With the recent fluctuations in the value of silver, Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef has paskened that the amount to be given for the annual machatzis hashekel, the half shekel given before Purim, has increased dramatically form previous years.
The current value of silver is $0.87 per gram, which comes to about 2.85nis per gram in Israel. Obviously this changes all the time and could still change between now and Taanis Esther, but this is the value now.
So, Rav Yosef said that the value to be given for the machatzis hashekel is 26nis per person. The half shekel is weighted at 9 grams silver, totaling 25.65nis. Rav Yosef said it would be good to round it up and give 26nis, but I guess the minimum, at this rate, is currently 25.70.
They say the current value is nearly double what it was last year. I'm not sure of the exact calculation because the value of silver has fluctuated and so has the value of the shekel and the dollar.
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