“And the men came ‘on’ the women, all whose hearts moved them, all who would make an elevation offering of gold to Hashem, came bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and pendants —gold objects of all kinds. (Shemos 35:22)
Rashi says that the word “al”, which is typically translated as “on”, isn’t taken literally in this context; doesn’t mean that the men literally were stepping over the women*, “on them”. Rather that they entered close by to them when bringing in the objects to donate to the Mishkan.
Rav Aharonovitz (Peshuto Shel Rashi, 2017 edition) explains that Rashi’s intention isn’t just to dispel the notion that the men were stepping “on” the women, but suggests that Rashi may be communicating what the Malbim (to Vaykira 19:26) says in explanation of the word “al”, that the women came first and it the men came after them, intimating that they were “secondary” to the women in the donations to the Mishkan. (Malbim proves from other places in Tanach that the word “al” can also mean “after.”)
Rabbeinu Bachya (to the passuk in our parsha Shemos 35:22) explains the passuk in a similar fashion as the Malbim, but goes on to reflect on its implications. He sees this as testament to the women's righteousness—in that they were anxious to donate their pieces of jewelry holy purpose while having previously resisted contributing to the Golden Calf. The men, however, were more eager to participate in creating the Golden Calf, as described in Pirkei DeRebbi Eliezer (Chapter 45):
“The men saw that the women would not consent to give their earrings to their husbands. What did they do? Until that hour the earrings were (also) in their own ears, after the fashion of the Egyptians, and after the fashion of the Arabs. They broke off their earrings which were in their own ears, and they gave (them) to Aaron, as it is said, "And all the people brake off || the golden rings which were in their ears" (Ex. 32:3). "Which were in the ears of their wives" is not written here, but "which were in their ears."
I’d like to explore three things:
1. First, although the word “al” can have the connotation of “after” or “along with”, is there a deeper reason for the Torah's choice of the word "al" in this particular context?
2. Second, why, in fact, were the men more eager to participate in the Golden Calf while the women resisted?
3. Lastly, from the Rabbeinu Bachya it seems that there is a direct connection between the eagerness to donate to the Egel to the eagerness of the donations to the Mishkan. What is the common thread between those two?
The Beis HaLevi (Parshas Lech Lecha) addresses a famous question: How could the Dor Deah (“the Generation of Knowledge” who left Mitzrayim)—one of the most righteous generations in Jewish history—sin by making the Golden Calf after witnessing Hashem's open might and Presence?
Beis HaLevi explains that after the giving of the Torah, although the Jews had not yet been privy to the specific details of the construction of the Mishkan, they had already grasped the ideas that it would embody.
So, when they (incorrectly) calculated that Moshe wouldn't return from the mountain, they attempted to create their own "Mishkan" by means of the Golden Calf. Their mistake wasn't in their desire to connect with Hashem, but in acting on their own understanding rather than being commanded in its construction by Hashem.
After the giving of the Torah, spiritual pursuits needed to be directed by Hashem's commandments, not by human initiative. In short, their downfall was a result of holy intention without holy permission—a Mishkan of their own design rather than Hashem’s.
Elaborating on this Beis HaLevi, Rav Dovid Goldberg (Sefer Shiras Dovid, Parshas Vayakhel, printed 1990) points out that this attitude was exhibited specifically among the men of that time, because the men were commanded not only in the performance of mitzvos, but also in Torah study.
This accustomed them to understanding the reasons behind the laws and mitzvos and their spiritual implications. Ironically, it was precisely this initiative to understand the Torah that led to their undoing in creating the Egel.
However, the women, who weren’t commanded in actually learning Torah (although it is definitely important for a woman to inculcate Torah knowledge and values), weren't as inclined to participate - let alone initiate - a foreign practice outside of the framework of Hashem’s command, and therefore, they didn’t sin at the Golden Calf.
Rav Goldberg concludes that perhaps this is also the explanation in our passuk why the women were quicker to donate to the Mishkan than the men. The women already had the intention of “lishma” (giving for the sole reason of doing Hashem’s will) ingrained in their beings, and they would be able to donate according to the directive of Hashem that the donations be given “lishma” (see Shemos 25:2, and Rashi there).
However, the men had to “work on themselves” and clear their minds of ulterior motives -even the holy ones - which explains their silver medal finish in the donation race.
(It’s interesting to note that according to this explanation, the men weren't dragging their feet out of laziness , rather they were exercising spiritual self-awareness; they recognized they needed extra time to purify their intentions before their gifts could truly be worthy of the Mishkan.)
I’d like to add that perhaps this also illuminates why the word “al” is used.
The Gemara in Chagiga (9b) says:
“Bar Hei Hei said to Hillel: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between he who serves God and he who does not serve Him” (Malachi 3:18). There are two redundancies here: “The righteous” is the same as “he who serves God,” and “the wicked” is the same as “he who does not serve Him.” Hillel said to him: The one “who serves Him” and the one “who does not serve Him” are both referring to completely righteous people. But the verse is hinting at a distinction between them, as one who reviews his studies one hundred times is not comparable to one who reviews his studies one hundred and one times. Bar Hei Hei said to him: And due to one extra time that he did not review, the verse calls him a person “who does not serve Him”? He said to him: Yes… “
Why is the number 100 so significant? Yes, it is the first three-digit number, but that is a relatively modern phenomenon based on the Arabic numeric language?
The answer is that we find the number 10 represents completion; there are 10 sefiros in Kabbalah, 10 utterances through which Hashem created the world (Avos 5:1), and 10 Commandments at Sinai, to name a few “10”s.
When these “perfect tens” are multiplied—10×10—we arrive at 100, representing not just completion but ultimate perfection. The Gemara in Chagigah, according to this, is saying that if a person learns something 100 times, it could be chalked up to being done for personal satisfaction, even if spiritually motivated.
However, when a person learns something 101 times and “ruins” his symbolic symmetry, he is showing that he is doing it because Hashem commanded him to do it.
Perhaps the Torah specifically uses the word “al” in this context because the word “al” has the gematria of 100 to indicate that the men came after the women because they needed to work through the concept represented by "al"—the idea of doing things because they make sense intellectually—which is encapsulated in the number 100.
May Hashem help us with doing his will lishma!
Good Shabbos
Sources and Footnotes
(כב) וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים עַל־הַנָּשִׁ֑ים כֹּ֣ל ׀ נְדִ֣יב לֵ֗ב הֵ֠בִ֠יאוּ חָ֣ח וָנֶ֜זֶם וְטַבַּ֤עַת וְכוּמָז֙ כׇּל־כְּלִ֣י זָהָ֔ב וְכׇל־אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵנִ֛יף תְּנוּפַ֥ת זָהָ֖ב לַיהֹוָֽה׃
(22) Men and women, all whose hearts moved them, all who would make an elevation offering of gold to יהוה, came bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and pendants*pendants Meaning of Heb. kumaz uncertain; cf. Num. 31.50. —gold objects of all kinds.
(א) (על הנשים. עִם הַנָּשִׁים וּסְמוּכִין אֲלֵיהֶן):
(1) על הנשים means with the women and closely following them.
(ב) ויבאו האנשים על הנשים. כי לשון על הנשים יורה כי הנשים באו שם בתחלה וכאשר באו האנשים כבר מצאו שם הנשים שהביאו שם נדבתם תחלה, וזאת מעלה גדולה בנשים כי במעשה העגל לא רצו לתת תכשיטיהן שכן כתיב (שמות לב) ויאמר להם אהרן פרקו נזמי הזהב אשר באזני נשיכם בניכם ובנותיכם, וכתיב (שם) ויתפרקו כל העם את נזמי הזהב אשר באזניהם ולא אמר באזני נשיהם כי לא רצו הנשים בכך, והוא שרמז שלמה על זה (קהלת ז) אדם אחד מאלף מצאתי ואשה בכל אלה לא מצאתי, ירמוז למה שכתוב (שמות לב) אלה אלהיך. (ג) אבל עתה בענין המצוה בנדבת המשכן רצו לתת תכשיטי הזהב שלהן בחפץ גדול עם היות ענין טבעי בנשים להשתעשע ולשמוח בתכשיטיהן והם הם עקר שמחתן וחמדתן והביאו חח ונזם וטבעת עגיל וכומז כל כלי זהב וקדמו במצוה הזאת לאנשים כי כן יורה לשון על כלשון (ישעיהו ז׳:ב׳) נחה ארם על אפרים כי המלחמה ההיא לאפרים ואפרים היו בתחלה שם. (ד) ובפרקי ר' אליעזר נתן הקב"ה לנשים שכרן בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב לפי שהיה זה בר"ח, בעוה"ז שמשמרות ראשי חדשים יותר מן האנשים, ובעוה"ב שהן עתידות להתחדש כמו ראשי חדשים שנאמר (תהילים ק״ג:ה׳) "המשביע בטוב עדיך תתחדש כנשר נעוריכי..."
(2) The women were the first to respond; this is why the Torah records (verse 22) “the men came following the women, etc.” When the men arrived with their gifts they found that their women had already preceded them. It is a remarkable tribute to the Jewish women who had not been willing to give their men their jewelry to help in the making of the golden calf but who now volunteered their most precious possessions with alacrity (compare Exodus 32, 2 and 3, and Tanchuma on Ki Tissa 19).When the Torah had described the donations for the making of the golden calf which, according to Aaron (32,3), should have been given by the women and the girls, the Torah did not report any of the women giving up their jewelry for such a project. This is why the Torah reports the men as divesting themselves of their own jewelry instead (in that verse). Solomon alluded to this when he wrote in Kohelet 7,28: אדם אחד מאלף מצאתי ואשה בכל אלה לא מצאתי, “I have found one man in a thousand, but I have not even found one woman amongst these,” (who contributed to אלה, the word used when the Israelites were told to look upon that calf as a deity). (3) Now that the donations requested were for the building of the Tabernacle, were intended to provide a home for the Shechinah, the women were the first to respond enthusiastically to the call for contributions. The Torah enumerates that the women even contributed jewelry worn on intimate parts of their bodies. They overcame their habitual reluctance to part with such intimate jewelry.We find other examples in the Bible where the word על used here by the Torah means “in addition to.” An example of such a use of the word על is found in Isaiah 7,2: “Aram has joined Ephrayim (the Northern Kingdom) to gang up against you “ (the Kingdom of Yehudah). In that instance, Ephrayim were the first to ready themselves for war against Achaz, King of Yehudah. (4) In Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer we are told (chapter 45) that G’d rewarded the women for this both in this life as well as in the world to come, seeing all this occurred on the first day of the month. (The Tabernacle was erected on the first of Nissan, the donations were given immediately after the Day of Atonement). Women observe the Day of the New Moon more than do the men as on that day they do not perform all the chores which they perform on ordinary days of the week (Hagahot Rabbi David Luria based on a saying in the Jerusalem Talmud Pesachim beginning of fourth chapter). In the world to come, the reward set aside for women having volunteered their jewelry on this occasion is based on Psalms 103,5: “He satisfies you with the good things in the prime of life so that your youth is renewed like that of the eagle...”
אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּר הֵי הֵי לְהִלֵּל, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״וְשַׁבְתֶּם וּרְאִיתֶם בֵּין צַדִּיק לְרָשָׁע בֵּין עוֹבֵד אֱלֹהִים לַאֲשֶׁר לֹא עֲבָדוֹ״, הַיְינוּ ״צַדִּיק״ — הַיְינוּ ״עוֹבֵד אֱלֹהִים״, הַיְינוּ ״רָשָׁע״ — הַיְינוּ ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא עֲבָדוֹ״! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״עֲבָדוֹ״ וְ״לֹא עֲבָדוֹ״ — תַּרְוַיְיהוּ צַדִּיקֵי גְּמוּרֵי נִינְהוּ, וְאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה שׁוֹנֶה פִּרְקוֹ מֵאָה פְּעָמִים, לְשׁוֹנֶה פִּרְקוֹ מֵאָה וְאֶחָד. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וּמִשּׁוּם חַד זִימְנָא קָרֵי לֵיהּ ״לֹא עֲבָדוֹ״? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין, צֵא וּלְמַד מִשּׁוּק שֶׁל חֲמָרִין: עַשְׂרָה פַּרְסֵי — בְּזוּזָא, חַד עֲשַׂר פַּרְסֵי — בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי.
The Gemara records another discussion between bar Hei Hei and Hillel. Bar Hei Hei said to Hillel: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between he who serves God and he who does not serve Him” (Malachi 3:18). There are two redundancies here: “The righteous” is the same as “he who serves God,” and “the wicked” is the same as “he who does not serve Him.” Hillel said to him: The one “who serves Him” and the one “who does not serve Him” are both referring to completely righteous people. But the verse is hinting at a distinction between them, as one who reviews his studies one hundred times is not comparable to one who reviews his studies one hundred and one times. Bar Hei Hei said to him: And due to one extra time that he did not review, the verse calls him a person “who does not serve Him”? He said to him: Yes. Go and learn from the market of donkey drivers. One can hire a driver to travel up to ten parasangs for one dinar. However, he will travel eleven parasangs only for two dinars. This shows that any departure beyond the norm is considered a significant difference.
(א) בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, וַהֲלֹא בְמַאֲמָר אֶחָד יָכוֹל לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, אֶלָּא לְהִפָּרַע מִן הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, וְלִתֵּן שָׂכָר טוֹב לַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת:
(1) With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances.
*stepping over the women. There is a machlokes as to whether the way in which the people brought the donations was indeed separate or altogether. Some want to be medayek from Onkelos that he renders the word "al" in its literal form that he holds that they were literally "stepping over eachother" in an immodest way. (Indeed, Onkelos in another place renders "al" as "samich" (close) to intentionally veer away from its literal sense, so the fact that he doesn't do so here, is perhaps a proof that he takes it literally)
However, Beuirei Onkelos says that Onkelos is to be understood like Rashi, that it means close by, but not literally "on" them.
It is interesting to see how sometimes the act of coming "unorganized" is looked at as a good thing, an act of passion, whereas other times it is a sign of a bad thing, like by Korach.