Having already written in Pasuk 51 "Vayikach Moshe ve'Elazar ha'Kohen ... ", why does the Torah repeat it here?
Seforno: It that, after Mosh accepted the gift, he brought it to the Ohel Mo?ed.
Oznayim la'Torah: In Pasuk 51, they accepted the golden vessels on principle and instructed them to melt it down, and the Torah is now informing us that Moshe and Elazar actually took the gold - after it had been melted down and formed into lumps of gold and weighed.
Why does the Torah switch from "me'Eis Sarei ha'Alafim u'me'Eis Sarei ha'Me'os" to me'Eis Sarei ha'Alafim ve'ha'Me'os"?
Oznayim la'Torah (in Pasuk 42): Because initially, Moshe accepted the golden vessels fro the Sarei Alafim and the Sarei Me'os seperately, whereas now that the vessels had been melted down and mixed and formed into lumps of gold, 1 the gold merged into one combined gift.
What are the connotations of "Zikaron li'Venei Yisrael ... "?
Seforno: It means ?to atone for the sin of Pe?or?.
Oznayim la'Torah: It means that when the people would see the lumps of gold in the Ohel Mo'ed that had been donated by the Sarei Alafim and the Sarei Me'os, because not one of their troops had been killed or had sinned, their Emunah in Hashem in the miracles that He performs on behalf of those who carry ou His will would be fortified.
What did they do with the soldiers' Korban?
Rashi: Refer to 31:50:2:1.
Rashbam: Refer to 31:50:2:2.
Ramban, Rashbam and Moshav Zekenim: They made K'lei Shareis and donated them to the Tzibur. Hence the Torah refers to it as "Zikaron li'Venei Yisrael". 1
Moshav Zekenim: Because had it gone to the treasury of the Mishkan, it would have been described as 'Zikaron Lifnei Hashem'.
