Комментарий к Шмот 25:3

זהב וכסף ונחשת וגו׳ GOLD AND SILVER AND COPPER etc. — All these came (were brought) as voluntary gifts, each man giving as his heart prompted him, except that silver which was brought by all in equal quantities (cf. Rashi above), a half shekel by each person. For we do not find in the account of the entire work connected with the Tabernacle that any silver was needed for the work there described in detail over and above this, for it is said, (Exodus 38:25-26) “And the silver of them who were numbered of the congregation [was an hundred talents, etc.] … a beka for every man etc.” and vv. 27 and 28 inform us that of this silver were made the Sockets and the hooks. Of the other silver which came (was brought) there, as a free-will gift they made the holy vessels (lit., vessels for service), and it is this silver that is referred to in this verse and which is stated in the preceding verse as having been brought voluntarily.

V’ZOTH’ (AND THIS) IS THE OFFERING. By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], this is like the expression, And the Eternal gave Solomon wisdom.³³I Kings 5:26. — See my Hebrew commentary p. 454 that in the word zoth Cabalists saw an allusion to the Divine Glory. It is also written: ‘v’zoth’ (and this) is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them;³⁴Genesis 49:28. ‘v’zoth’ (and this) is the blessing;³⁵Deuteronomy 33:1. the Eternal’s doing is ‘zoth’ (this).³⁶Psalms 118:23. — Bereshith Rabbah 100:12. The Rabbis have already alluded to this in Bereshith Rabbah on the basis of the verse, I understand from the elders.³⁶Psalms 118:23. — Bereshith Rabbah 100:12. The discerning student will understand.
And in Eileh Shemoth Rabbah³⁷Shemoth Rabbah 49:2. the Rabbis have said: “And this is the offering which ye shall take of them — this refers to the congregation of Israel, which is the heave-offering, as it is said, Israel is the Eternal’s hallowed portion, His first-fruits of the increase.”³⁸Jeremiah 2:3. And it is also said there:³⁹Shemoth Rabbah 33:1. “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: I have sold you My Torah; and I, as it were, was sold with it, for it is said, ‘v’yikchu li terumah’” [which the Midrash takes to mean: “and they shall acquire Me as an offering”]. For the offering shall be Mine, and I am with it, similar to: My beloved is mine, and I am his.⁴⁰Song of Songs 2:16. Similarly, He said, according to all that I show thee,⁴¹Further, Verse 9. for it is I who show [the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all its vessels]. The statement, it hath been shown to thee,⁴²Ibid., 27:8. also alludes to the word “I”; similarly, which is being shown to thee.⁴³Further, Verse 40. And so did David say, All this [do I give thee] in writing, as the Eternal hath made me wise by His hand upon me,⁴⁴I Chronicles 28:19. for the hand of G-d was upon David [to show him the pattern of the Sanctuary and of all its works].

וזאת התרומה, the word זאת means that no substitutes for the materials listed would be acceptable, such as perishables, for instance. Even the kind of gemstones (pearls, for instance) not usable for Aaron’s breastplate, were not accepted. The only type of contributions that were accepted were those that in themselves would be usable in the construction of the Tabernacle and its paraphernalia.

וזאת התרומה, This is what the gift consists of, etc. The conjunctive letter ו which introduces the word זאת may indicate that the duty of contributing to the Tabernacle could not be discharged by the offering of only one or a few of the categories of building materials required. Unless all the materials specified were contributed directly, the Israelites had not fulfilled their duty. The letter ו then stipulates an additional directive, i.e. not only must you donate generously, but you must donate of all the thirteen materials required. The Tabernacle which represented a re-enactment of the work of creation could not be completed without the presence of all the ingredients listed. Alternatively, the meaning could be that all of the thirteen kinds of materials should be equally welcome. Someone who contributed flax (linen) or skins was not to be looked down upon when compared to someone who contributed gold, for instance.

זהב וכסף ונחשת, “gold, silver, and copper.” The Torah mentions three types of metal and three types of wool (different colours). We do not find that silk was used in the construction of the Tabernacle. The reason is that silk is the product of the body of a שרץ, a worm, and the only materials which were found suitable for forming part of the materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle are those that originate in ritually pure animals (compare Shabbat 28). In this connection it is well to remember that our sages explain in connection with Tachash (Shabbat 28) that the color derived from such worms as the shamir is not derived from the actual body of the respective animal/worm but from a berry which was also inhabited by a worm which took its name from the berry. This applies also to the expression תולעת השני which does not mean that the red color was taken from the worm but that that worm used to lodge in a berry from which the red color for dying the wool was taken. Afterwards the Torah lists שש, another name for flax, i.e. linen. Immediately afterwards the Torah mentions contributions of עזים, i.e. goats’ wool, not the skins or the animals themselves. This is also the reason that Onkelos does not translate the words as עזיא, goat, but as מעזיא a product of the goat. The product in question is the hair, i.e. the wool. Even though the Torah has prohibited the combining of wool and linen, the priests when they entered the holy precincts had to wear garments in which wool and linen were interwoven. I shall explain the mystical dimension of this in Parshat Kedoshim where the prohibition is written.

The rest of the silver which was brought. . . [Rashi is answering the question: If] the silver was [obligatory, it was] different from the other donations. So why is it written here? We cannot say that the people brought silver twice, and the silver here was a goodwill donation like the other items, whereas the [obligatory] half-shekel was different silver. This is not so, for Rashi says: “We do not find in all the works of the mishkon that any more silver was needed.” Rashi answers: In fact there are two types of silver [included here. One was obligatory, and the other, not]. Although we said that no more silver was needed, this is not a difficulty, because “the rest of the silver which was brought voluntarily, they made from it the holy vessels,” [and it was not significant enough for Scripture to mention expressly].

'וזאת התרומה וגו, “and this is what the contribution is to consist of, etc.;” thirteen different categories of contributions are listed here. The prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 16,10, lists the thirteen garments (including jewelry) in which the Lord is going to dress the Jewish people in the future which correspond to this. (Tanchuma, section 5 on our portion)

"That you shall accept from them": Not donation of grain, wine, and oil, but gold, silver, and bronze. The Blessed, Holy One said: I set up thirteen things for you in Egypt; you, too, should offer thirteen. The thirteen which [God] did in Egypt are written down by Ezekiel: "I clothed you with embroidered garments, and gave you sandals of dolphin leather to wear, and wound fine linen about your head, and dressed you in silks. I decked you out in finery and put bracelets on your arms and a chain around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a splendid crown on your head....the choice flour, the oil, and the honey, which I had provided for you to eat" (Ezekiel 16:10-12, 19) -- which come to thirteen. You, too, should offer me thirteen things: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and crimson yarns; fine linen, goats’ hair; tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, and acacia wood, oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; lapis lazuli and other stones for setting" (Exodus 25:4-7).....

וזהב וכסף ונחושת, “as well as gold, silver, and copper.” These three elements correspond to the gifts (tzedakah) a person dispenses; when he does so while in perfect health, it is compared to gold, i.e. as if he had handed out gold. If he dispenses charitable gifts while sick, this is accounted for him as if he had given away silver. If he bequeaths money to charity to be dispensed after he has died, it is considered as if he had handed out copper coins. An alternate interpretation: the word “gold,” is a reference to the Kingdom of Babylon concerning which we read in Daniel 2,38: אנתה הוא ראשה די דהב, “you are the head of gold.” [Daniel speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Ed.] The word: “silver,” is an allusion to the Kingdom of Persia, and the ten thousand talents of silver Haman offered the King in order to be allowed to destroy the Jews [and compensate him for lost tax revenue. Ed.] (Esther 3,) Copper, which is the cheapest of all the metals, is an allusion to the Kingdom of the Greeks, which was the weakest of the three empires mentioned. This is followed, by the skins of the various animals forming the upper layers of the Tabernacle’s roof, which are an allusion to the empire of the Romans, considered inferior by our author. Finally, שמן, ”oil,” is an allusion to the Messiah, of whom we read in Psalms 132,17: ערכתי נר למשיחי, “I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.” (Compare Sh’mot Rabbah 35,5 as well as Tanchuma, section 7 on our portion).