Halakhah su Esodo 30:13

The third classic case of discovering ancient artifacts is recorded in some editions of the Ramban’s commentary to Shemot 30:13, where the Ramban discusses the debate between Rashi and the Rif regarding the weight of a shekel. This impacts a number of areas of Halachah, such as determining the minimum weight of the coins used for pidyon haben. According to Rashi’s opinion, the shekel is one-sixth lighter than the Rif believes it to be. Though the Ramban originally supported the opinion of the Rif, he writes that when he made aliyah, the local Samaritans showed him an ancient coin with “shekel hashekalim” written on one side and “Yerushalayim hakedoshah” written on the other. Upon weighing this ancient shekel, he discovered that it accorded with Rashi’s view, whereupon he concluded, “And behold the words of Rabbeinu Shlomo (Rashi) are supported⁴Note that the Ramban states that Rashi’s opinion is “supported,” not “proven,” by the discovered artifact. by a great support.”⁵Rav Yonatan Adler (Techumin 24:497) reports that many such coins have since been discovered throughout Eretz Yisrael and have been dated by academicians to the period of the last years of the Second Temple.

Interestingly, the Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 305:1) does not rule in accordance with Rashi despite the Ramban’s discovery. This might be based on two criticisms of the Ramban’s evaluation of his discovery. The Abarbanel (Shemot 30:13-14) notes that it is possible that the shekel lost some of its weight over time.⁶I have been informed, though, that whether or not the shekel lost weight can be tested scientifically. In addition, the Tashbeitz (3:226) is disturbed that the Ramban relied on Samaritans to decipher the writing on the coin. Since we have profound ideological differences with the Samaritans, their testimony holds no halachic credibility. These two criticisms of the Ramban’s approach foreshadow the two main concerns that some poskim express today regarding the reliability of ancient finds – the integrity of the discoveries and the credibility of archaeologists who are not observant Jews.

The commandment of the giving of the half shekel during the year: That each one of Israel from twenty years and up - whether poor or rich - give the half shekel, which is the weight of ten gerah of silver, each year to the hand of the priests, as it is stated (Exodus 30:13), "This is what everyone who passes the count shall give." And they would place all of it in a compartment in the Temple. And from there they would take them out (Mishnah Shekalim 4) to buy daily offerings, additional offerings and any sacrifice brought for the community and their libations, the salt with which they would salt the sacrifices, the wood for the arrangement, the bread of display and the wage of the one making the bread of display, the omer, the two-breads, the red heifer, the goat sent away and the golden strip [it would carry].