Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 35:21/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ה:כ״א

אוַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ עַל הַחֲכָמִים הָעוֹשִׂים בַּמְּלָאכָה יֹאמַר כֵּן, כִּי לֹא מָצִינוּ עַל הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים נְשִׂיאוּת לֵב, אֲבָל יַזְכִּיר בָּהֶם נְדִיבוּת. וְטַעַם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ, לְקָרְבָה אֶל הַמְּלָאכָה, כִּי לֹא הָיָה בָּהֶם שֶׁלָּמַד אֶת הַמְּלָאכוֹת הָאֵלֶּה מִמְּלַמֵּד, אוֹ מִי שֶׁאִמֵּן בָּהֶן יָדָיו כְּלָל, אֲבָל מָצָא בְּטִבְעוֹ שֶׁיֵּדַע לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, וַיִּגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ בְּדַרְכֵי ה' (דה"ב יז ו) לָבֹא לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר לוֹ אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדֹנִי דּוֹבֵר. וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי זֶה בַּסֵּדֶר הָאַחֵר (רמב"ן על שמות ל"א:ב'). וְהִנֵּה אָמַר שֶׁבָּאוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ לְקָרְבָה אֶל הַמְּלָאכָה, וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר נָדְבָה רוּחוֹ אֹתוֹ הֵבִיאוּ הַתְּרוּמָה, וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה אָמַר לְכֻלָּם כִּי קָרָא ה' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל וְאָהֳלִיאָב (שמות ל"ה:ל'), וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָרָא לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל כָּל חֲכַם לֵב (שמות ל"ו:ב') שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ לְפָנָיו וְנָתַן לָהֶם הַנְּדָבָה:

1AND THEY CAME, EVERY ONE WHOSE HEART STIRRED HIM UP. This is said with reference to the wise men who did the work, for we do not find the use of this phrase, “the stirring up of the heart,” in connection with those who merely brought the donations; Scripture rather mentions “generosity of heart” with reference to them. Now the reason for using such a phrase, whose heart stirred him up, is because they undertook to do the work, although there was no one amongst them who had learned these crafts from an instructor, or had trained his hands at all to do them. Rather, a person who felt in his nature that he knew how to do such skills, his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Eternal³⁰ to come before Moses and say to him, “I will do all that my lord speaks.” I have already mentioned this in another section.³¹ Thus Scripture is stating that there came before Moses every one whose heart stirred him up to undertake the work, and every one whom his spirit made willing brought the offering. Then Moses said to all of them that G-d had called by name Bezalel,³² and Oholiab.³³, Verse 34. Afterwards Moses called them and every wise-hearted man³⁴, 36:2. to come before him, and he gave them the whole donation [brought by the people so that they could proceed to do the work].