be astonished that the text uses <H>vayehi (Vav Yod He Yod)</H> (imperfect changed to past) and not <H>haiah (He Yod He)</H> (perfect): for the same construction occurs in other verses; for example, I Kings vi. 5, II Chron. x. 17[71], Num. xiv. 16 and 36, Ex. ix. 21. <I>He is my God</I>]. He appeared to them in His majesty, and they pointed Him out to one another with their finger.[72] The last of the servants saw God, on this occasion, as the Prophets themselves never saw Him. <H>veanvehu (Vav Alef Nun Vav He Vav)</H>]. The Targum sees in this word the meaning of "habitation"[73] as in Is. xxxiii. 20, lxv. 10. According to another explanation the word signifies "to adorn," and the meaning would be: "I wish to celebrate the beauty and sing the praise of God in all His creatures," as it is developed in the Song of Songs; see v.9 <I>et seq.</I>[74] <I>My father's God</I>]. He is; <I>and I will exalt Him. My father's God</I>]. I am not the first who received this consecration; but on the contrary His holiness and His divinity have continued to rest upon me from the time of my ancestors. In the above the text calls only for the embellishments of the Haggadah. In the following passage from Rashi's commentaries the place allotted to Derash is more limited. 4. CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE (Ex. xxv. 1 <I>et seq.</I>) 2. <I>Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering</I>]. To me; in my honor. An offering (<H>terumah (Tav Resh Vav Mem He)</H>), a levy; let them make a levy upon their goods. <I>Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart</I> (<H>idbenu (Yod Dalet Bet Nun Vav)</H>), same meaning as <H>nedava (Nun Dalet Bet He),</H> that is to say, a voluntary and spontaneous gift.[75] <I>Ye shall take my offering</I>] Our sages say: Three offerings are prescribed by this passage, one of a <I>beka</I> from each person, used for a pedestal, as will be shown in detail in <I>Eleh Pekude</I>[76]; the second, the contribution of the altar, consisting of a <I>beka</I> from each person, thrown into the coffers for the purchase of congre gational sacrifices; and, third, the contribution for the Tabernacle, a free-will offering. The thirteen kinds of material to be mentioned were all necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle and for the making of priestly vestments, as will be evident from a close examination. 3. <I>Gold, and silver, and brass</I>]. All these were offered voluntarily, each man giving what he wished, except silver, of which each brought the same quantity, a half-shekel a person. In the entire passage relating to the construction of the Tabernacle, we do not see that more silver was needed; this is shown by Ex. xxxviii. 27. The rest of the silver, voluntarily offered, was used for making the sacred vessels.