Collecting shekalim vs collecting ballots TY Shekalim 5

 With today’s daf TY Shekalim 5 we begin the second chapter of our massekhet. The rabbis wanted to make the obligation of the half shekel as easy and convenient as possible. “Jews who lived in cities and towns outside of Jerusalem (whether in Eretz Yisrael or throughout the Diaspora) would remit their half shekalim locally. The collections would then have to be transported via couriers to the Temple. Understandably this could prove quite difficult, given the great weight so many shekalim together would form. The Mishnah teaches: We may combine shekalim into darkonot because of the burden of the way, i.e. in order to ease the burden of caring so many coins to Jerusalem. ” (Art Scroll translation)

One darkon equaled two selas. One sela equaled two half shekels. Consequently by converting all the half shekels into darkonot, the courier only needed to carry one quarter amount of coins. Although he only needed to carry fewer coins, he still had to schlep almost the same amount of weight because gold is heavier than silver. Small gold objects feel heavier when compared to silver objects of the same size because gold has a density of 19.32 g/cm3 where silver has the density of only 10.49 g/cm3. (google search)

“The Mishna below (18) relates that in the Temple courtyard stood 13 collection chests, each bearing a label as to his purpose, so that anyone who visited the temple to make his contributions. As related there, two of the chests were designated for the deposit of the annual shekalim. The Mishnah teaches: Just as there were collection chests (שופרות-shofars) for shekalim set up in the Temple, so there were collection chests for shekalim set up in the provinces.” (Art Scroll translation)

“As conveniences for people living outside of Jerusalem, there were collection chests set up throughout the land into which the required shekalim could be placed. At given intervals the chests would be emptied and the contents given to messengers to convey to Jerusalem. Within Jerusalem, however there were no collection chests, as the purpose of the chests was in order to click many shekalim together to facilitate their transport to the temple; and in Jerusalem this was not necessary, for Jerusalemites could personally bring their shekalim. (see Tiklin Chadtin)

“The Mishnah calls the collection receptacles “shofars” because they resemble shofars in shape, being broad at the bottom and narrowing to a funnel like opening at the top (incurring as they ascended {Gemara below 15b}. The purpose of this shape was to prevent an unscrupulous person from asserting his hand through the opening of the container and stealing coins while pretending to donate. (Tiklin Chadtin, from below, 15b)” (Art Scroll commentary)

Republicans have quickly moved in the opposite direction of our sages when comes to making our civic obligation voting easier. To combat a nonexistent voting fraud, they are making it more difficult to vote for minorities who normally would vote Democratic. For example, States have created drop boxes to make ballot collection easier and more convenient akin to those collection boxes mentioned in the Mishna. Commenting on Georgia’s new law restricting voting. “Representative Zulma Lopez, who represents a majority-minority district on the outskirts of Atlanta, said the bill would have an outsize impact on voters of color. In her district, she said, the number of drop boxes would be reduced to 9 from 33. This was partly the result, she said, of Democrats’ being excluded from discussions.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-republicans.html)