What is a "Beka"?
Rashi, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It is the name of a half-Shekel coin. 1
Which Targum Onkelos translates as 'Tikla' (Shekel) and Targum Yonasan as 'Dark'mon'.
How can the number here (of those who donated towards the Mishkan) tally with the number in Bamidbar, 2:32 (the post-Mishkan census) - bearing in mind that, whereas there, the Levi'im were not counted, here, they also donated towards the Mishkan and were therefore counted?
Sifsei Chachamim: The Levi'im were not obligated to give the half-Shekel for the Mishkan, which came to atone for the sin of the Eigel, of which they were not guilty.
Moshav Zekenim: The Torah does not give the total amount of silver collected, only what was used for the sockets and clasps. Refer to 30:15:1:4* & 30:15:1:4* 1 .
Bearing in mind that the two censuses took place in two different years (in Tishri and Iyar, respectively), how is it possible for their totals to have been equal?
Refer to 30:15:4:1-4 and notes.
