Half Shekel & Avoiding Ayin Hara Parashat Ki Tisa

Parashat Ki Tisa opens with the mitzvah of Machatzit HaShekel, to give a Half Shekel for the taking of the census. Rabbi Yaron Reuven explains one reason for the use of the half shekel is to avoid a plague caused by Ayin Hara during the taking of the census. Anytime we need to count Jews we use something else instead. We count shoes, we count kippahs, anything but the Jews themselves. Unfortunately today, many people unknowingly open themselves to Ayin Hara and ruin what would otherwise be good fortune.