Esodo 25:5 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Vayikra Rabbah

Another interpretation (of Exod. 25:3): AND THIS IS THE PRIESTLY SHARE…: [GOLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE]. GOLD corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, concerning which is written (in Dan. 2:38): YOU (Nebuchadnezzar) ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD.²¹Tanh., Exod. 7:7; cf. Exod. R. 35:5; above, 3:15. SILVER: This denotes the kingdom of Media, concerning which is written (in Esth. 3:9): THREE THOUSAND TALENTS OF SILVER.²²The money was to be Haman’s payment into the treasury of the king of the Persians and Medes. AND BRONZE: This denotes the kingdom of Greece, which was the least of them all. (Exod. 25:5:) REDDENED (rt.: 'DM) RAM SKINS. This denotes the kingdom of Edom, as stated (in Gen. 25:25): THE FIRST (i.e., Esau) CAME FORTH RUDDY (rt: 'DM).²³See also above, Gen. 8:4. The Holy One said: Although you have seen these four kingdoms exalting over you, by your life, I am producing salvation for you out of the midst of slavery. What is written next (in Exod. 25:6)? OIL FOR LIGHTING (ma'or). What is the meaning of LIGHTING? This denotes the Messianic (Mashiah) King, as stated (in Ps. 132:17): THERE I WILL MAKE A HORN SPROUT FOR DAVID; [I HAVE PREPARED A LAMP FOR MY ANOINTED ONE (Mashiah)].²⁴Below, 8:6. When Daniel saw these [four] kingdoms, he was afraid. It is so stated (in Dan. 7:15): AS FOR ME, DANIEL, MY SPIRIT WAS DISTURBED <WITHIN ME; AND THE VISION OF MY HEAD ALARMED ME>. What did Daniel see? It is simply that, when Nebuchadnezzar saw the dream, Daniel came and interpreted it for him. He said to him (in Dan. 2:38): YOU (Nebuchadnezzar) ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD. (Dan. 2:32:) <THE HEAD OF THAT STATUE WAS OF FINE GOLD;> ITS BREAST AND ITS ARMS WERE OF SILVER. This <silver> denotes the kingdom of Babylon.²⁵Cf. the Oxford MS, marked, “Michael 577, no. 155”; Codex Vaticanus, Ebr., 34; and the parallels in Tanh., Exod. 7:7 and Exod. R. 35:5. They all read here, “Kingdom of Media,” and identify the other kingdoms to fit this rendering. (Dan. 2:39:) BUT ANOTHER KINGDOM SHALL ARISE AFTER YOU, INFERIOR TO YOU. (Dan. 2:32:) ITS BELLY AND ITS THIGHS WERE OF BRONZE. This denotes the kingdom of Media. (Dan. 2:39, cont.:) THEN YET A THIRD KINGDOM, ONE OF BRONZE, WHICH SHALL RULE OVER THE WHOLE EARTH. (Dan. 2:33:) ITS LEGS WERE OF IRON. This denotes the kingdom of Greece. (Dan. 2:40, 42:) BUT THE FOURTH KINGDOM SHALL BE AS STRONG AS IRON<….> {AND ITS} [THE] FEET²⁶The Masoretic Text renders, “AND THE TOES OF THE FEET.” WERE PARTLY {OF} IRON AND PARTLY {OF} CLAY. This is Edom. Why was it likened to iron and clay? Our masters have said: This wicked kingdom is going to use clay coinage.

Rabbi Yehuda opened in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, "'Listen my son and take my words' (Proverbs 4:10). Many takings have I commanded you in order to give you merit. I said to you (Numbers 19:2), 'and you will take to you a pure red cow.' [Was it] maybe for My sake? But rather it was for your sake, to purify you, as it is written (Numbers 19:19), 'And the pure one will sprinkle on the impure one.' I said to you (Exodus 25:2), 'and they shall take an offering for Me' in order that I will dwell among you: 'And make for Me a sanctuary' (Ibid., verse 8). As if it were possible, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'take Me and I will dwell among you' - it does not say, 'and they shall take an offering,' but rather, 'and they shall take (for) Me:' they are taking Me. I said to you (Leviticus 24:2), 'and they shall take to you pure olive oil.' And do I need your light - behold, it is written (Daniel 2:22), 'and light dwells with Him?' But rather to give you merit and to atone for your souls which is compared to a candle, as it is stated (Proverbs 20:27), 'The candle of God is the soul of a man, it searches all of the chambers of the innards.' And now that I have said to you, 'And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,' it is to give you merit, so that I will bring down the rain for you. Hence Moshe warned Israel, 'And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.'"