As is known, everything about the Red Heifer is shrouded in mystery, and the location of its sprinkling is no exception. He who understands it will discover something fascinating...
When is it good to interrupt? Is an entertainer swinging from a flying trapeze an ohel? Why would anyone throw a tent? What difference does it make, halachically, whether an airplane is manufactured from aluminum, titanium or carbon fiber?
My shul has always read Parashat Zachor once, with our regular havara (pronunciation). Some people now complain that we do not follow other shuls and read multiple times with different havarot to fulfill the mitzva according to more opinions and to do the mitzva properly for Sephardim. Should we change our minhag?
The six p’sukim of our maftir, known as Parashat Shekalim (Shemot 30:11-16), combine so many separate concepts that at first appear as referring to the same thing that it is difficult to keep things straight. At the center of it all, though, is the half-shekel coin. Let us see what it is apparently connected to.