ד"א ויהי ביום כלות משה. זש"ה נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה (משלי כ זיח), אין הקב"ה מקפח שכר כל בריה, אלא בכל מה שאדם יגע ונותן נפשו על הדבר אין הקב"ה מקפח שכרו, לכך נאמר נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה, רצונך לידע, שלמה בנה בית המקדש, שנאמר ויבן שלמה את הבית ויכלהו (מ"א ו יד), ובשביל שנתן דוד נפשו על בית המקדש שיבנה, שנאמר זכור ה' לדוד את כל ענותו, אשר נשבע לה' נדר לאביר יעקב, אם אבא (אל אהל) [באהל] ביתי אם עלה על ערש יצועי [וגו'], עד אמצא מקום לה' (תהלים קלב א ב ג ה), לא קיפח הקב"ה את שכרו, אלא הכתיבו על שמו, שנאמר מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד (שם ל א), [לשלמה אינו אומר אלא לדוד], יפה אמר שלמה נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה, וכן אתה מוצא במשכן, שהכל נתנו את נפשם ועשו את המשכן, כל ישראל נתנדבו, הנשים טוו את העזים, וכן ויעשו כל חכם לב (שמות לו ח), וכן (עשו) [ועשה] בצלאל ואהליאב (שם שם א), בשביל שנתן משה נפשו עליו שיעשה כשם שהראה לו הקב"ה בהר, שנאמר וראה ועשה (כתבניתם) [בתבניתם] וגו' (שם כה מ), והלך משה ונתן נפשו שלא יטעו, לכך כתיב על כל דבר ודבר כאשר צוה ה' את משה (שם לט א ה ז כו כט לא מב), וכן הוא אומר וירא משה את כל המלאכה וגו' ויברך אותם משה (שם שם מג), ומה ברכה ברכן, אמר להם תשרה שכינה במעשה ידיכם, אמר הקב"ה הואיל ומשה נתן נפשו על המשכן, איני כותבו אלא על שמו, שנאמר ויהי ביום כלות משה.
Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED. This text is related (to Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. The Holy One does not deprive any creature of a reward.93Tanh., Numb. 2:13; Numb. R. 12:9. It is simply that in the case of anyone who toils and devotes his life to something, the Holy One does not deprive him of his reward.94Cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata, 1; PR 5:2, 6. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. Do you want to understand? Solomon built the Temple, as stated (in I Kings 6:14): SO SOLOMON FINISHED BUILDING THE HOUSE; but because David had devoted his life to the Temple which would be built, as stated (in Ps. 132:1–5: LORD REMEMBER DAVID AND ALL HIS HARDSHIPS, HOW HE SWORE TO THE LORD, VOWED TO THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB: SURELY I WILL NOT COME INTO THE SHELTER OF MY HOUSE, NOR WILL I GO UP UPON THE BED THAT IS SPREAD FOR ME, [… ] UNTIL I FIND A PLACE FOR THE LORD, the Holy One did not deprive him of his reward. Rather he had it written in his name, as stated (in Ps. 30:1 [introduction]): A PSALM. A SONG OF THE DEDICATION OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. [It does not say, "of Solomon," but, OF DAVID.] Solomon said it well (in Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. So also you find in the case of the Tabernacle, when everyone devoted their lives <to it> and made the Tabernacle. All Israel volunteered. The women spun the goat's hair; and similarly (in Exod. 36:8): THEN ALL THE WISE-HEARTED ONES <AMONG THE WORKERS MADE THE TABERNACLE>. And likewise (according to Exod. 36:1): THEN LET BEZALEL AND OHOLIAB <AND ALL THE WISE-HEARTED ONES … > DO <ALL THAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED>. < However, they only did so> because Moses devoted his life to <the Tabernacle>, so that it would be made just as the Holy One has shown him on the Mountain, as stated (in Exod. 25:40): OBSERVE AND MAKE THEM {LIKE} [BY MEANS OF] THEIR PATTERN…. Thus Moses went and devoted his life, so that they would not go astray. It is therefore written (in Exod. 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, cf. 42): AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES. And so it says (in vs. 43): WHEN MOSES SAW ALL THE WORK, <AND BEHOLD, THEY HAD DONE IT> …; THEN MOSES BLESSED THEM. And with what blessing did he bless them? He said to them: May the Divine Presence dwell in the work of your hands. The Holy One said: Because Moses has devoted his life to the Tabernacle, I will only write about it in his name. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED.95In other words, although others had worked on the Tabernacle, it says only of Moses that he finished it. Cf. William Braude, Pesikta Rabbati (“Yale Judaica Series,” 18; New Haven: Yale, 1968), vol. 1, p. 91, n. 1 & 95, n. 19, who suggests that KLWT (HAD FINISHED) may be taken in the sense of THE END OF ONE’S STRENGTH and that the midrash understands the verse as follows: “AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES’ STRENGTH HAD ALL BUT GIVEN OUT BECAUSE OF THE SETTINGS UP OF THE TABERNACLE.”
ד"א ויהי ביום כלות משה. זש"ה נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה (משלי כ זיח), אין הקב"ה מקפח שכר כל בריה, אלא בכל מה שאדם יגע ונותן נפשו על הדבר אין הקב"ה מקפח שכרו, לכך נאמר נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה, רצונך לידע, שלמה בנה בית המקדש, שנאמר ויבן שלמה את הבית ויכלהו (מ"א ו יד), ובשביל שנתן דוד נפשו על בית המקדש שיבנה, שנאמר זכור ה' לדוד את כל ענותו, אשר נשבע לה' נדר לאביר יעקב, אם אבא (אל אהל) [באהל] ביתי אם עלה על ערש יצועי [וגו'], עד אמצא מקום לה' (תהלים קלב א ב ג ה), לא קיפח הקב"ה את שכרו, אלא הכתיבו על שמו, שנאמר מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד (שם ל א), [לשלמה אינו אומר אלא לדוד], יפה אמר שלמה נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה, וכן אתה מוצא במשכן, שהכל נתנו את נפשם ועשו את המשכן, כל ישראל נתנדבו, הנשים טוו את העזים, וכן ויעשו כל חכם לב (שמות לו ח), וכן (עשו) [ועשה] בצלאל ואהליאב (שם שם א), בשביל שנתן משה נפשו עליו שיעשה כשם שהראה לו הקב"ה בהר, שנאמר וראה ועשה (כתבניתם) [בתבניתם] וגו' (שם כה מ), והלך משה ונתן נפשו שלא יטעו, לכך כתיב על כל דבר ודבר כאשר צוה ה' את משה (שם לט א ה ז כו כט לא מב), וכן הוא אומר וירא משה את כל המלאכה וגו' ויברך אותם משה (שם שם מג), ומה ברכה ברכן, אמר להם תשרה שכינה במעשה ידיכם, אמר הקב"ה הואיל ומשה נתן נפשו על המשכן, איני כותבו אלא על שמו, שנאמר ויהי ביום כלות משה.
Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED. This text is related (to Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. The Holy One does not deprive any creature of a reward.93Tanh., Numb. 2:13; Numb. R. 12:9. It is simply that in the case of anyone who toils and devotes his life to something, the Holy One does not deprive him of his reward.94Cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata, 1; PR 5:2, 6. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. Do you want to understand? Solomon built the Temple, as stated (in I Kings 6:14): SO SOLOMON FINISHED BUILDING THE HOUSE; but because David had devoted his life to the Temple which would be built, as stated (in Ps. 132:1–5: LORD REMEMBER DAVID AND ALL HIS HARDSHIPS, HOW HE SWORE TO THE LORD, VOWED TO THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB: SURELY I WILL NOT COME INTO THE SHELTER OF MY HOUSE, NOR WILL I GO UP UPON THE BED THAT IS SPREAD FOR ME, [… ] UNTIL I FIND A PLACE FOR THE LORD, the Holy One did not deprive him of his reward. Rather he had it written in his name, as stated (in Ps. 30:1 [introduction]): A PSALM. A SONG OF THE DEDICATION OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. [It does not say, "of Solomon," but, OF DAVID.] Solomon said it well (in Prov. 27:18): THE ONE WHO TENDS A FIG TREE SHALL EAT ITS FRUIT. So also you find in the case of the Tabernacle, when everyone devoted their lives <to it> and made the Tabernacle. All Israel volunteered. The women spun the goat's hair; and similarly (in Exod. 36:8): THEN ALL THE WISE-HEARTED ONES <AMONG THE WORKERS MADE THE TABERNACLE>. And likewise (according to Exod. 36:1): THEN LET BEZALEL AND OHOLIAB <AND ALL THE WISE-HEARTED ONES … > DO <ALL THAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED>. < However, they only did so> because Moses devoted his life to <the Tabernacle>, so that it would be made just as the Holy One has shown him on the Mountain, as stated (in Exod. 25:40): OBSERVE AND MAKE THEM {LIKE} [BY MEANS OF] THEIR PATTERN…. Thus Moses went and devoted his life, so that they would not go astray. It is therefore written (in Exod. 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, cf. 42): AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES. And so it says (in vs. 43): WHEN MOSES SAW ALL THE WORK, <AND BEHOLD, THEY HAD DONE IT> …; THEN MOSES BLESSED THEM. And with what blessing did he bless them? He said to them: May the Divine Presence dwell in the work of your hands. The Holy One said: Because Moses has devoted his life to the Tabernacle, I will only write about it in his name. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED.95In other words, although others had worked on the Tabernacle, it says only of Moses that he finished it. Cf. William Braude, Pesikta Rabbati (“Yale Judaica Series,” 18; New Haven: Yale, 1968), vol. 1, p. 91, n. 1 & 95, n. 19, who suggests that KLWT (HAD FINISHED) may be taken in the sense of THE END OF ONE’S STRENGTH and that the midrash understands the verse as follows: “AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES’ STRENGTH HAD ALL BUT GIVEN OUT BECAUSE OF THE SETTINGS UP OF THE TABERNACLE.”