Shemot Rabbah 49

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כָל חֲכַם לֵב, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שיר השירים ח, ז): מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה. מַיִם רַבִּים, אֵלּוּ הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה יז, יב): כַּהֲמוֹת יַמִּים יֶהֱמָיוּן, וְאִם הָיוּ מִתְכַּנְסִין כָּל הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים לְבַטֵּל אֶת הָאַהֲבָה שֶׁבֵּין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא הָיוּ יְכוֹלִים, הֱוֵי: מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי א, ב): וָאוֹהַב אֶת יַעֲקֹב. וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ, אֵלּוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ח, ז): אֶת מֵי הַנָּהָר הָעֲצוּמִים וְהָרַבִּים אֶת מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר. אִם יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת כָּל הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ, אֲבָל בָּנַי עָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ שֶׁל יְרִיעוֹת וְיָרַדְתִּי וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות מ, לה): וְלֹא יָכֹל משֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן.

“All the wise hearted among those who performed the labor crafted the Tabernacle: ten tapestries of spun linen and sky blue, purple, and scarlet wool, with artfully-crafted cherubs, they made them” (Exodus 36:8). “All the wise hearted…crafted,” that is what is written: “Many waters cannot extinguish love” (Song of Songs 8:7). “Many waters,” these are the idolaters, as it is written: “[Woe, the uproar of many nations,] like the roar of seas will they roar” (Isaiah 17:12). Were all the idolaters to assemble to void the love between the Holy One blessed be He and Israel, they would be unable to do so. That is, “many waters cannot extinguish love,” as it is stated: “And I loved Jacob” (Malachi 1:2). “And rivers cannot wash it away” (Song of Songs 8:7), these are the Chaldeans, as it is stated: “The mighty and abundant waters of the River upon them, the king of Assyria” (Isaiah 8:7). “Were a man to give all the wealth of his house for love, they would scorn him” (Song of Songs 8:7), but My children crafted a Sanctuary of tapestries for Me, and I descended and dwelled in their midst, as it is stated: “Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting…and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:35).

דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָל חֲכַם לֵב, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שיר השירים א, ה): שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי וְנָאוָה, אִם שְׁחוֹרָה לָמָּה נָאוָה, וְכִי יֵשׁ שְׁחוֹרָה נָאוָה, אֶלָּא אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל: שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי בְּמַעֲשַׂי וְנָאוָה אֲנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹתַי, שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְנָאוָה אֲנִי בְּאָמְרִי בְּסִינַי (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי עַל הַיָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קו, ז): וַיַּמְרוּ עַל יָם בְּיַם סוּף, וְנָאוָה אֲנִי בְּאָמְרִי (שמות טז, ב): זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ. שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וְנָאוָה אֲנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּשְׁכָּן. שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי בְּשׁוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קו, כ): וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר, וְנָאוָה אֲנִי בְּשׁוֹר (ויקרא יז, ג): שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז. שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל כג, לח): טִמְאוּ אֶת מִקְדָּשִׁי, וְנָאוָה אֲנִי בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כָל חֲכַם לֵב. מַה מְּלָאכָה הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין, אֶלָּא רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב (שמות כה, ג): וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאִתָּם, זוֹ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא תְּרוּמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה ב, ג): קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה. זָהָב וָכֶסֶף, זוֹ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח, יד): כַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה נֶחְפָּה בַכֶּסֶף. וּנְחשֶׁת, זוֹ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ח, ט): וּמֵהֲרָרֶיהָ תַּחְצֹב נְחשֶׁת. תְּכֵלֶת, זוֹ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו, יד): וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת. וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי, זוֹ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מא, יד): אַל תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב. וְכֵן (שיר השירים ד, ג): כְּחוּט הַשָּׁנִי שִׂפְתוֹתַיִךְ, וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים סח, כח): שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רִגְמָתָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, זָהָב, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנִּבְחַן בְּכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ כְּזָהָב. וָכֶסֶף, זֶה יִצְחָק, שֶׁנִּצְרַף כַּכֶּסֶף עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. וּנְחשֶׁת, זֶה יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ל, כז): נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרֲכֵנִי ה' בִּגְלָלֶךָ.

Another matter, “all the wise hearted,” that is what is written: “I am black but comely” (Song of Songs 1:5). If black, why comely? Is there one who is black and comely? Rather, the congregation of Israel said: ‘I am black in my actions, but I am comely in the actions of my ancestors. I was black in Egypt, but I was comely when I said at Sinai: “Everything that the Lord speaks we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). I was black at the sea, as it stated: “They were defiant at the sea, the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7), but I was comely when I said: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2). I am black due to the crafting of the calf, but I am comely due to the crafting of the Tabernacle. I am black with a bull, as it is stated: “They exchanged their Glory for the image of a bull” (Psalms 106:20), but I am comely with a bull, “a bull, a lamb, or a goat” (Leviticus 17:3). I am black in the Tabernacle, as it is stated: “They defiled My Sanctuary” (Ezekiel 23:38), but I am comely in the Tabernacle.’ “All the wise hearted…crafted.” What labor did they perform? See what is written: “This is the gift [teruma] that you shall take from them: [Gold, silver, and bronze]” (Exodus 25:3). This is the congregation of Israel, which is a gift, as it is stated: “Israel is sacred to the Lord, the first of His crop” (Jeremiah 2:3). “Gold and silver,” this is the congregation of Israel, as it is stated: “Wings of the dove covered with silver, [its pinions with green and gold]” (Psalms 68:14). “And bronze,” this is the Land of Israel, as it is stated: “And from its mountains you will hew bronze” (Deuteronomy 8:9). “Sky blue [wool],” this is the congregation of Israel, as it is stated: “They shall place on the fringe of the corner a sky blue thread” (Numbers 15:38). “Purple [argaman], and scarlet wool [tolaat shani],” this is the congregation of Israel, as it is stated: “Fear not, worm [tolaat] of Jacob” (Isaiah 41:14), and likewise: “Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3). And it says: “The princes of Judah in their throng [rigmatam]” (Psalms 68:28). Another matter, “gold,” this is Abraham, who was tested in the fiery furnace like gold. “And silver,” this is Isaac, who was purified like silver upon the altar. “And bronze [neḥoshet],” this is Jacob, as it is stated: “I have divined [niḥashti], and God has blessed me on your account” (Genesis 30:27).