Have you ever noticed that the money you work hardest for is the money you feel most connected to?
G-d commanded the Jewish people to each give a half-shekel. Moshe was perplexed, how could this small gift of money bring atonement for the soul? How could a coin fix the soul?
G-d showed him something extraordinary. He pulled out a coin of fire from beneath the Throne of Glory and said, "This is what they should give."
A coin of fire. Think about that for a moment.
A coin represents something measured and defined. Fire represents passion and energy. These two things seem like opposites; structure and discipline vs. spontaneity and feeling. And yet, G-d fused them together into a single object: a coin made of fire.
This is the secret of tzedakah.
When you earn money, you pour your fire into it; your time, your creativity, your sweat and your passion. That money isn't just currency, it carries a piece of you. When you give that money to a good cause or to someone in need, you are taking your personal fire and transforming it into something holy. You are turning passion into purpose.
When you give tzedakah, you're not just being generous, you're being asked to do something that goes beyond your natural instincts. Although you might feel good about helping others, pure tzedakah means giving because G-d asked you to. Not because of how it makes you feel nor because the receiver "deserves" it. That's the "coin" part; the structure, the discipline, the acceptance of something higher than yourself.
And yet, the giving itself has to be done with warmth and sensitivity. You have to make the other person feel comfortable. Your acceptance of G-d's will isn't cold, it's infused with energy and feeling. Fire inside a coin.
That's why tzedakah is so powerful. It fuses two opposites within you. And when you can hold structure and passion together, discipline and feeling, it reaches deep enough to bring atonement for the soul. Even for the deepest stuff.
What does this mean for us, practically, in 2026?
There's something powerful about making tzedakah a daily habit, not just when you're in shul or at an event, but every single day (except Shabbos and Holidays). A small amount, consistently, with intention.
Most of us don't carry coins anymore (they discontinued the penny). Yet, we all have “smart” phones. You can set up a daily giving habit right from your phone, a modern-day "coin of fire" and direct it to causes that matter. To make this easier, we have partnered with Colel Chabad to use their Pushka App. Colel Chabad feeds the poor in Israel. Through the app, you can give daily to Harford Chabad, supporting Jewish life right here in Harford County, and to Colel Chabad, the oldest continuously operating charity in Israel, founded in 1788.
Download the app and join our Harford Chabad pushka at pushkapp.cc/harford-chabad.
It takes 30 seconds to set up. And every day, your phone becomes your pushka, your personal coin of fire.
The half-shekel was small. The fire inside it was infinite. Your daily giving can be the same.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman