Kommentar zu Schemot 39:42

ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THE ETERNAL COMMANDED MOSES, SO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID ALL ‘HA’AVODAH’ (THE WORK) — all the work of the Tabernacle. Scripture calls it avodah [a term which means also “the Service” to G-d], in order to indicate that they did it for the service of the Glorious Name, it being similar to that which is said, ‘v’avad’tem’ (and ye shall serve) the Eternal your G-d;³⁹Above, 23:25. and Him ‘ta’avodu’ (shall ye serve).⁴⁰Deuteronomy 13:5. It is possible that the phrase all the ‘avodah’ refers here also to all the vessels, similar to the expression, “all the vessels of the ‘avodah’ (service) of the Tabernacle.”⁴¹The source is unknown to me. Thus Scripture first mentioned the vessels, in order to say that even in making the vessels they were careful to do them exactly as they were commanded, and afterwards it states, And Moses saw all the work…⁴²Verse 43.

ככל אשר צוה השם; in accordance with all that G'd had commanded Moses, etc. We find this statement altogether three times. Perhaps the Torah wanted us to understand that rehabilitation from the vestiges of the sin of the golden calf had to comprise three levels: 1) idolatrous thought; 2) idolatrous speech; 3) idolatrous actions. I have mentioned this aspect in its place in Parshat Ki Tissa.

כן עשו בני ישראל את כל העובדה, “so did the Children of Israel perform all the labour.” Nachmanides writes that all labour, work performed in connection with the Tabernacle, is called עבודה, “service,” by the Torah. This reflects the fact that all these activities were performed in order to serve the Lord, to honour Him. By doing so the people fulfilled the commandment (Exodus 23,25) ועבדתם את ה' אלוקיכם, “you are to serve the Lord your G’d.” Alternatively, the word העבודה refers to the sacred vessels used in performing these various tasks. These vessels have been referred to on a number of occasions as כלי עבודת הקודש, i.e. due to their designated purpose the vessels themselves acquired an elevated status, as “sacred vessels,” although they only served a sacred purpose. [this latter explanation would account for the Children of Israel, collectively, being mentioned in our verse rather than either the artisans or the priests. Ed.]

כן עשו בני ישראל את כל העבודה, “so did the Children of Israel perform all the labour.” We would have expected the Torah to write כל המלאכה instead of כל העבודה. The Torah, however, wanted to remind us that all work performed for the building of the Tabernacle was equivalent in spiritual value to service in the Sanctuary, עבודה, i.e. something sacred, holy. Just as the expression עבודה is always used in connection with directly serving the Lord, so this too was directly serving the Lord. (compare Deut. 13,5 or Exodus 23,28).

כן עשו בני ישראל את כל העבודה, “so the Israelites had done all the work;” the Mishnah in tractate Sotah folio 9 states that as soon as Solomon’s temple was completed the Tabernacle and all its appurtenances were hidden. To the question where it was hidden, the Talmud replied that it was “stored” beneath the cavities of the Sanctuary.