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.