Tafsiran Keluaran 35:24: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Rabbeinu Bahya, Chizkuni & Rav Hirsch

“Everyone who would make gifts of silver” [35:24]. It is written concerning the silver that they separated it to give it to the Tabernacle. However, concerning the gold, it is written, “an elevated offering” [35:22]. This means to lift up. That is, the one who donated gold, he lifts it high and the one who receives it also lifts it high. That is to say, he shows that he has brought a very good donation.²⁰Bahya, Exodus, 35:24.

כל מרים תרומת כסף ונחושת, “Every man who donated a gift of silver or copper, etc.” No doubt silver was more plentiful than gold, not to mention copper of which the people must have owned an abundance. Presumably, the gold owned by the people was concentrated mostly in the hands of the women who used it as jewelry, whereas silver and copper were used mostly by the men, both as tools and as coins, i.e. money. This is why in connection with the silver the Torah speaks of תרומה, an expression of raising, separating, whereas in connection with donations consisting of gold the Torah speaks of תנופה, something which is lifted up. When someone donates gold he considers himself as having raised himself to a higher level. The recipients of a gift consisting of gold generally make a point of lauding the generosity of the donor. Still, on occasion we find the word תנופה used in connection with copper vessels when there is a reason to emphasise the value of that particular item such as in 38,29 where the Torah in mentioning the total weight of the copper donated (which collectively represented substantial value) describes it as “seventy talents, 2400 shekel worth.” The copper in question was highly polished, capable of acting as a mirror, therefore it deserved to be described as נחושת התנופה. Copper of that quality was even rarer than gold.

Everybody brought these materials, even those who were under the age 20 or over the age of 60, that is to say, even those who were exempt from army service.