that Klal Yisrael’s donations were not given willfully but by force! If this would be true then, it would be rather peculiar of me to neighbor two Divrei Torah by people who contradict one another (at least without listing the other side).
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh wrote clarifying the meaning of the word “Vayikchu”:
The word “Vayikchu”(taking), connotes forcefully taking. When the Torah says “Vayikchu Li Terumah” it seems that the Terumah is being taken from Klal Yisrael by force. The truth is however, that in this week’s Parsha, there is a listing of 3 obligatory givings that must take place (See Yerushalmi Shekalim 1:1 and Rashi on 25b). They are the Machatzis HaShekel which is to be used for the sockets, the Machatzis Hashekel which is to be used for the communal offering, and the “[Vayikchu] giving” that is said at the beginning of the Parsha.
The Ohr HaChaim concludes that in fact the forceful terminology used “Vayikchu” is only distributed to the Machatzis Hashekel givings and not on the voluntary giving at the beginning of the Parsha.*
Therefore, even though at the beginning I felt that I was being intellectual dishonest, in the end the two Divrei Torah mesh together very well.
(*Imrei Baruch , Parshas Terumah, Maamar Aleph)
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