“Speak to the children of Israel, and they shall take Me a gift; from every man whose heart pledges, you shall collect My gift” (Exodus 25:2). “They shall take Me a gift” – that is what is written: “For a good lesson [lekaḥ] I have given you: My Torah, do not forsake it” (Proverbs 4:2). Do not forsake the acquisition [mikaḥ] that I gave to you. You have a person who acquires an acquisition, there is gold in it but there is no silver in it, there is silver in it but there is no gold in it.
But the acquisition that I gave you, there is silver in it, as it is stated: “The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings, like silver purified” (Psalms 12:7), and there is gold in it, as it is stated: “They are more desirable than gold, than quantities of fine gold” (Psalms 19:11). There is a person who acquires fields but not orchards, orchards but not fields; but this acquisition, there are fields in it and there are orchards in it, as it is stated: “Your irrigated fields are an orchard of pomegranates” (Song of Songs 4:13).
You have a person who acquires an acquisition, but people do not know what it is. However, from the fee of the intermediary it is known what he acquired. So too, the Torah, people know what it is only from the reward that Moses received, as it is stated: “Moses did not know that the skin of his face was radiant as He spoke with him” (Exodus 34:29). You have an acquisition that the one who sold it is sold with it.
The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: I sold you the Torah; as it were, I was sold with it, as it is stated: “And they shall take Me a gift.”1The verse is usually understood to mean “they shall take for Me as a gift,” but the midrash understands it to mean “they shall take Me as a gift.” This is analogous to a king who had an only daughter. One of the kings came and took her [as a wife], and sought to go to his land and take his wife [with him].
He said to him: ‘My daughter whom I gave to you is an only child. To part from her, I am unable; to say to you do not take her, I am unable, because she is your wife. Rather, do this favor for me; wherever you go, prepare a small bedroom for me, so I can live with you, as I cannot forsake my daughter.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘I gave you the Torah.
To leave it, I am unable. To say to you do not take it, I am unable. Rather, every place you go, build a house for Me so I may reside in it,’ as it is stated: “They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me, [and I will dwell among them]” (Exodus 25:8).