Vort on Parshas Ki Sisa
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.