מדרש אויף שמות 35:24

“While the king was at his feast, my nard released its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12).
“While the king was at his feast,” Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a foul odor and said to the calf: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘Enough, Meir, one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly, but rather, favorably, as Song of Songs was given only in praise of Israel. What is: “While the king was at his feast”? While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a fine fragrance before Mount Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will obey” (Exodus 24:7).
According to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, it should have said: My stench released its odor.²⁶⁸Since the verse was referring to the Golden Calf, it should have referred to stench rather than the fragrance of the sweet-smelling nard. Rather, a treatise ascended in their hand from the Diaspora,²⁶⁹The midrash is citing an ancient tradition recorded in a treatise that was transported from Babylon during the Return to Zion to build the second Temple. and they taught in its regard that He skipped the incident of the calf for them and the act of the Tabernacle preceded it.²⁷⁰The sin of the Golden Calf (Exodus chap. 32) should have been recorded in the Torah immediately following the events of the revelation at Sinai. Instead, it is preceded by the commandments concerning the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus chapters 25–31), to indicate that even when Israel sinned, they were still beloved in the eyes of the God. Therefore, the verse characterizes their odor as nard.
Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Eliezer says: “While the king was at his feast,” while the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mount Sinai was already enveloped in flames, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11). Rabbi Akiva says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, already, “the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 24:16). Rabbi Berekhya says: While Moses was at his feast in the firmament,²⁷¹While he was still on Mount Sinai. as he is called king, as it is stated: “He became king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled” (Deuteronomy 33:5), already, “God spoke all these matters saying” (Exodus 20:1).
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov and the Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mikhael, the great prince, had already descended from the heavens and rescued Abraham our patriarch from the fiery furnace. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He descended and rescued him, as it is stated: “I am the Lord who took you out of Ur of the Chaldeans” (Genesis 15:7). When did Mikhael descend? It was in the days of Ḥanaya, Mishael, and Azarya.²⁷²Mikhael is identified as the angel who descended to rescue Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya from the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3:25).
Rabbi Tavyomei said: While Jacob our patriarch was lying [mesev] in his bed, ²⁷³The expression “at his feast [bimsibo]” in the verse is interpreted as a reference to Jacob lying on his deathbed. the Divine Spirit gleamed in him, and he said to his sons: “God will be with you” (Genesis 48:21). He said to them: ‘He is destined to rest His Divine Presence in your midst.’ Rav Naḥman said: It is written: “Israel and everything that he had traveled and came to Beersheba” (Genesis 46:1). Where did he go? He went to chop down the cedars that Abraham our patriarch had planted in Beersheba, as it is stated: “He planted a tamarisk in Beersheba” (Genesis 21:33).²⁷⁴Jacob chopped them down in order to take them to Egypt. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “The central bar inside the planks extending from end to end” (Exodus 26:28). The bar was thirty-two cubits long. From where did they have it in their possession at that moment?²⁷⁵Where did they get such a long piece of wood in the wilderness, just when they needed it to build this part of the Tabernacle? It teaches that they were hidden with them from the days of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “And everyone with whom acacia wood was found” (Exodus 35:24); “acacia wood was found,” is not written here, but rather, “with whom…it was found”—from the outset.
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥiyya said: They chopped them down in Magdala of the dyers²⁷⁶This was the name of a place in the Land of Israel. and took them with them down to Egypt. They had no knots and no cracks. There were acacia trees in Magdala and the custom was to prohibit [using] them due to the sanctity of the Ark.²⁷⁷Even in the times of the Sages of the midrash, acacia trees grew in Magdala, but due to the tradition that the wood eventually used for the Ark and the rest of the Tabernacle had been cut from there, the people of Magdala would not make use of the acacia trees. They came and asked Rav Ḥananya, colleague of the Rabbis, and he said to them: Do not deviate from the custom of your ancestors.

Another matter: “They shall take Me a gift” – when the Holy One blessed be He told Moses about the matters pertaining to the Tabernacle, he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, is Israel capable of crafting it?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Even one member of Israel is capable of crafting it,’ as it is stated: “From each man whose heart moves him” (Exodus 25:2). The Rabbis said: Jewels and pearls would fall amidst the manna that was falling for Israel, and the prominent among them would come, gather them, and store them. Know that it is so, as it is stated: “They brought him more gifts morning after morning” (Exodus 36:3). Did they bring in the morning, but in the afternoon they did not bring? It is rather that they brought from what the manna would bring down for them. Likewise, it says: “The princes [nesiim]¹⁵Another meaning of the word nesiim is clouds (see Yoma 75b). Thus, the implication is that these stones fell from the clouds along with the manna. brought [the onyx stones and the stones for setting]” (Exodus 35:27).
“This is the gift that you shall collect from them: gold, silver, and bronze” (Exodus 25:3)
“This is the gift” (Exodus 25:3) – Rabbi Tavyomei said: When the time arrived for Jacob our patriarch to depart from the world, he called his sons and said to them: ‘Know that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to say to your descendants to craft a Tabernacle; however, all its needs must be ready in their possession,’ as it is stated: “And God will be with you” (Genesis 48:21). Does it enter your mind that when Jacob our patriarch was alive the Holy One blessed be He was not with his sons? Rather, so he said to them: ‘He is destined to say to you: “They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me” (Exodus 25:8), and He will descend and rest His presence in your midst, as it is stated: “They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).’ Some prepared items for themselves and some forgot. When Moses came and they crafted the Tabernacle, some brought from their own, and some brought only from what was already in their possession, as it says: “And every man with whom was found sky-blue, purple, [and scarlet wool” (Exodus 35:23), and it says: “And every man with whom acacia wood was found” (Exodus 35:24).¹⁶The verses stress regarding these items that the individuals with whom they were found brought them, in order to indicate that they had stored these items in advance in preparation for the building of the Tabernacle.

“Israel, and everything that he had, traveled and came to Beersheba, and he slaughtered feast-offerings to the God of his father Isaac” (Genesis 46:1).
“Israel, and everything that he had, traveled and came to Beersheba” – where did he go? Rav Naḥman said: He went to cut down the cedars that his grandfather Abraham had planted in Beersheba, just as it says: “He planted…[in Beersheba]” (Genesis 21:33). It is written: “And the central bar inside the boards” (Exodus 26:28). Rabbi Levi said: The central bar was thirty-two cubits long. Where did they find it at that time?³Where did they get such a long piece of wood in the wilderness, just when they needed it to build that part of the Tabernacle? It teaches that they were hidden with them from the days of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “And everyone with whom acacia wood was found” (Exodus 35:24). “With whom [acacia wood] could be found” is not written here, but rather, “with whom [acacia wood] was found.”⁴This implies that it was already in their possession.
Rabbi Levi said: They chopped them down from Migdal Tzevaaya,⁵This is the name of a place in the Land of Israel. and they brought them with them to Egypt, and neither was a knot nor a crack was found in them. There were acacia trees in Migdela, and they treated them as prohibited due to the sanctity of the Ark.⁶Even in the times of the Sages of the midrash, acacia trees grew in Migdela, but due to the tradition that the wood eventually used for the Ark and the rest of the Tabernacle had been cut from there, the people of Migdela would not make use of the acacia trees. They came and asked Rabbi Ḥanina, colleague of the Rabbis. He said to them: ‘Do not deviate from the custom of your fathers.’