Parashat Ki Tisa
Parashat Ki Tisa is the ninth parsha in the Book of Shemos. It contains 132 pesukim. For the Haftora the story of Eliyahu's miraculous sacrifice on Mount Carmel is read.
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Machatzit HaShekel
Hashem tells Moshe to count the Jews by collecting a half a shekel per each male above age twenty. By then calculating the total of the Jewish Nation through the counting of the coins, Moshe is able to avoid the creation of a devastating plague that could incur had he counted the actual people. Additionally the silver coins from this collection are to be used for the creation of the Adanim and Vavim in the Mishkan and will serve as a partial rectification for the 'sin of the golden calf'.
Half a Shekel
Each shekel equaled twenty Gerahs, making each half shekel coin equal ten Gerah. Half shekel coins were minted from silver.
The Collection
Only males over the age of twenty, the age of army eligibility, were subject to the Machatzit HaShekel collection. Each individual had to submit precisely a half a shekel, not more, not less, regardless if the individual was wealthy or poor.