מחצית השקל בשקל הקדש… (כי תשא ל:יג)

The Ramban asks, from where did the Yidden have ‘shekalim’ - coins in the midbar - desert?

The Ramban answers that Moshe Rabbeinu created the shekel for the Yidden in the midbar.  Moshe was their king, and like a king who oversees his people’s currency, Moishe made a coin called the ‘shekel.’

And that is the reason why the Torah refers to the shekel as “שקל הקדש” – the holy shekel.  Because whenever the Torah mentions money (Ex. pidyan haben), the Torah refers to the shekel that Moshe incorporated. That’s why it’s called “שקלי קודש” – all the holy mitzvahs of the Torah referencing money are compared to the shekel currency.

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