Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 35:1/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ה:א׳
אוַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִכְלֹל "כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים, כִּי כֻלָּם הִתְנַדְּבוּ בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה אַחַר שֶׁצִּוָּה לְאַהֲרֹן וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָאֲנָשִׁים כָּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אִתּוֹ בְּהַר סִינָי אַחֲרֵי שְׁבוֹר הַלּוּחוֹת (שמות ל"ד:ל"ב), וְנָתַן עַל פָּנָיו הַמַּסְוֶה (שם פסוק לג), חָזַר וְצִוָּה וְהִקְהִילוּ אֵלָיו כָּל הָעֵדָה אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה זֶה בְּיוֹם מָחֳרַת רִדְתּוֹ. וְאָמַר לְכֻלָּם עִנְיַן הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֲשֶׁר נִצְטַוָּה בּוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה קֹדֶם שְׁבוֹר הַלּוּחוֹת, כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה לָהֶם הקב"ה וְנָתַן לוֹ הַלּוּחוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת וְכָרַת עִמּוֹ בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ הַשֵּׁם בְּקִרְבָּם, הִנֵּה חָזְרוּ לְקַדְמוּתָם וּלְאַהֲבַת כְּלוּלוֹתָם, וּבְיָדוּעַ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁצִּוָּהוּ תְּחִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות כ"ה:ח') "וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם", וְלָכֵן צִוָּה אוֹתָם מֹשֶׁה עַתָּה בְּכָל מַה שֶׁנִּצְטַוָּה מִתְּחִלָּה:
1AND MOSES ASSEMBLED ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. The expression all the congregation of the children of Israel includes the men and women, for all donated to the work of the Tabernacle. Thus Moses, after having commanded Aaron, and the rulers and all the children of Israel — the men — all that the Eternal had spoken with him in Mount Sinai,1 following the breaking of the Tablets, and after he had put the veil on his face2, Verse 33. [as all this is narrated in the preceding section], again commanded that the people be assembled, whereupon the whole congregation gathered to him — men, women, and children.It is possible that this occurred on the day following his descent from the mountain, and he told all of them the subject of the Tabernacle which he had been previously commanded, before3 the breaking of the Tablets. For since the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with them and gave Moses the second Tablets, and also made a new covenant that G-d would go in their midst,4 He thereby returned to His previous relationship with them, and to the love of their “wedding,”5 and it was obvious that His Presence would be in their midst just as He had commanded him at first, even as He said, And let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell amongst them.6 Therefore Moses now commanded them all that he had been told at first.
באֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה אָמַר אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' לַעֲשֹׂת עַל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכָל כֵּלָיו וְכֹל עֲבֹדָתוֹ וְהִקְדִּים הַשַּׁבָּת לֵאמֹר כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלֶאכֶת אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים וְלֹא בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שֶׁהוּא קֹדֶשׁ לַה'. וּמִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן דּוֹחָה שַׁבָּת, וְלֹא מִמִּדְרַשׁ "אַךְ", כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּסֵדֶר כִּי תִשָּׂא (רמב"ן על שמות ל"א:י"ג):
2THESE ARE THE THINGS WHICH THE ETERNAL HATH COMMANDED, THAT YE SHOULD DO THEM. 2. SIX DAYS SHALL WORK BE DONE. The expression, these are the things which the Eternal hath commanded refers to the construction of the Tabernacle,7 refers to the law of the Sabbath, it being mentioned in the plural “words” because the Sabbath is as important as all the other commandments. But according to Ramban, the reference is to the building of the Tabernacle, and the plural is used because the allusion is also to all its vessels, etc. all its vessels and all its various works. He preceded [the explanation of the construction of the Tabernacle] with the law of the Sabbath, meaning to say that the work of these things should be done during the six days, but not on the seventh day which is holy to G-d. It is from here that we learn the principle that the work of the Tabernacle does not set aside the Sabbath, and not from the interpretation of the word ach (but — ‘but’ you shall keep My Sabbaths),8 as I have explained in the section of Ki Thisa.8