The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Shemos 38:24, the Torah writes כָּל־הַזָּהָ֗ב הֶֽעָשׂוּי֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מְלֶ֣אכֶת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיְהִ֣י | זְהַ֣ב הַתְּנוּפָ֗ה תֵּ֤שַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ כִּכָּ֔ר וּשְׁבַ֨ע מֵא֧וֹת וּשְׁלשִׁ֛ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ . R' Frand commented that he does not know the weight in pounds, but he is sure that it was very significant.
He then quoted a Medrash on Parshas Terumah which states that Hashem had no need to create gold as the world would have been fine without it. (R' Frand quipped We could have used silver as gifts for our spouses). The reason that Hashem created it was to beautify the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash.
R' Frand commented that we learn from this that there are many things which are not truly necessary, but Hashem created them only for a specific purpose.
R' Frand quoted the sefer Yismach Yehuda which writes that the Choftez Chaim said that the reason that Hashem put in the mind of a person to create trains was to make it faster and easier for bochurim to get to yeshiva. Prior to the train, people travelled by horse and buggy and the buggies often got stuck in the mud when it rained. R' Frand theorized that in our generation, if one needed to take a horse and buggy to go to yeshiva he would probably not go.
R' Frand connected this with a Gemara (although he did not mention which mesechta) which told of a man who would travel three months to get to yeshiva and then he would stay and learn for a day, before commencing a three month walk back to his home.
R' Frand also said in the name of R' Aryeh Leb Gurvitz of Gateshead that the seforim today are so plentiful and the print is so beautiful, whereas a few generation back the seforim were scarce and the print was not as clear. R' Frand mentioned that in Slobodka there was one copy of the Ohr Sameach and the boys would take turns learning it. When it was R' Ruderman's turn it was nice and he went out to learn it by moonlight.
R' Frand also told of R' Birnbaum who when he was learning in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Europe was thought of as having come from a wealthy family since he had a Kitzos HaChoshen. But the truth was that his mother sold her silver candlesticks to buy it for him.
Again, in our generation there would not be this level of Mesiras Nefesh.
R' Frand told a second vort based on a Medrash which states that Hashem said that gold that was donated for the Mishkan was an atonement for the gold donated for the Egel. Hashem said - when you created the Egel you angered Me, as you stated in Shemos 32:8 -אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם. But when you built the Mishkan and said in Shemos 38:21 - אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָֽעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י משֶׁ֑ה you made Me happy.
What is the connection other than the use of the same word?
R' Frand answered by quoting the pasuk in Bereishis 2:4 - אֵ֣לֶּה תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִ֣בָּֽרְאָ֑ם. This was Hashem's expression of pride in creating the world. When the Jews used the same term in describing the Egel it showed their level of pride about its creation and that angered Hashem. But when they built the Mishkan and again used that term, Hashem granted them atonement.
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