Hello Everyone,
The Gemarah in masechet Megillah teaches that between the Shabbat preceding the month of Adar and the Shabbat preceding the month of Nisan we read four portions of the Torah which relate to the those particular weeks. These are the “Four Parshiyot.”
Today we will discuss the first of these special parshiyot, the parsha known as “Parashat Shekalim.” This reading commemorates the fact that when the Temple exists, on the first day of Adar people would be reminded to send their half-shekel coins to the Temple. These coins would collected and used to pay for the sacrifices brought in the coming year ( which began on the first day on the month of Nisan).