במדבר ז׳:א׳-י״א

ויהי ביום כלות משה. כלת כְּתִיב — יוֹם הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכַלָּה הַנִּכְנֶסֶת לַחֻפָּה (פסיקתא; תנחומא):

It came to pass, on the day Moshe finished. The text reads כַּלּוֹת . On the day that the Mishkon was erected, the Israelites were like a כַּלָּה — a bride entering the wedding canopy.

כלות משה. בְּצַלְאֵל וְאָהֳלִיאָב וְכָל חֲכַם לֵב עָשׂוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וּתְלָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב בְּמֹשֶׁה, לְפִי שֶׁמָּסַר נַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו, לִרְאוֹת תַּבְנִית כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ בָהָר, לְהוֹרוֹת לְעוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה, וְלֹא טָעָה בְּתַבְנִית אַחַת; וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּדָוִד, לְפִי שֶׁמָּסַר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "זְכוֹר ה' לְדָוִד אֵת כָּל עֻנּוֹתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַה'" וְגוֹ' (תהילים קל"ב), לְפִיכָךְ נִקְרָא עַל שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מ"א י"ב) "רְאֵה בֵיתְךָ דָּוִד" (תנחומא):

Moshe finished. Bezalel, Aholiav, and all the wise — hearted men constructed the Mishkon, yet Scripture credits it to Moshe, because he utterly dedicated himself to it, observing the structural design of each object as shown to him on the mountain (Sinai) in order to instruct the artisans, without making a single error in design. We find a similarity with regard to [king] David, because he utterly dedicated himself to the construction of the Beis Ha Mikdash — as it is said: “Remember, Adonoy, unto David all his afflictions; how he swore to Adonoy . . . etc. it was, therefore, called by his name, as it is said: “Observe your House, David.”

כלות משה להקים. וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּיוֹם הָקִים, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים הָיָה מֹשֶׁה מַעֲמִידוֹ וּמְפָרְקוֹ, וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הֶעֱמִידוֹ וְלֹא פֵּרְקוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים" — אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם כָּלוּ הֲקָמוֹתָיו, וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן הָיָה, בַּשֵּׁנִי נִשְׂרְפָה הַפָּרָה, בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי הִזּוּ הַזָּיָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי גִּלְּחוּ (ספרי):

[On the day] Moshe finished erecting. It does not say, “On the day [Moshe] erected . . .” This teaches that throughout the seven days of installation Moshe erected and dismantled it, and on that day, he erected it without dismantling it. This is why it says, “On the day Moshe finished erecting” — that day his erecting ended. It was the first of the month of Nisan. On the second, the [red] cow was burned, on the third, they sprinkled with the first sprinkling, and on the seventh, [after having been sprinkled again] they were shaven.

הם נשיאי המטת. שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹטְרִים עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם וְהָיוּ מֻכִּים עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ה') וַיֻּכּוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ' (ספרי):

They were the leaders of the tribes. They were officers over them in Egypt, and were beaten because of them, as it is said: “And the officers of the Israelites were beaten, etc.”

הם העמדים על הפקדים. שֶׁעָמְדוּ עִם מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כְּשֶׁמָּנוּ אֶת יִשְֹרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאִתְּכֶם יִהְיוּ וְגוֹ'" (במדבר א'):

They stood by during the counting. They stood with Moshe and Aharon when they counted [Bnei] Yisroel, as it is said, “with you [Moshe and Aharon], shall be. . .”

שש עגלת צב. אֵין צָב אֶלָּא מְחֻפִּים, וְכֵן "וּבַצַּבִּים וּבַפְּרָדִים" (ישעיה ס"ו); עֲגָלוֹת מְכֻסּוֹת קְרוּיוֹת צַבִּים:

Six covered wagons. צָב can only mean “covered.” Similarly, “[They will bring your brothers from all the nations . . . with horses and chariots] וּבַצַּבִּים וּבַפְּרָדִים,” “in covered wagons and on mules . . .” Covered wagons are called צַבִּים . [Some interpret צָב in the sense of הַצְבִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, (“The finest in Israel.”) They (the wagons) were fine looking.]

ויקריבו אותם לפני המשכן. שֶׁלֹּא קִבֵּל מֹשֶׁה מִיָּדָם עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ מִפִּי הַמָּקוֹם; אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן מָה רָאוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים לְהִתְנַדֵּב כָּאן בַּתְּחִלָּה, וּבִמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן לֹא הִתְנַדְּבוּ תְּחִלָּה? אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמְרוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים, יִתְנַדְּבוּ צִבּוּר מַה שֶּׁיִּתְנַדְּבוּ, וּמַה שֶּׁמְּחַסְּרִין, אָנוּ מַשְׁלִימִין, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ צִבּוּר אֶת הַכֹּל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהַמְּלָאכָה הָיְתָה דַיָּם" (שמות ל"ו), אָמְרוּ מֵעַתָּה מַה לָּנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת? הֵבִיאוּ אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְהַמִּלּוּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן, לְכָךְ הִתְנַדְּבוּ כָּאן תְּחִלָּה (ספרי):

They placed them before the Mishkon. Because Moshe did not accept [the gift] from their hands until [so] instructed by the omnipresent [God.] R’ Noson said, “Why did the leaders see fit to contribute here at the outset, but for the materials of the Mishkon, they did not contribute at the outset? Because the leaders said as follows: “Let the community contribute as they wish, and any shortfall, we will furnish.” But when they saw that the community had supplied everything, as it is said, “the material was sufficient,” they said, “Now what can we do”? They brought the onyx stones, and the stones set into the ephod and breastplate. This is why they contributed here at the outset.

כפי עבדתם. שֶׁהָיָה מַשָּׂא בְנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן קַל מִשֶּׁל מְרָרִי, שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹשְׂאִים הַקְּרָשִׁים וְהָעַמּוּדִים וְהָאֲדָנִים:

According to their work. The load of the sons of Gershon was lighter than that of the sons of Merori, who carried the planks, pillars, and sockets.

כי עבדת הקדש עלהם. מַשָּׂא דְּבַר הַקְּדֻשָּׁה — הָאָרוֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְגוֹ', לְפִיכָךְ בַּכָּתֵף יִשָּׂאוּ:

Because the sacred work was [incumbent] on them. The carrying of sacred objects — the ark, table, etc. Therefore, “they had to carry [them] on their shoulders.”

ויקריבו הנשאים את חנכת המזבח. לְאַחַר שֶׁהִתְנַדְּבוּ הָעֲגָלוֹת וְהַבָּקָר לָשֵׂאת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, נְשָׂאָם לִבָּם לְהִתְנַדֵּב קָרְבְּנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְחַנְּכוֹ:

The leaders brought forward the [offerings for] the consecration of the altar. After they contributed the wagons and cattle to carry the Mishkon, they were ennobled to contribute the offerings for the altar to consecrate it.

ויקריבו הנשיאם את קרבנם לפני המזבח. כִּי לֹא קִבֵּל מֹשֶׁה מִיָּדָם עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה (ספרי):

The leaders placed their offering before the altar. Because Moshe did not accept [the gift] from their hands until [so] instructed by the Almighty.

יקריבו את קרבנם לחנכת המזבח. וַעֲדַיִן לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מֹשֶׁה הֵיאַךְ יַקְרִיבוּ, אִם כְּסֵדֶר תּוֹלְדוֹתָם, אִם כְּסֵדֶר הַמַּסָּעוֹת, עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ מִפִּי הַקָּבָּ"ה יַקְרִיבוּ לַמַּסָּעוֹת, אִישׁ יוֹמוֹ (שם):

They shall bring forth their offering for the dedication of the altar. But Moshe still did not know how they were to bring the offerings — whether in order of their birth, or in order of the traveling — until the Holy One, Blessed is He, told him that they should bring the offerings according to the traveling, each in his day.