Parashat Ki Tisa – Opening Questions

Why was there a need to give half-shekels?
Why did Moshe's absence prompt the people to make the Golden Calf? How could Aharon have played a lead role in its creation?
How does the census taken in the first year of the nation's travels relate to that taken in the beginning of the second year?
Was the Mishkan built as the ideal vehicle through which to worship Hashem, or was it a concession to reality and a means to remedy a problematic situation?
What does "פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים" mean? Are children punished for their parents' sins?

Parashat Ki Tisa/Questions