The Gemara (Gittin 56b) tells a mysterious story about Titus, the Roman general who destroyed the Bet Ha’mikdash . Titus was exceptionally arrogant, and boasted that he was far more powerful than the G-d of Israel. Hashem punished Titus by having a tiny mosquito fly into his nostril and up into his head. There it continually pecked, causing Titus extreme pain. Hashem showed Titus that he could be defeated by the tiniest of creatures. The Gemara concludes the story by telling that after Titus’ passing, his head was opened, and it was discovered that the minuscule mosquito had grown to the size of a very large bird. Much of this story, of course, is a mystery. But on the symbolic level, its message, I think, is very clear. The Gemara here is describing how very small, trivial things become very big things in our head. Something somebody said or did bothers us, and we turn it into a much bigger deal than it is. We have some small problem to deal with, and it becomes an enormous “bird” in our heads, causing us a great deal of anxiety, “pecking” away incessantly, preventing us from functioning normally. Often, this “bird” is something that another person has that we don’t. We see that person’s house, car, clothes or kids, and we are overcome by jealousy or resentment. We see somebody who excels or achieves in a way that we don’t, and it eats us up. It becomes a gigantic “bird” in our minds, incessantly “pecking” at our brains, not allowing us a moment of joy and contentment. The opening pesukim of Parashat Ki-Tisa perhaps teach us how to handle these feelings, how to get rid of this “bird” once and for all. These pesukim introduce the mitzvah of מחצית השקל – the half-shekel tax that every member of the nation would donate each year during the times of the Bet Ha’mikdash . The Torah commands that everybody must give this precise amount – half a shekel. Nobody was allowed to give more or less. Many have asked the question of why the Torah required specifically this amount – a half-shekel. Why shouldn’t the people be obligated, or at least allowed, to donate a full shekel? The answer might be that the Torah wants us all to acknowledge that we have only a “half,” that we are not “whole,” that we all have things which we think we need, things that we lack, things that bother us, things that make us upset. There is not a single person who is “whole,” whose life is perfect, who has everything he needs and wants. If we ever find ourselves feeling jealous or resentful of another person who has something that we don’t, we need to know a little secret: that person, and all people, are lacking something. They, too, have problems. They, too, are struggling and having a hard time with something. We are all just half a shekel. If we want to get rid of the “bird” in our heads, we need to recognize this reality of the מחצית השקל , that everyone has only “half,” only some of what they want. Nobody is whole. Hashem gives us all a מחצית , some of what we want, but not all, and we are to feel content with what He has given us. This perspective will prevent the “mosquito” from turning into a “bird.” It will help us to stop obsessing over the small problems and issues that we deal with, as we realize that Hashem gives everybody some – but not all – of what we want, because He, and only He, knows what we need to achieve and maximize our potential. As just one example, I will share a story that is, basically, true, with some of the details changed. Two sisters had a successful business, working together baking and selling cupcakes. Everything we going well until one sister decided to break away and start her own business, taking all the customers with her. The other sister was enraged. She was so angry that she nearly lost her mind, and could not function. I tried explaining to her that the real problem was not that her sister took away her customers, but rather that she was obsessing over it, that she was allowing this to become a “bird,” that this was causing her debilitating anger and resentment. If she could just get this “bird” out of her head, then she could focus on rebuilding her business. And the way to do this is through emunah , by realizing that Hashem has given her the מחצית that she needs. This has nothing to do with her sister. If her sister did something wrong, then this is Hashem’s business. Her job is to move on. Let us prevent the mosquito from becoming a bird. Let’s stop obsessing, worrying, resenting and feeling jealous, and always feel happy and content with the מחצית that Hashem has graciously given us, trusting that this is exactly what we need.