On the eleventh day of Tishri Moses assembled the people, and informed
them that it was God's wish to have a sanctuary among them, and each
man was bidden to bring to the sanctuary any offering he pleased. At
the same time he impressed upon them that, however pious a deed
participation in the construction of the Tabernacle might be, still
they might under no circumstances break the Sabbath to hasten to
building of the sanctuary. Moses thereupon expounded to them the kind
of work that was permissible on the Sabbath, and the king that was
prohibited, for there were not less then thirty-nine occupations the
pursuit of which on the Sabbath was punishable by death. [359] Owing to
the importance of keeping the Sabbath, Moses imparted the precepts
concerning it directly to the great masses of the people that he had
gathered together, and not to the elders alone. In this he acted
according to God's command, who said to him: "Go, Moses, call together
great assemblages and announce the Sabbath laws to them, that the
future generations may follow thy example, and on Sabbath days assemble
the people in the synagogues and instruct them in the Torah, that they
may know what is prohibited and what is permitted, that My name may be
glorified among My children." In the spirit of this command did Moses
institute that on every holy day there might be preaching in the
synagogues, and instruction concerning the significance of the special
holy day. He summoned the people to these teachings with the words: "If
you will follow my example, God will count it for you as if you had
acknowledged God as your king throughout the world." [360]
The stress laid on the observance of the Sabbath laws was quite
necessary, for the people were so eager to deliver up their
contributions, that on the Sabbath Moses had to have an announcement
proclaimed that they were to take nothing out of their houses, as the
carrying of things on the Sabbath is prohibited. [361] For Israel is a
peculiar people, that answered the summons to fetch gold for the Golden
Calf, and with no less zeal answered the summons of Moses to give
contributions for the Tabernacle. They were not content to bring things
out of their houses and treasuries, but forcibly snatched ornaments
from their wives, their daughters, and their sons, and brought them to
Moses for the construction of the Tabernacle. In this way they thought
they could cancel their sin in having fashioned the Golden Calf; then
had they used their ornaments in the construction of the idol, and now
they employed them for the sanctuary of God. [362]
The women, however, were no less eager to contribute their mite, and
were especially active in producing the woolen hangings. They did this
in no miraculous a way, that they spun the wool while it was still upon
the goats. [363] Moses did not at first want to accept contributions
from the women, but these brought their cloaks and their mirrors,
saying: "Why dost thou reject our gifts? If thou doest so because thou
wantest in the sanctuary nothing that women use to enhance their
charms, behold, here are our cloaks that we use to conceal ourselves
from the eyes of the men. But if thou are afraid to accept from us
anything that might be not our property, but our husbands', behold,
here are our mirrors that belong to us alone, and not to our husbands."
When Moses beheld the mirrors, he waxed very angry, and bade the women
to be driven from him, exclaiming: "What right in the sanctuary have
these mirrors that exist only to arouse sensual desires?" But God said
to Moses: "Truly dearer to Me than all other gifts are these mirrors,
for it was these mirrors that yielded Me My hosts. When in Egypt the
men were exhausted from their heavy labors, the women were wont to come
to them with food and drink, take out their mirrors, and caressingly
say to their husbands: 'Look into the mirror, I am much more beautiful
than thou,' and in this way passion seized the men so that they forgot
their cares and united themselves with their wives, who thereupon
brought many children into the world. Take now these mirrors and
fashion out of them the laver that contains the water for the
sanctifying of the priests." Furthermore out of this laver was fetched
the water that a woman suspected of adultery had to drink to prove her
innocence. As formerly the mirrors had been used to kindle conjugal
affection, so out of them was made the vessel for the water that was to
restore broken peace between husband and wife.
When Moses upon God's command made known to the people that whosoever
was of a willing heart, man or woman, might bring an offering, the zeal
of the women was so great, that they thrust away the men and crowded
forward with their gifts, [364] so that in two days all that was
needful for the construction of the Tabernacle was in Moses' hands. The
princes of the tribes came almost too late with their contributions,
and at the last moment they brought the precious stones for the
garments of Aaron, that they might not be entirely unrepresented in the
sanctuary. But God took their delay amiss, and for this reason they
later sought to be the first to offer up sacrifices in the sanctuary.
[365]
After everything had been provided for the construction of the
Tabernacle, Bezalel set to work with the devotion of his whole soul,
and as a reward for this, the Holy Scriptures speak of him only as the
constructor of the sanctuary, although many others stood by him in this
labor. He began his work by fashioning the boards, then attended to the
overlaying of them, and when he had completed these things, he set to
work to prepare the curtains, then completed the Ark with the
penance-cover belonging to it, and finally the table for the shewbread,
and the candlestick. [366]