Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Midrashim are ideas or stories that explain the Torah. They often come from listening very carefully to what the Torah says and how it says it. Here, we will look for what clues this midrash sees in the Torah's words, and try to understand its messages.
The נְשִׂיאִים (nesi’im) were the leaders of each tribe. The Torah describes their contribution to the mishkan:
וְהַנְּשִׂאִם הֵבִיאוּ אֵת אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְאֵת אַבְנֵי הַמִּלֻּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן׃
And the nesi’im brought precious stones, for the ephod (apron) and for the hoshen (breastpiece).
A midrash notices some things about this pasuk:
1. The nesi’im appear last in a long list of donors to the mishkan.
2. The gifts the nesi’im brought were for the clothing of the כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל (kohen gadol, high priest).
3. The Hebrew word “nesi’im” appears in its shortest form. More commonly, the word is written with some yods (נְשִׂיאִים).
This midrash tells a story that accounts for all three points:
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה: "כָּל נְדִיב לֵב יָבִיאוּ תְּרוּמַת ה' לִמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן" (שְׁמוֹת לה:ה) וְלֹא אָמַר לַנְּשִׂיאִים, הָיָה רַע בְּעֵינֵיהֶם עַל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר לָהֶם לְהָבִיא.
אָמְרוּ: יָבִיאוּ הָעָם מַה שֶּׁיָּבִיאוּ, וּמָה שֶּׁיְּחַסְּרוּ נְמָלֵא אֲנַחְנוּ.
שָׂמְחוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהֵבִיאוּ בְּשִׂמְחָה כָּל נְדָבָה וּבִזְרִיזוּת.
לְאַחַר שְׁנֵי הַיָּמִים, בִּקְּשׁוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים לְהָבִיא נִדְבָתָם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ, שֶׁכְּבָר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה: "...אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה אַל יַעֲשׂוּ עוֹד מְלָאכָה לִתְרוּמַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ" (שְׁמוֹת לו:ו).
וְהָיוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים מְצֵרִים עַל שֶׁלֹּא זָכוּ בְּנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. אָמְרוּ: הוֹאִיל וְלֹא זָכִינוּ בְּנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן נִתֵּן בְּבִגְדֵי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל...
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: בָּנַי שֶׁנִּזְדָּרְזוּ—יִכָּתֵב שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ וְהוֹתֵר. וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים שֶׁנִּתְעַצְּלוּ—חִסֵּר אוֹת אַחַת מִשְּׁמָם, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב וְהַנְּשִׂאִם חָסֵר יוֹ"ד.
When Moshe said “everyone whose heart moves them should bring gifts for the mishkan” (Shemot 35:5), and didn’t single out the nesi’im, they became upset.
They said: “Let the nation donate, and we will fill in whatever is missing.”
Benei Yisrael were happy to help with the mishkan and quickly brought many donations.
After two days, the nesi’im wanted to bring their donations but could not, because Moshe had already commanded “Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the mishkan (Shemot 36:6)!”
The nesi’im were upset that they weren’t able to donate to the mishkan. They said: “Let’s at least donate for the clothing of the kohen gadol...”
The Holy One said: “My children who were eager to donate—write in the Torah that they brought more than enough.” For the nesi’im who delayed, God left the letter yod missing from their name.
- What happens when we procrastinate? Are there ever good reasons to delay doing the right thing?
- Why were the nesi’im upset about not being singled out to donate?
- What might this midrash be trying to teach us about generosity?
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