Answer: Rashi says that Hahsem made the coin a fiery coin because he wanted tp show the good and bad aspects of money. He used fire because fire can be both help you or destroy something. Just like money, money can bring friends or family together but it can also destroy a relationship. the fire was Hashem showing Beni Yisroel to use money wisely.
The Midrash says that Hashem showed Moshe the coin that had been made of fire and said, “Like this one shall they give.” The Noam Elimelech expounds that fire is a symbol for money. Just as fire can be used to spread warmth and food, money could as well. And just as fire could be used to hurt and extinguish, money could as well. The silver half a shekel is at the beginning of our parsha in order to serve as a cautionary of the likely hazards of affluence. Although we say we never follow the mitzrim and escaped their grasp for good, there is still a part of us that has been influenced by the Egyptians. This is our greediness and money-obsessiveness. From this parsha we are reminded about the dangers of wealth and that we should protect ourselves from it.
ReplyDeleteThe Lubavitcher Rebbe gives a possible answer to this question. He explains that the word מטבע comes from the word טבע which is nature. A coin fits an exact size and measurement which represents following the strict guidelines and laws. Fire represents passion which is taking something mundane and making it special. The role of a Jew is to be able to combine these two ideas. One must be able to follow and perform commandments properly but also do it with passion and love. The fusion of these ideas is exactly what Hashem was trying to demonstrate to Moshe and teach Bnei Yisrael to do.
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