(Numb. 7:2:) “Now the princes of Israel drew near (to make an offering).” You find that when Moses proclaimed and said (in Exod. 35:5), “Take from among you an offering [for the Lord],” what did the princes do?<sup class="footnote-marker">106</sup><i class="footnote">Cf. Numb. R. 12:16.</i> They said, “Moses did not know [enough] to tell us that the Tabernacle was being made.” What did they do? They did not give a freewill offering. They said, “These people are making the Tabernacle, and now he is telling us to give a freewill offering?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “By your lives, you should know that I do not need you (princes).” What is written there (in Exod. 36:3)? “And they (i.e., the Children of Israel) still brought freewill offerings unto him in the morning, in the morning.”<sup class="footnote-marker">107</sup><i class="footnote">See above, Exod. 7:3, and the notes there.</i> R. Johanan said, “For two mornings they brought all the supplies (<i>mela'khah</i>) for the Tabernacle, and they were more than enough, as stated (in Exod. 36:7), ‘For they had sufficient supplies (<i>mela'khah</i>), more than enough for all the work (<i>mela'khah</i>) to make it.’” And it is written (in Exod. 39:43), “When Moses saw all the work (<i>mela'khah</i>) […]; then Moses blessed them.”<sup class="footnote-marker">108</sup><i class="footnote">Above, 2:20.</i> And with what blessing did he bless them? He said to them, “May the Divine Presence dwell in the work of your hands.” In this world Moses has blessed them; but in the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will bless them, as stated (in Ps. 128:5–6), “The Lord will bless<sup class="footnote-marker">109</sup><i class="footnote">Normally the translation would read, MAY THE LORD BLESS, but reading the verb as a simple future indicates that this blessing is reserved for the world to come.</i> you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem…!”