Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 40

28He put the Screen for the entrance to the Tabernacle in place.   כחוַיָּ֛שֶׂם אֶת־מָסַ֥ךְ הַפֶּ֖תַח לַמִּשְׁכָּֽן:
29He then placed the sacrificial Altar in front of the entrance to the Tabernacle, i.e., the Tent of Meeting, and upon it he sacrificed the daily ascent-offering and its accompanying grain-offering and libation—as God had commanded Moses.   כטוְאֵת֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח הָֽעֹלָ֔ה שָׂ֕ם פֶּ֖תַח מִשְׁכַּ֣ן אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיַּ֣עַל עָלָ֗יו אֶת־הָֽעֹלָה֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־משֶֽׁה:
וַיַּעַל עָלָיו וגו' - And upon it he sacrificed… Even on the eighth day of inauguration, which was the day the Tabernacle was erected permanently, Moses officiated and brought the communal sacrifices, apart from those that Aaron and his sons were commanded to bring on that day, as it says: קְרַב אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וגו׳ “Moses said to Aaron, ‘Approach the Altar….’” 1   וַיַּעַל עָלָיו וגו'.  אַף בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים, שֶׁהוּא יוֹם הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שִׁמֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה וְהִקְרִיב קָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר, חוּץ מֵאוֹתָן שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בוֹ בַיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר קְרַב אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְגוֹמֵר (ויקרא ט'):
אֶת־הָֽעֹלָה - The ascent-offering - the daily ascent-offering.   אֶת־הָֽעֹלָה.  עוֹלַת הַתָּמִיד:
וְאֵת הַמִּנְחָה - (lit.) And the grain-offering - i.e., the grain-offering accompanied by the libation of the daily offering, as it says: “one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour kneaded with…oil….” 2   וְאֵת הַמִּנְחָה.  מִנְחַת נְסָכִים שֶׁל תָּמִיד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְעִשָּׂרֹן סֹלֶת בָּלוּל בְּשֶׁמֶן וְגוֹמֵר (שמות כ"ט):
30He placed the Laver between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar, and put water in it for washing.   לוַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ אֶת־הַכִּיֹּ֔ר בֵּֽין־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן שָׁ֛מָּה מַ֖יִם לְרָחְצָֽה:
31From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet.   לאוְרָֽחֲצ֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ משֶׁ֖ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֣ן וּבָנָ֑יו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־רַגְלֵיהֶֽם:
וְרָֽחֲצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן - From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed. On the eighth day of inauguration they were all, including Moses, equal regarding their status as priests. Onkelos’ translation of וְרָחֲצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ is וּמְקַדְּשִׁין מִנֵּה “and they would wash from it,” i.e., on that day Moses washed together with them.   וְרָֽחֲצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן.  יוֹם שְׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים הֻשְׁווּ כֻלָּם לִכְהֻנָּה, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּמְקַדְּשִׁין מִנֵּהּ, בּוֹ בַיּוֹם קִדֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה עִמָּהֶם:
32They would wash whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or drew near to the Altar—as God had commanded Moses.   לבבְּבֹאָ֞ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד וּבְקָרְבָתָ֛ם אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ יִרְחָ֑צוּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־משֶֽׁה:
וּבְקָרְבָתָם - is equivalent to וּבְקָרְבָם - when they would draw near.   וּבְקָרְבָתָם.  כְּמוֹ וּבְקָרְבָם – כְּשֶׁיִּקְרְבוּ:
33He set up the Courtyard surrounding the Tabernacle and the Altar, and he emplaced the Screen for the entrance to the Courtyard. With this, Moses completed the work.   לגוַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶֽחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶֽחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל משֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה:
34The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of God filled the Tabernacle.   לדוַיְכַ֥ס הֶֽעָנָ֖ן אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן:
35Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting since the cloud had rested on it and God’s glory filled the Tabernacle.   להוְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֣ל משֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶֽעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן:
וְלֹֽא־יָכֹל משֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד - Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting - yet another verse says: “When Moses would come into the Tent of Meeting.” 3 Comes the third verse here and reconciles them: “since the cloud had rested upon it,” from which you can infer that as long as the cloud was upon it he was unable to enter, but when the cloud departed, he could enter and converse with God.   וְלֹֽא־יָכֹל משֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.  וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (במדבר ז')? בָּא הַכָּתוּב הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם – כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן, אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה עָלָיו הֶעָנָן לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לָבֹא, נִסְתַּלֵּק הֶעָנָן נִכְנָס וּמְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ (ספרא):
36Whenever the cloud rose from above the Tabernacle, the Israelites would embark on all their journeys.   לווּבְהֵֽעָל֤וֹת הֶֽעָנָן֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן יִסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּכֹ֖ל מַסְעֵיהֶֽם:
37If the cloud did not rise, they would not set out until the day it rose.   לזוְאִם־לֹ֥א יֵֽעָלֶ֖ה הֶֽעָנָ֑ן וְלֹ֣א יִסְע֔וּ עַד־י֖וֹם הֵעָֽלֹתֽוֹ:
38For wherever they camped, the cloud of God was above the Tabernacle by day, and fire would be there by night, visible to the entire House of Israel, at all the stations of their journeys.   לחכִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם:
לְעֵינֵי כָל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם - before the eyes of the entire house of Israel in all their journeys - On every journey (מַסָּע) that they were traveling, the cloud would rest in that place where they encamped. The place of their encampment is also called a journey (מַסָּע). Likewise, “And he went to his stations (לְמַסָּעָיו) ” (Gen. 13:3) [i.e., to the stops along his journey], and likewise, “These are the journeys (מַסְעֵי) ” (Num. 33:1). Since from the place of their encampment they resumed their journeys, they are all called “journeys” (מַסָעוֹת).   לְעֵינֵי כָל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם.  בְּכָל מַסָּע שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹסְעִים, הָיָה הֶעָנָן שׁוֹכֵן בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יַחֲנוּ שָׁם; מְקוֹם חֲנִיָּתָן אַף הוּא קָרוּי מַסָּע, וְכֵן וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו (בראשית י"ג), וְכֵן אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי (במדבר ל"ג), לְפִי שֶׁמִּמְּקוֹם הַחֲנִיָּה חָזְרוּ וְנָסְעוּ, לְכָךְ נִקְרְאוּ כֻלָּן מַסָּעוֹת: