The Missing Machatzis HaShekel

Rav Ovadia Yosef used to illustrate the Mishnah "Judge each person favorably" (Avos 1:6) with the following story.

A leader and parnes of a Hungarian kehillah made a chasuna, and all the greatest rabbanim were invited. They rejoiced, sang, danced and sat down to enjoy the seudas mitzvah. In honor of the occasion, Rav Avrohom Binyomin Shmuel Sofer, the Ksav Sofer, stood and declared, "To mark this happy event, I wanted to share something precious and unique with you all, something that will add to the joy of the day." He took a silver coin from his pocket and held it up for all to see.

"This," the Ksav Sofer explained, "is a genuine Machatzis HaShekel from the days of the Second Beis HaMikdash. I have this rare coin to share with you, and you may all pass it around and see it for yourselves."

The great rabbanim were excited to see a real artifact, and they passed the coin from hand to hand. When everyone had seen it, the request went out to pass it back to the Ksav Sofer, but the coin did not return. They tried to find out who had held it last, but no one knew. The coin had vanished as if the earth had swallowed it.

Someone locked the doors of the hall and declared that there was no choice but to have everyone empty out his pockets. Clearly someone's desire for the coin had gotten the better of him, and he had transgressed Lo Sachmod and taken the Machatzis HaShekel.

At this, one of the rabbanim stood up. It was the Mahari Assad, and he made an unusual request. "Please, let us not ask the assembled to turn out their pockets. Instead, let us all wait patiently for one more half hour, to see if the coin turns up." His request raised eyebrows and drew murmurs, but the company agreed, and the seudah continued. The time ran out with no new developments.

"Again I beg your patience and indulgence," said the Mahari Assad. "Please wait another fifteen minutes." During that time he was seen silently davening.

Just then a waiter burst into the room. "I have it. I have the missing coin." Calls rang out from all sides that the coin had been found. The waiter explained that he had found it in the garbage. In the commotion of passing it around, it must have been left on the table and inadvertently swept off when the waiters cleared up.

The face of the Mahari Assad showed visible relief. He drew from his pocket an identical Machatzis HaShekel and explained, "Now I will tell you why I asked for your patience. When I saw the Ksav Sofer's delight, I did not want to spoil it by showing everyone my coin as well. Then I heard of the lost coin and the request to empty our pockets, and I was afraid no one would believe that I too had an almost identical rare coin in my pocket. I was sure I would be suspected, and that someone would transgress the dictum to judge others favorably. So I asked for a delay, so that the coin might be found, and I davened to Hashem to spare me the shame of accusation and to spare others the sin of falsely suspecting me. And, baruch Hashem, my tefillos were heard."