במדבר, פרק ז׳, פסוק פ״ו

The dedication of the Tabernacle culminates in a grand summary of the gifts brought by the tribal leaders. Among these offerings, the incense pans stand out, revealing both precise technical details and profound ideas about communal service. Twelve pans made of pure gold were presented, each brimming with incense. Every pan weighed exactly ten shekels, bringing the total weight of the gold, independent of the incense itself, to one hundred and twenty shekels [ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. Offering incense in this manner was highly unusual. Typically, incense is burned exclusively on the inner altar hidden within the sanctuary. Here, however, it was brought as a public offering on the outer altar [העמק דבר].

Earlier accounts of these donations left a slight ambiguity regarding the materials and their measurements. Initial descriptions could be misunderstood to mean either that the pans were made of gold and weighed against standard silver shekels, or that they were made of silver but measured against the distinct weight of gold shekels. The final summary resolves this completely. It emphasizes that the pans themselves were indeed crafted from pure gold, while their weight was calculated using the standard holy shekel, which is a silver measure [רש״י, משכיל לדוד, גור אריה, יריעות שלמה].

Since the individual donation of every single leader was already recorded in great detail, the need for a final tally of the pans and their total weight requires explanation. One perspective suggests that this summary serves as a testament to the purity of the offerings. It confirms that the exact pans volunteered by the leaders remained pristine and were not disqualified or damaged at any point during the dedication of the altar [מזרחי, מלבי״ם, שפתי חכמים].

Beyond the physical preservation of the items, the collective summary carries a deeper message. Initially, each leader is recognized for his personal merit in bringing an individual gift. By finally binding all these separate donations together into one total sum, the focus shifts to the power of the collective. This teaches that whenever a person participates in a public Commandment, they do not merely receive a reward for their own individual contribution. Rather, they become full partners in the collective merit, sharing in the total reward earned by the entire community [מלבי״ם].