Komentarz do Wyjścia 25:1

Now that G-d had told Israel face to face¹Deuteronomy 5:4. the Ten Commandments, and had further commanded them through Moses some of the precepts which are like general principles to the [individual] commandments of the Torah — in the same way that our Rabbis were accustomed to deal with strangers who come to be converted to the Jewish faith²Yebamoth 47 a: “We inform him of some of the light commandments and of some of the weightiest …” The convert to Judaism is thus not taught the whole Torah prior to his conversion but only some of the essentials thereof, which is followed by his total commitment to observe whatever the Torah will command. Ramban’s language clearly indicates that the procedure of the Rabbis with converts followed the pattern of events at Sinai. — and now that the Israelites accepted upon themselves to do all that He would command them through Moses and He made a covenant with them concerning all this, from now on they are His people and He is their G-d³See Leviticus 26:12. This is in accordance with the condition He made with them at the beginning: Now, therefore, if ye will indeed hearken unto My voice, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure,⁴Above, 19:5. and He said further: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.⁵Ibid., Verse 6. They are now holy, in that they are worthy that there be amongst them a Sanctuary through which He makes His Divine Glory dwell among them. Therefore He first commanded concerning the Tabernacle, so that He have amongst them a house dedicated to His name, from where He would speak with Moses and command the children of Israel. Thus the main purpose of the Tabernacle was to contain a place in which the Divine Glory rests, this being the ark, just as He said, And there will I meet with thee, and I will speak with thee from above the ark-cover.⁶Further, Verse 22. Therefore He first gave the commandment about the ark and the ark-cover, for they are first in importance. Next to the ark He gave the commandment about the table and the candelabrum, which are vessels just like the ark, and because they indicate the purpose for which the Tabernacle was made. Moses, however, preceded to mention in the section of Vayakheil: the Tabernacle, its Tent, and its covering,⁷Ibid., 35:11. And then in the following verse mentioned: the ark… and in that order Bezalel made them [first the Tabernacle and then the ark],⁸Ibid., 36:8-38. 37:1-9. because from the practical end it is proper to build the house first [and then make its vessels].
The secret of the Tabernacle is that the Glory which abode upon Mount Sinai [openly] should abide upon it in a concealed manner. For just as it is said there, And the glory of the Eternal abode upon Mount Sinai,⁹Above, 24:16. and it is further written, Behold, the Eternal our G-d hath shown us His glory and His greatness,¹⁰Deuteronomy 5:21. so it is written of the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle.¹¹Further, 40:34. Twice is this verse, and the glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle¹¹Further, 40:34. mentioned in connection with the Tabernacle,¹²Ibid., and in Verse 35. to correspond with His glory and His greatness.¹⁰Deuteronomy 5:21. Thus Israel always had with them in the Tabernacle the Glory which appeared to them on Mount Sinai. And when Moses went into the Tabernacle, he would hear the Divine utterance being spoken to him in the same way as on Mount Sinai. Thus just as it is said at the Giving of the Torah: Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire,¹³Deuteronomy 4:36. so it is written of the Tabernacle, and he heard the voice speaking unto him from above the ark-cover…from between the two cherubim; and He spoke unto him.¹⁴Numbers 7:89. The expression “speaking unto him” is mentioned here twice in order to indicate that which the Rabbis have said in the Tradition¹⁵Bamidmar Rabbah 14:22. that the Voice would come from heaven to Moses from upon the ark-cover, and from there He spoke with him; for every Divine utterance with Moses came from heaven during daytime,¹⁶Vayikra Rabbah 1:3: “But to the prophets of Israel the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself at daytime.” and was heard from between the two cherubim,¹⁴Numbers 7:89. similar to what is said, and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire.¹³Deuteronomy 4:36. It is for this reason that the two cherubim were made of gold.¹⁷Further, Verse 18. — In order to resemble “the fire” that was on Mount Sinai. (Tziyoni). And Scripture so states: where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee;¹⁸Further, 29:42. and it shall be sanctified by My glory,¹⁹Ibid., Verse 43. for there [in the Tabernacle] will be the appointed place for the Divine utterance, and it will be sanctified by My glory.¹⁹Ibid., Verse 43.
Now he who looks carefully at the verses mentioned at the Giving of the Torah, and understands what we have written about them,²⁰See above, 20:16, 24:10, and further here, Verse 21. will perceive the secret of the Tabernacle and the Sanctuary [built later by King Solomon]. He will also be able to understand it from what Solomon in his wisdom said in his prayer in the Sanctuary: O Eternal, the G-d of Israel,²¹I Kings 8:23. just as is said at Mount Sinai: And they saw the G-d of Israel.²²Above, 24:10. Solomon however added the Name the Eternal because of a matter which we have alluded to above;²²Above, 24:10. for the G-d of Israel sitteth upon the cherubim,²³II Kings 19:15. just as is said: And the glory of the G-d of Israel was over them above. This is the living creature that I saw, under the G-d of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim,²⁴Ezekiel 10:19-20. and David said, and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Eternal.²⁵I Chronicles 28:18. Solomon also always mentions that the Sanctuary is to be for the name of the Eternal,²⁶I Kings 5:19. or for Thy name,²⁷Ibid., 8:44. and at each and every section of the prayer he says, then hear Thou in heaven²⁸Ibid., Verse 32 etc. — with the attribute of mercy. And it is further written: If Thy people go out to battle against their enemy… and they pray unto the Eternal toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name, then hear Thou in heaven,²⁹Ibid., Verses 44-45. and in explanation Solomon said: But will G-d in very truth dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee.³⁰II Chronicles 6:18. And it is written concerning the ark, And David arose… to bring up from thence the ark of G-d, whereupon is called the Name, even the Name of the Eternal of hosts that sitteth upon the cherubim,³¹II Samuel 6:2. and in the Book of Chronicles it is written: to bring up from thence the ark of G-d, the Eternal, Who sitteth upon the cherubim, whereon is called the Name³²I Chronicles 13:6. — for it is G-d Who sitteth upon the cherubim.

“Speak to the Children of Israel and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering. And this is the offering that you shall take from them...” “Three offerings are mentioned here, etc.” [Megilah 29b, Psikta Rabti] There are a few questions on this subject. For why did He attribute the first two offerings to G-d, as in the first He said ‘Have them take for Me’ –for My Name, and in the second one He said ‘You shall take My offering’, but in the third neither was mentioned; on the contrary, it is said regarding it ‘From them’, associating it with the donors...

If you will find that my commentary on the construction of the Tabernacle and the requisite furnishings and priestly garments is relatively brief, the reason is that my grandfather Rashi, of blessed memory, has already elaborated on most of it.

V. 2. ויקחו לי, es soll nicht unmittelbar etwas Gott gespendet werden, soll die Spende jedes einzelnen soll der Gesamtheit für Gottes Zweck übergeben werden. Somit ist es nicht der einzelne, sondern die Gesamtheit, die den Gotteszweck hinzustellen hat, und es sind nicht die einzelnen Spender, sondern die Gesamtheit, für welche der Gotteszweck festgestellt wird. תרומה von רום: über etwas erhoben sein, daher: ausgehoben, d. h. für eine höhere Bestimmung ausgesondert sein. נדב ,ידבנו (verwandt mit נטף: aus dem Innern herausträufeln, daher: נָטָף: Harz; übertragen: Gedanken aussprechen): zu Spenden anregen. Es bezeichnet die völlige Freiwilligkeit. — תקחו schließt selbst Mosche nur in die Gesamtheit ein.

[Answer:] For wherever there is the concept of humility and submission among those below, there is hidden the might of G-d, who dwells among the contrive and humble of spirit. However, wherever there is a tinge of haughtiness, G-d does not wish to associate His Name. Therefore, the first two gifts-where the hand of every man was equal, for the rich did not add and the poor did not subtract, and no one can brag over his fellow and say ‘My donation is greater than yours’ – were associated with G-d ...

In the same way, the objects made from these two donations were similar to the donation itself. For just as everyone was equal with no condescension of one over the other, so too, from one donation the sockets [for the Mishkan’s wall boards] were made – for all the sockets were equal to each other, and they were underneath the building as a threshold that is trodden upon, and they served as the foundations to the whole building. They were like their makers ... These sockets teach humility, since humility is the foundation upon which the entire house of Israel stands ...

From the second offering they brought the communal sacrifices which were also the same every day, one lamb in the morning and one in the afternoon. It states, “G-d’s [accepted] sacrifices are a broken spirit”, meaning to say that the purpose of sacrificing is to bring man to a state of a broken spirit. Therefore, this offering was also associated with G-d ... However, the third offering was not equal from all; some gave less, and some gave more. The rich who gave more had room to boast over the poor and say to him, “I have a greater share in the house of our G-d, as I gave a larger donation.”... There-fore it was not attributed to G-d.