I see many people pick up the coins from Machatzis Hashekel a bunch of times when giving it. Is there a reason for this?
The common custom is to exchange our personal money with the silver half dollars owned by the Shule. We lift up the Shule’s silver coins in order to acquire them and then give them to tzedaka. Some individuals give machatzis hashekel also on behalf of family members, and therefore they pick up the silver coins several times, to acquire them again after each time they gave them to tzedakah.
There are individuals who for some inexplicable reason have a custom that even if they are only giving only on their own behalf they lift up the coins three times. This custom has no known source or explanation. Some say that’s what the Rebbe did (although it could very well be that he was giving on behalf of others).
Sources:
בעיקר המנהג ראה במשנ״ב תרצד בבה״ל ד״ה ויש ליתן מה שמפקפק בזה. אלא שמסיים שאולי כיון שנהגו כן הו״ל כהתנו. ובכל אופן, כשפורט בסכום המקביל לסכום המטבעות שביד הגבאי, ודאי שפיר דמי.
הריל״ג מספר בהנהגת כ״ק אד״ש – ג״פ. ופשוט, שבהגבהה פ״א סגי. ואולי טעם רוחני בדבר. או כבפנים.
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