ויקחו מלפני משה את כל התרומה אשר הביאו בני ישראל למלאכת עבדת הקדש לעשת אתה והם הביאו אליו עוד נדבה בבקר בבקר
“So, they took from before Moshe all the offering[s] that the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the Holy, and they brought him more gifts every morning.” (Shemos 36:3)
Rav Shlomo Kluger notices that in addition to the work that the Bnei Yisroel donated, the Torah points out the fact that Moshe also collected money from those same individuals involved in the work. Let the Torah state they took money from everybody (which is in fact what happened) and we will know that those who did the work are also included?
He explains the matter with a story:
The daughter of the Rebbe Reb Zusha was engaged. The Rebbe’s wife, mother of the Kallah, went to the seamstress to order a beautiful gown for her daughter. Four or five weeks later, the Rebbetzin went back to the seamstress to pick up the gown for the bride. However, she returned home without the gown. The Rebbe asked her what happened. She related that she in fact picked up the gown but that as she was leaving the store, she noticed that the seamstress was crying.
The Rebbetzin inquired why she was crying and the seamstress told her “It is because I also have a daughter who is a Kallah. I wish I could afford such a gown for my own daughter. The Rebbetzin explained to her husband, “I told her on the spot — ‘You keep the gown!'” Reb Zusha was overjoyed that his wife fulfilled the mitzvah of Hachnasas Kallah [providing for the needs of a bride] in such a noble fashion.
But then he asked his Rebbetzin, “Did you pay her for the gown?” Reb Zusha’s wife was incredulous at the question. “What do you mean did I pay her for the gown? I gave her the gown! Must I pay her for the gown on top of that as well?”
“Indeed, you must!” Reb Zusha told his wife. “After all, she did work for you for five weeks, so you must pay her for the gown.” The Rebbetzin told her husband that he was right, and she returned and paid the seamstress for the gown that she had just “given” her.
Rav Shlomo Kluger related this incident to explain our pasuk in Vayakhel. There were some people who just donated money. But there were people who worked for the Mishkan as well. Did they give money? They could have easily argued, “We worked in lieu of our money. Our contribution to the Mishkan was our effort and labor!” (i.e. — We gave at the office!) That is why the pasuk emphasizes that not only were donations received from the masses of Bnei Yisroel; they were also received from those who did the labor. (R’ Eliezer Parkoff)
