“And every man whose heart raised him came, and all whose spirit motivated him brought what was donated to G-d for the work of the Tent of Meeting and for all of its service and for the holy garments” (Sh’mos 25:21). Targum Yonasan translates “all whose spirit motivated him” as “all whose spirit was completed with the prophecy that was with him” Similarly, when Moshe told the nation that Betzalel was chosen by G-d, who “filled him with the divine spirit” (25:31), Targum Yonasan translates “spirit” as “the spirit of prophecy.” We can understand why Betzalel needed “the spirit of prophecy” to build the Mishkan exactly the way it was intended, as there were aspects of the instructions that Moshe gave him that were either incomplete (see Ramban on 36:8 and Chizkuni on 36:38; see also https://rabbidmk.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/parashas-pekuday-5774/), or were given to him in the wrong order (see B’rachos 55a). But why would those who donated the materials for the Mishkan need prophecy? Weren’t they told exactly which materials to donate? What was the purpose of the prophecy experienced by those who donated materials (as opposed to those who built it)?

A simplistic answer might be that a person who had several materials that were on the list of things to be donated needed help deciding which one(s) to donate, and/or how much of each to donate. However, I am uncomfortable with the notion that a person would experience prophecy just to help determine precisely what to donate and/or how much. Was prophecy used to help the undecided make their decisions, rather than to attain a deeper spiritual awareness? Since they were of a “donating spirit,” why would they have held back from giving anything that could be used for the Mishkan? There were more donations than needed (36:5-6), so if anything, help was needed to decide what not to donate. (Any decision regarding what to donate must, by definition, include what not to donate.) Was prophecy used as a tool to help them figure out which materials that they owned and could be donated shouldn’t be? [It would be quite awkward if the prophecy experienced by those having a “donating spirit” meant they used their prophecy in order to donate less than they otherwise would have, especially since the expression is presented as if prophecy helped them donate rather than helped them curtail their donation.]

When the donations were requested (35:5), there was only one expression used, “donating hearts,” the same expression used in the initial commandment (25:2). It is only when the actual donations were made that two distinct groups were described, those who donated because “their heart lifted them,” and those who donated because “their spirit motivated them.” [The commentators say that it is this dual expression that led Targum Yonasan to explain the latter to be referring to experiencing prophecy.] The term “donating heart” is used again when the specific donations are mentioned (35:22 and 35:29), while the term “uplifted hearts” is used to describe the women who spun the goat’s hair into threads (35:26). It would therefore seem that the term “donating heart” covers both those whose “heart was uplifted” and those with a “donating spirit,” so is used to refer to all the donations, while each specific term, which is a subset of those with a “donating heart,” refers to specific individuals within the larger group. The question remains, though, as to what function prophecy had for those who had a “donating spirit” as opposed to just a “heart that raised them.”

When an appeal is made for funds (or materials), donations can be made simply because there is a general need, or because those who donate want to make sure a specific need is filled. For example, if a synagogue has a deficit, it is very generous of anyone who donates to help cover the deficit, while one who pledges to cover a specific item in the budget (say, covering the costs of the coffee and refreshments available to those who participate in synagogue functions, or to replace the air conditioning system) has a more direct connection with that budgetary item than had the same amount of money been donated without designating it to go towards that specific item. Even though the amount the deficit is reduced by is the same whether the money is donated to the general fund or to a specific item, by identifying a particular area where the money is to be applied, there is often a more palpable relationship with the synagogue than had the funds been given towards the deficit as a whole. Donating a majestic Aron Kodesh can bring about a different feeling when davening in that sanctuary than donating the same amount of money, even if the synagogue’s trustees decide to use the donated money to buy that same majestic Aron Kodesh. All voluntary donations come from a “donating heart,” which is “raised” through the process of donating to a worthy cause, but a “donating spirit” has a vision of what he or she thinks needs to be accomplished, and does whatever he or she can to make that vision a reality.

The “appeal” for the Mishkan wasn’t one asking for money to be donated so that the materials necessary to build it can be purchased, but for the materials themselves to be donated, and for workers to donate their time and energy. Those who donated did so in order that there would be a Mishkan within which G-d’s divine presence would dwell. There were some who tried to visualize how the specific materials they were donating would contribute to creating a physical space for G-d’s presence to dwell within; it wasn’t just their “hearts” that were part of the donation process, but their very essence, their “spirit.” Even though the same materials could be donated without trying to better understand how they would be used, a more direct connection to the Mishkan was created by those who put more thought into what they were donating and its specific impact.

“It is possible for a prophecy to only be for the benefit of the prophet himself, to expand his heart and to increase his knowledge to the extent that he will know, regarding great matters, what he hadn’t known” (Rambam, Hilchos Y’soday HaTorah 7:7). [Note how the Rambam says “great matters,” not just to help make decisions.] Was it necessary for those who donated to experience prophecy in order for the Mishkan to be built? Not necessarily. Did it add to the holiness of the Mishkan that some who donated made a stronger connection with it by trying to visualize what it would be like? Absolutely. And those who did were rewarded by being able to visualize it through prophecy, “expanding their [donating] hearts” and allowing them to understand things that they otherwise could not have fully understood.

When the Torah tells us that whoever had a “donating heart” contributed materials for the Mishkan, it also tells us that some had a “donating spirit,” with Targum Yonasan explaining that they experienced prophecy in order to enable them to visualize how the materials they were donating would manifest themselves in a structure within which G-d’s divine presence would dwell.