The Tabernacle Accounts and the Pledge of Israel's Forgiveness

[(Exodus 38:21:) "These are the records of the Tabernacle."] This is what Scripture says (in II Kings 12:16): "And they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hands they delivered the money to give to those who did the work, because they acted in good faith." This refers to the generation of King Joash, who acted in good faith. Our Rabbis taught: Whoever entered to make a withdrawal from the chamber would not enter wearing a hemmed garment, nor with a money-belt, for if he later became wealthy, people would say that he became rich from the funds of the chamber. For a person must come out clear before others just as he comes out clear before Heaven, as it is said (in Numbers 32:22): "And you shall be clear before the LORD and before Israel," and so forth. And Moses was treasurer to himself over the work of the Tabernacle. At the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Exodus 25:8): "And let them make Me a sanctuary," Moses said to all the children of Israel (in Exodus 35:4-5): "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: Take from among you an offering," and so forth. Said Rabbi Yohanan: In two mornings they brought enough for the whole Tabernacle, and there was a surplus, (as it is said, Exodus 36:6-7): "And Moses gave command, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp," and so forth, "and the material was sufficient," and so forth. Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, we have done all the work of the Tabernacle and we have a surplus. What shall we do with the rest? He said to him: Go and make of them a Tabernacle for the utterances. He went and made a Tabernacle for the utterances. When he came to give the accounting, he said to them: thus and such went for the Tabernacle, and with the surplus I made the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as it is said (in Exodus 38:21): "These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Testimony." What is "Tabernacle, Tabernacle" (mishkan, mishkan), said twice? Rabbi [Samuel] said: It was twice taken as a pledge (nitmashken) on their account. Said Rabbi Ishmael: This is a sign for all who come into the world, that there is forgiveness for Israel alone. "The Tabernacle of the Testimony" — it is testimony for all who come into the world that the Holy One, blessed be He, was reconciled to Israel. A parable: to what is the matter comparable? To a king who married a wife and loved her exceedingly. He became angry with her and left her, and her neighbors said to her: he will not return to you. After some days the king was reconciled to her, and he entered [with her] into his palace, and he ate and drank. But her neighbors did not believe that he had been reconciled to her, until there was a fragrance of perfumes upon her; immediately they knew that the king had been reconciled to her. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, cherished Israel and brought them before Mount Sinai and gave them the Torah and called them kings. At the end of forty days they made the calf and said (in Exodus 32:4): "These are your gods, O Israel." At that hour the nations of the world said: the Holy One, blessed be He, will never again be reconciled to them. When Moses arose and prayed for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Numbers 14:20): "I have pardoned according to your word." And not only that, but I cause My Divine Presence to rest upon them and among them, and all know that I have forgiven them, as it is said (in Exodus 25:8): "And let them make Me a sanctuary [and I will dwell among them]."