דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה. כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהּ לִי, יֵשׁ בָּהּ בְּרָכָה. וְהַתְּרוּמָה יֵשׁ בָּהּ בְּרָכָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב: וְהֵם הֵבִיאוּ אֵלָיו עוֹד נְדָבָה בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר (במדבר לו, ג). מַהוּ בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר. לִשְׁנֵי בְּקָרִים הֵבִיאוּ אֶת כָּל נִדְבוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלְּחָה בְּרָכָה בְּנִדְבוֹתֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְיִקְחוּ לִי. וְיִקְחוּ לִי. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם קְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה תִּהְיוּ מְלַגְלְגִין בַּתְּרוּמָה וְתֹאמְרוּ לֹא כֹּהֵן הוּא שֶׁהוּא אוֹכְלָהּ, שֶׁאִם אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶחָד מִמֵּאָה, יְהֵא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ גּוֹזֵל אוֹתוֹ הַשֵּׁבֶט אֶלָּא לִי, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, וּכְתִיב תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). Whenever the words for Me are stated in a verse, a blessing accompanies it. Does a blessing also accompany an offering? R. Johanan said: Observe what is written in the verse: And they brought yet unto him free-will offerings every morning(baboker baboker)5The word morning is repeated in the text to indicate that it must be brought twice at that time. (Exod. 36:3). Why is the word morning repeated in the text? Because they brought all the gifts that were required for the Tabernacle in two mornings. This happened because a blessing accompanied their gifts. Hence it is stated: That they take for Me… ye shall take My offering (Exod. 25:2). They take for Me. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Because I told you Take for Me an offering, do not scoff at the (giving of an) offering by saying: “He is not a priest that he should eat it,” for if a man fails to give him even one hundredth of his portion, let him realize that he is stealing it, not from the priestly tribe, but from Me, for so it is written: That they take for Me an offering, and ye shall take My offering (Exod. 25:2).
וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: אֵינִי מַטְרִיחַ עַל הָאֻמּוֹת, אֶלָּא עֲלֵיכֶם בִּלְבַד. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב: הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ (חבקוק ב, ד), זֶה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר. כֵּיצַד, הִמְלִיךְ אוֹתוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם וְלֹא הָיָה שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ (חבקוק ב, ד). וְהָיָה מַבִּיט בְּעַצְמוֹ וּמִתְבַּיֵּשׁ בִּפְנֵי הַבְּרִיּוֹת וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי מֶלֶךְ, וְלֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ. לָמָּה? שֶׁהָיָה קָטָן כְּבַד, לְכָךְ נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר. Take for Me an offering. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: I did not impose this upon other nations but upon you alone. Observe what is written in the verse Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith (Hab. 2:4). Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him refers to Nebuchadnezzar. How do we know this? The Holy One, blessed be He, made him ruler of the entire world, yet he did not rejoice in his lot, as it is said: His soul is not upright in him. When he looked at himself he became embarrassed in the presence of his fellow men. He would say: “I am king,” yet his soul was not upright in him. Why was that? Because he was squat in stature, like a kad (“jug”). That is why he was called Nebukadnezzar.
וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה. לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דָּן אֶת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד עִם בְּנֵי אֱמוּנָתוֹ, וְצַדִּיק עִם אֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה. אוֹמֵר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִכֶּם מִן אֱמוּנִים, וַאֲנִי גָּאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְאֵין אַתֶּם מַפְרִישִׁין לִי תְּרוּמָה. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה. But the righteous shall live by his faith (ibid.). In the world-to-come the Holy One, blessed be He, will judge all mankind in relation to the members of his own profession.6Word-play on emunah (“faith”) and umanut (“trade, profession”). The word used in the translation, “profession” (i.e., what one professes), is intended to express both nuances. The righteous shall live by his faith. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Each one of you was counted among my profession, and so I redeemed you from Egypt, but you did not set aside offerings unto Me. Hence it is written: Take for Me an offering.