Commentary for Exodus 35:21

AND THEY CAME, EVERY ONE WHOSE HEART STIRRED HIM UP. This is said with reference to the wise men who did the work, for we do not find the use of this phrase, “the stirring up of the heart,” in connection with those who merely brought the donations; Scripture rather mentions “generosity of heart” with reference to them. Now the reason for using such a phrase, whose heart stirred him up, is because they undertook to do the work, although there was no one amongst them who had learned these crafts from an instructor, or had trained his hands at all to do them. Rather, a person who felt in his nature that he knew how to do such skills, his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Eternal³⁰II Chronicles 17:6. to come before Moses and say to him, “I will do all that my lord speaks.” I have already mentioned this in another section.³¹Above, 31:2. Thus Scripture is stating that there came before Moses every one whose heart stirred him up to undertake the work, and every one whom his spirit made willing brought the offering. Then Moses said to all of them that G-d had called by name Bezalel,³²Further, Verse 30. and Oholiab.³³Ibid., Verse 34. Afterwards Moses called them and every wise-hearted man³⁴Ibid., 36:2. to come before him, and he gave them the whole donation [brought by the people so that they could proceed to do the work].

ויבאו כל איש ישראל אשר נשאו לבו, Every Israelite whose heart had elevated him came, brought, etc. The Torah alludes to two different categories of donors. 1) A person who donates as a result of an urge to do so in accordance with his means, both physically and financially. The Torah describes such a person as נדבה רוחו, to stress that such a donor does not feel that he deprives himself of something by giving it away. 2) The second type of donor is one who loses his sense of proportion because of his enthusiasm for the project for which he donates. As a result he contributes more than he can afford. The Torah describes this second type of person as נשאו לבו, "he is carried away by his heart." At the time he donates, such a person considers himself as possessing far more economic resources than he actually does. The Torah spoke of both of these types in our verse to show that there were both of these kinds of donors among the Israelites. The Torah first mentions the overly enthusiastic donor, i.e. אשר נשאו לבו, describing such individuals as איש, as people of distinction. Next the Torah mentions the וכל אשר נדבה רוחו, anyone moved to donate by his spirit. In this instance, the Torah avoids describing these individuals as איש, an honorary title. Although such people are to be commended for their noble gestures, they do not compare to the first category. We know that there are far inferior reasons for donating to charity or to public causes, such as social pressures, etc. The fact that the Torah speaks of only these two categories mentioned is a great compliment to the Israelites, something the Torah underlines when repeating הביאו את תרומת השם, they brought the Lord's offering. By writing these words the Torah testifies that all the donors were sufficiently highly motivated to enable G'd's contribution to attach itself, את, to their own, as we have described in our commentary on verse 5.

למלאכת אוהל מועד, the carpets of the Tabernacles and the dividing curtain.

ויבאו כל איש אשר נשאו לבו, “Every man whose heart inspired him came;” Nachmanides draws our attention to the change in expression here. In connection with the donations, (25,2) the Torah had described the individual’s motivation with the words אשר נדבנו לבו, “whose heart motivates him,” whereas here we are told about a different level of generosity, enthusiasm, i.e. אשר נשאו לבו, “whose heart inspired him.” Men who had no training in performing any of these tasks were inspired and suddenly were able to perform tasks they had never considered themselves capable of performing. Artisans who were skilled in performing tasks but had never trained others to do so, now became skilled at teaching their art, and men or women who had never displayed skill with their hands were suddenly inspired to do so. They came to Moses volunteering to perform the tasks that were required.

V. 21. ויבאו וגו׳. Sowohl nach dem Akzente, als in Folge des Waw copul. des folgenden וכל ist dies ויבאו וגו׳ als selbständiger Satz aufzufassen. Es ist auch נשאו לבו keineswegs mit נדבה רוחו אותו identisch. Während נדבה וגו׳ vorzugsweise den inneren Antrieb zu einer sachlichen Spende bedeutet, bezeichnet נשאו לבו die innere Erhebung zu einer das Niveau des Gewöhnlichen oder Bisherigen überragenden persönlichen Leistung. ויבאו וגו׳ scheint demnach zuerst den Gesamteindruck und Erfolg zu bezeichnen, den die Aufforderung hervorgerufen. Es ward der Zweck in der ganzen Höhe seiner Bedeutung gefasst. Jeder, der dazu, sei es an Spende oder Tätigkeit, zu leisten sich fähig glaubte, fühlte sich durch die Mitwirkung zu einem solchen Zwecke persönlich gehoben. In dieser Gesinnung kamen sie und stellten sich, jeder nach seinen Kräften und Fähigkeiten, für das Werk bereit.

לכל עבודתו, the curtains around the courtyard and the sacred vessels.

ולכל עבודתו, and for all the service thereof. The Torah reveals with this verse that all the 13 types of materials which were indispensable for making the Tabernacle were in fact donated. Moses did not have to take money, even donated money, to go out and acquire any of the materials because they had not been contributed in sufficient quantity or not at all.

נדבה רוחו ist auch etwas anderes und mehreres als לב .נדבה לבו ist zunächst das Denkende und Wollende im Menschen. רוח ist aber der ganze innere Mensch, das ganze bewegende Innere. Aus dem ganzen Wesen des Menschen floss die Spende, der ganze Mensch war dabei. — ולכל עבדתו: der Ausdruck עבדה kehrt wiederholt in diesem Kapitel in solchem Zusammenhange wieder. Es steht ganz in eigentlichem Sinne: dienen, d. i. ja: den Zwecken eines andern förderlich sein, es ist buchstäblich unser: zweckdienlich, nur im scharfen Grade des Dienens, so dass es nicht bloß das Dienliche, sondern das Erforderliche, Notwendige ausdrückt. Siehe V. 24.