Purim / Ki Sisa

‎The Halacha of Purim requires everyone to give at least two gifts to two poor people. The Mishnah Berurah qualifies this by saying that that's only the letter of the law.  In reality, of the various requirements of Purim,  one should increase in giving gifts to the poor rather than spending one’s own seudah & more than the money one spends on Mishloch Manos to one's friends. He continues by stating the reasoning for this law that there is no rejoicing as grand & glorious as rejoicing the hearts of the poor, the orphans & the widows. 
 
‎What is so special about the day of Purim that we have to give so much more charity than is normally required?

‎Our Parsha starts off with Hashem telling Moshe to take a census of the Jewish people with specific instructions. ונתנו איש כפר נפשו לה בפקד אתם , every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul when counting them. 

Rashi explains that when one wishes to count the people, he should do it by taking a half shekel from each person; then you will count the shekalim & know how many people there are. 

The Midrash tells us tha‎t Moshe asked Hashem how are the Jews going to atone for the golden calf?  Hashem said to him בכי תשא. , by doing the Mitzva of machazits Hashekel. 
Reb Chaim Volo‎zhin explains, Chazal tell us that אין צדקה משתלמת אלא לפי חסד שבה , charity is not only ‎qualified by the chesed that's in it.  If, with one’s charity, he saves  a poor person from death,‎ then he, too, can be saved from death that was decreed against him. 

Until now, the Jews in the desert had no opportunity to give charity, for all their needs were taken care of by Hashem. The Maan fed them; the clouds housed them; etc. Only now when the command to give the Machtzis Hashekel was given, did the Jews have an opportunity to give charity for those that were lacking were helped out by those that gave. For had they not have had the funds to donate & then they would be counted by head instead of the coin then plauge would affect them. As happened when דוד המלך counted them by head.  This is the meaning of Hashem telling Moshe that the forgiveness for the eigel will come when the Jews start giving charity to one another. Even though the sin of the eigel was punishable by death, when they give charity & save another person, they will be forgiven from death. 

On Purim, we have the mitzva to go above & beyond when giving charity since, on Purim, we were saved from death by the whole nation fasting & praying together. Then, they rose up & fought together. We rejoiced in the victory; all the Jews were connected & helping each other out to gain that victory. To keep that feeling of unity, we give gifts to one another & gifts to the poor so that they, too, will feel part of the nation. By doing so, we also eradicate any harsh decree against us. Therefore, on the day of Purim, we give as much as we can to the poor so that they will be happy assuring that we will have any harsh decrees annulled & we will be blessed with a great year!
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