מוצאי שבת ויקהל

Rebbe Moshe Kobriner zy'a in Toras Avos writes:

Rashi explains that Moshe Rabeinu had difficulty understanding what was meant until Hashem showed him a vision of a fiery coin.

What was so hard for Moshe to understand that Hashem needed to show him a fiery vision?

Moshe's question was how was it possible for a small coin to be a kofer nefesh: an atonement for a person's soul? A person would give everything he has to preserve his life!

Hashem showed him the fiery coin which symbolizes the fiery force of the Yetzer Hara, who works to keep us from giving up even small things. That is why even a small coin can be a kofer nefesh.

I noticed a smach to this pshat in the Yotzros. It says:

בשמעו אומר ונתנו איש כופר

פץ במה יתרצה אשכול הכופר

יציר מה יתן פדיון נפשו

וימצא חנינה פני נותן נפשו

קדוש כחפץ להצדיק עם זה

כמין מטבע אש הראהו במחזה

I’d like to also add the idea that “fire” symbolizes two types of avodas Hashem which can cause even a small mitzva to be a kofer nefesh for a person. And by showing him the coin of fire, Hashem was hinting to both these ways.

Fire can be painful and burn, or it can bring warmth and light.

If a person gives tzedaka, even a small amount, can be a kofer nefesh if it’s hard for him - like the story in Yerushalayim where he gave a few shekel and it felt very hard for him, but he was saved from a terrorist attack without a scratch. That’s light giving with the fire “burning”. But there’s another way that a mitzva can be a kofer nefesh. If a person does it with hislahavus, with a fire in his heart. If he is מחשיב או עובדה - then even the smallest mitzva can be worth a complete kofer nefesh!

And perhaps this is the meaning of העשיר לא ירבה והדל לא ימעיט. The poor man finds it difficult to give the half a shekel, but if it will be a kofer nefesh, he must not give less! And the rich man, he would like to give more according to his kavod - but that means he is giving with his ratzon (this is Ima’s pshat), but if he gives only the half shekel because Hashem commanded it, and he is machshiv the zechus to give something for Hashem, then even the half shekel can be a kofer nefesh for him!