“The work done was sufficient, and there was some left over.” (36:7)
When Moshe saw that enough materials and labor had been provided for the Mishkan, he called a halt to the contributions. The verse states that “there was enough...there was some left over.” The Ohr Hachaim points out that these two expressions seem to contradict each other. If there was enough, how could there be some left over? Furthermore, why is there a need to mention the surplus?
The Ohr Hachaim suggests that in order to prevent those who brought the surplus from being embarrassed by having their donations returned, a miracle occurred, and the surplus was incorporated into the Mishkan and its vessels.
Perhaps an alternative interpretation can be offered. In the zemiros, the liturgical poetry recited at the Shabbos meal, we find the phrase “savanu vehosarnu,” which means “We have eaten our fill and left over.” It would seem that it is only necessary to attest to the fact that, as required by the mitzvah of oneg Shabbos, delighting in the Shabbos, we have eaten our fill. Why is it necessary to say that we have left over?
If there is nothing left over, it is possible that we did not eat our fill. Rather, we finished all that there was and are still not satiated. Having food left over demonstrates that we have indeed eaten our fill.
Similarly, regarding the Mishkan, even though most of the dimensions of the structure and vessels were precise measurements, there were some dimensions that were left up to Bnei Yisroel’s discretion. They were allowed to decide what would be most appropriate. For example, the Torah relates only the height, length, and width of the kapores, the Ark cover, but not its thickness. Betzalel determined its thickness based on aesthetic appeal. If the Torah had not recorded that there was a surplus, one could think that there were situations where Betzalel was required to skimp, failing to produce the most aesthetically appealing product possible. Therefore, the Torah records that there was a surplus to teach us that there were sufficient materials to construct the Mishkan and the vessels in the best possible way, and no corners had to be cut.
RABBI YISSOCHER FRAND
