השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל
The Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, observes that the word machatzis (ha’shekel, the half-shekel coin which all Jews were obligated to give to the Mishkan) is spelled: mem, ches, tzadik, yud, saf. The middle of the five letters is the tzadik. The two letters closest to the tzadik (on its right and left) are the ches and yud – chai. The two outside letters are the mem and saf, spelling the word, meis. The tzadik is the first letter (rosh teivah) of the word tzedakah, charity. This, explains the Gaon, alludes to the maxim tzedakah tatzeil mimaves, charity saves one from death….
