שמות, פרק ל״ח, פסוק כ״ט

As the construction of the Tabernacle comes to a close, a precise accounting of the raw materials takes place. A final tally summarizes the total weight of the donated copper and outlines the specific vessels crafted from it [אבן עזרא]. This thorough accounting of items made from copper and silver stands in sharp contrast to how the gold is recorded. Since the gold was primarily used to create a thin plating over the wooden boards and the altar, rather than to forge solid, freestanding vessels, it is not detailed in the same comprehensive manner [ריב״א].

Instead of being classified as a standard donation, the copper is described as a wave offering. Originally, the people contributed simple copper trade coins. Before these coins were presented to Moses, they underwent a thorough process of melting and refining until they became a high-quality metal. Only after this careful preparation did the copper earn its special title, and the final weight was calculated strictly from this purified metal [העמק דבר].

The total weight of the copper reached seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. These figures reflect a carefully calculated structure rather than a random amount. The seventy talents are based on multiples of seven, while the additional two thousand four hundred shekels stem from an ancient counting system built on multiples of sixty [קאסוטו]. To help people grasp this massive quantity, some scholars translated these biblical measurements into the everyday weights familiar to their own generations [חזקוני].

A closer look at this final tally reveals that certain items were intentionally left out. The primary approach among commentators is that the copper washbasin and its base are excluded from this total because they were crafted from a completely separate donation of women's mirrors. Furthermore, small items, such as the fifty copper clasps used for the tent, were not counted in the overall weight. Their mass was simply too minor and negligible compared to the massive curtains they held together [ריב״א].