Midrash su Esodo 39:1

He blessed them forthwith, as is said: And Moses blessed them (ibid.). What blessing did he confer upon them? Our sages said: O Lord, God of our fathers, etc. (Deut. 1:11). R. Meir held that he said: “May it be His will that the Shekhinah will rest within the labors of your hands,” and (that) they replied: And let the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us (Ps. 90:17). Why is it stated so many times: According to all the Lord commanded Moses (Exod. 39:1)? Because the Israelites criticized Moses at the time they strove to erect the Tabernacle but could not do so. They said: “Perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses some simple thing to do to erect the Tabernacle, and (thus) Moses alone is responsible for all this difficulty.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Since you have criticized him, I will attach My name to whatever I command him. Thus it is written: According to all the Lord commanded Moses.

(Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” This text is related (to Prov. 27:18), “The one who tends a fig tree shall eat its fruit.” The Holy One, blessed be He, does not deprive any creature of a reward.⁸⁰Numb. R. 12:9. It is simply that in the case of anyone who toils and devotes his life to something, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not deprive him of his reward.⁸¹Cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata, 1; PR 5:2, 6. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 27:18), “The one who tends a fig tree shall eat its fruit.” Do you want to understand? Solomon built the Temple, as stated (in I Kings 6:14), “So Solomon finished building the house.” But because David had devoted his life to the Temple which would be built, as stated (in Ps. 132:1-5), “Lord, remember David and all his hardships. How he swore to the Lord, [vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob]: Surely I will not come into the shelter of my house, […] until I find a place for the Lord,” the Holy One, blessed be He, did not deprive him of his reward. Rather He had it written in his name, as stated (in Ps. 30:1 [introduction]), “A psalm. A song of the dedication of the House of David.” And did David dedicate it? And behold Solomon dedicated it. It is simply that since David devoted his life to it, it is called by his name. Ergo Solomon said it well (in Prov. 27:18), “The one who tends a fig tree shall eat its fruit […].” So also you find in the case of the Tabernacle, when everyone devoted their lives [to it] and made the Tabernacle. All Israel volunteered. The women spun the goat's hair; and similarly (in Exod. 36:8), “Then all the wise-hearted ones among the workers [made the Tabernacle]. And likewise (according to Exod. 36:1), “Then let Bezalel and Oholiab [and all the wise-hearted ones …] do [all that the Lord has commanded].” But because Moses devoted his life to [the Tabernacle], it was called by his name, as stated (in Exod. 25:40), “Observe and make them [by means of] their pattern.” And Moshe went and devoted his life to each and every thing, so that they should make it just as the Holy One, blessed be He, had shown him on the mountain, so that they would not err with it. It is therefore written about each and every thing (in Exod. 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, cf. 42), “as the Lord commanded Moses.” And so it says (in vs. 43), “When Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it […; then Moses blessed them].” And with what blessing did he bless them? He said to them, “May the Divine Presence dwell in the work of your hands.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Because Moses has devoted his life to the Tabernacle, I will only write about it in his name.” Thus it is stated (in Numb. 7:1), “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED. This text is related (to Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. The Holy One does not deprive any creature of a reward.⁹³Tanh., Numb. 2:13; Numb. R. 12:9. It is simply that in the case of anyone who toils and devotes his life to something, the Holy One does not deprive him of his reward.⁹⁴Cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata, 1; PR 5:2, 6. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. Do you want to understand? Solomon built the Temple, as stated (in I Kings 6:14): SO SOLOMON FINISHED BUILDING THE HOUSE; but because David had devoted his life to the Temple which would be built, as stated (in Ps. 132:1–5: LORD REMEMBER DAVID AND ALL HIS HARDSHIPS, HOW HE SWORE TO THE LORD, VOWED TO THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB: SURELY I WILL NOT COME INTO THE SHELTER OF MY HOUSE, NOR WILL I GO UP UPON THE BED THAT IS SPREAD FOR ME, [… ] UNTIL I FIND A PLACE FOR THE LORD, the Holy One did not deprive him of his reward. Rather he had it written in his name, as stated (in Ps. 30:1 [introduction]): A PSALM. A SONG OF THE DEDICATION OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. [It does not say, "of Solomon," but, OF DAVID.] Solomon said it well (in Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. So also you find in the case of the Tabernacle, when everyone devoted their lives <to it> and made the Tabernacle. All Israel volunteered. The women spun the goat's hair; and similarly (in Exod. 36:8): THEN ALL THE WISE-HEARTED ONES <AMONG THE WORKERS MADE THE TABERNACLE>. And likewise (according to Exod. 36:1): THEN LET BEZALEL AND OHOLIAB <AND ALL THE WISE-HEARTED ONES … > DO <ALL THAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED>. < However, they only did so> because Moses devoted his life to <the Tabernacle>, so that it would be made just as the Holy One has shown him on the Mountain, as stated (in Exod. 25:40): OBSERVE AND MAKE THEM {LIKE} [BY MEANS OF] THEIR PATTERN…. Thus Moses went and devoted his life, so that they would not go astray. It is therefore written (in Exod. 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, cf. 42): AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES. And so it says (in vs. 43): WHEN MOSES SAW ALL THE WORK, <AND BEHOLD, THEY HAD DONE IT> …; THEN MOSES BLESSED THEM. And with what blessing did he bless them? He said to them: May the Divine Presence dwell in the work of your hands. The Holy One said: Because Moses has devoted his life to the Tabernacle, I will only write about it in his name. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED.⁹⁵In other words, although others had worked on the Tabernacle, it says only of Moses that he finished it. Cf. William Braude, Pesikta Rabbati (“Yale Judaica Series,” 18; New Haven: Yale, 1968), vol. 1, p. 91, n. 1 & 95, n. 19, who suggests that KLWT (HAD FINISHED) may be taken in the sense of THE END OF ONE’S STRENGTH and that the midrash understands the verse as follows: “AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES’ STRENGTH HAD ALL BUT GIVEN OUT BECAUSE OF THE SETTINGS UP OF THE TABERNACLE.”