(כד) כָּל־הַזָּהָ֗ב הֶֽעָשׂוּי֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מְלֶ֣אכֶת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיְהִ֣י ׀ זְהַ֣ב הַתְּנוּפָ֗ה תֵּ֤שַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ כִּכָּ֔ר וּשְׁבַ֨ע מֵא֧וֹת וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃
(כה) וְכֶ֛סֶף פְּקוּדֵ֥י הָעֵדָ֖ה מְאַ֣ת כִּכָּ֑ר וְאֶלֶף֩ וּשְׁבַ֨ע מֵא֜וֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁ֧ה וְשִׁבְעִ֛ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃
(כו) בֶּ֚קַע לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶת מַחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ לְכֹ֨ל הָעֹבֵ֜ר עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֗ים מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה לְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֙לֶף֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֔ים וַחֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃
(כז) וַיְהִ֗י מְאַת֙ כִּכַּ֣ר הַכֶּ֔סֶף לָצֶ֗קֶת אֵ֚ת אַדְנֵ֣י הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֵ֖ת אַדְנֵ֣י הַפָּרֹ֑כֶת מְאַ֧ת אֲדָנִ֛ים לִמְאַ֥ת הַכִּכָּ֖ר כִּכָּ֥ר לָאָֽדֶן׃
(כח) וְאֶת־הָאֶ֜לֶף וּשְׁבַ֤ע הַמֵּאוֹת֙ וַחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה וְשִׁבְעִ֔ים עָשָׂ֥ה וָוִ֖ים לָעַמּוּדִ֑ים וְצִפָּ֥ה רָאשֵׁיהֶ֖ם וְחִשַּׁ֥ק אֹתָֽם׃
(כט) וּנְחֹ֥שֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָ֖ה שִׁבְעִ֣ים כִּכָּ֑ר וְאַלְפַּ֥יִם וְאַרְבַּע־מֵא֖וֹת שָֽׁקֶל׃
(24) All the gold that was used for the work of building the sanctuary, even the gold offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
(25) The silver that was counted from the congregation was 100 talents and 1,757 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary:
(26) A beka per person, which is half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one who passed over to them that are numbered, from 20 years and older, for 603,550 men.
(27) The 100 talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil: 100 sockets for the 100 talents, a talent for a socket.
(28) Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them.
(29) The brass of the offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.
What does this sound like to you?
He notes that the tabernacle building plans and donations list is repeated five times throughout Torah. He asks why it is necessary to repeat these so many times or even to have them at all.
Moshe ben Maimon [Rambam] (1135-1204) was a medieval philosopher & astronomer. He later became one of the most influential Torah scholars, whose commentaries we study in depth even today.
He responds to Abarbanel by teaching that the repetitions are merely used as a way to demonstrate how beloved the tabernacle was.
חז׳ל [An acronym for "Our sages, may their memory be a blessing"]
They disagree with Rambam's response. They have a more practical reason for keeping such immaculate records. They claim the repetitions were to function as careful documentation of each charitable gift, serving as checks and balances. They go on to say that these detailed records were to enforce accountability for public officials, as a way to ensure they were using the money for the tabernacle and not for their own needs.
Why was there a need to enforce accountability?
What qualities do we look for in a leader?
Does this whole conversation about proper documentation, accountability,
and trust remind you of anything happening in our world today?