Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 38

1He made the sacrificial Altar out of acacia wood. It was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide, and three cubits high.   אוַיַּ֛עַשׂ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֥ח הָֽעֹלָ֖ה עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חָמֵשׁ֩ אַמּ֨וֹת אָרְכּ֜וֹ וְחָמֵֽשׁ־אַמּ֤וֹת רָחְבּוֹ֙ רָב֔וּעַ וְשָׁל֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת קֹֽמָתֽוֹ:
2He made protrusions for it on its top four corners, the protrusions being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with copper.   בוַיַּ֣עַשׂ קַרְנֹתָ֗יו עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פִּנֹּתָ֔יו מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הָי֣וּ קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וַיְצַ֥ף אֹת֖וֹ נְחֽשֶׁת:
3He made all the Altar’s implements—the pots, scoops, basins, flesh-hooks, and fire pans; he made all its implements out of copper.   גוַיַּ֜עַשׂ אֶת־כָּל־כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ אֶת־הַסִּירֹ֤ת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָקֹ֔ת אֶת־הַמִּזְלָגֹ֖ת וְאֶת־הַמַּחְתֹּ֑ת כָּל־כֵּלָ֖יו עָשָׂ֥ה נְחֽשֶׁת:
4He made for the Altar a Grate of copper network under its decorative Border, extending downward until the middle of the Altar’s height.   דוַיַּ֤עַשׂ לַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ מִכְבָּ֔ר מַֽעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֶ֣שֶׁת נְח֑שֶׁת תַּ֧חַת כַּרְכֻּבּ֛וֹ מִלְּמַ֖טָּה עַד־חֶצְיֽוֹ:
5He cast four rings for the four corners of the copper Grate, as holders for the poles.   הוַיִּצֹ֞ק אַרְבַּ֧ע טַבָּעֹ֛ת בְּאַרְבַּ֥ע הַקְּצָוֹ֖ת לְמִכְבַּ֣ר הַנְּח֑שֶׁת בָּתִּ֖ים לַבַּדִּֽים:
6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with copper.   ווַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־הַבַּדִּ֖ים עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וַיְצַ֥ף אֹתָ֖ם נְחֽשֶׁת:
7He inserted the poles through the rings on the sides of the Altar, so that it could be carried with them. He made the Altar a hollow structure, of panels.   זוַיָּבֵ֨א אֶת־הַבַּדִּ֜ים בַּטַּבָּעֹ֗ת עַ֚ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ לָשֵׂ֥את אֹת֖וֹ בָּהֶ֑ם נְב֥וּב לֻחֹ֖ת עָשָׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ:
נְבוּב לֻחֹת - נְבוּב means “hollow,” as in: “and it was four fingerbreadths thick and hollow (נָבוּב).”1   נְבוּב לֻחֹת.  נָבוּב הוּא חָלוּל, וְכֵן וְעָבְיוֹ אַרְבַּע אֶצְבָּעוֹת נָבוּב (ירמיהו נ"ב):
נְבוּב לֻחֹת - A hollow structure, of panels - i.e., panels of acacia wood on all sides, with a hollow in the middle.   נְבוּב לֻחֹת.  הַלּוּחוֹת שֶׁל עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים לְכָל רוּחַ, וְהֶחָלָל בָּאֶמְצַע:
8He made the copper Laver and its copper base out of the mirrors of the legions of women who congregated in the Courtyard, outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.   חוַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְח֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְח֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד:
בְּמַרְאֹת הַצֹּבְאֹת - Out of the mirrors of the legions of women. The Israelite women possessed copper mirrors to look at when adorning themselves, and even these they did not withhold from bringing as a donation for the Tabernacle. Moses at first rejected them, because they are used to arouse the evil inclination, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Accept them, for these are more precious to Me than everything else, since through them the women produced many legions (צְבָאוֹת) in Egypt.” For when their husbands were weary from the backbreaking labor, the women would go and bring them food and drink, and feed them. They would then take these mirrors, and each one would look at herself in the mirror with her husband, luring him by saying, ‘I am more beautiful than you.’ In this way, they brought their husbands to desire and to have marital relations with them, and they conceived and gave birth there in the fields, as it says: “Under the apple tree I aroused you.”2 This is thus the meaning of what it says: “out of the mirrors of the legions.” From them was made the Laver, which serves to promote harmony between husband and wife, for a woman whose husband had warned her against seclusion with another man and nevertheless secluded herself with that man is given water from the Laver to drink. And you can be sure that the entities referred to in this verse were physical mirrors, for it says: “The copper of the wave-offering came to 70 talents…. With it he made…,”3 and the Laver and its base are not mentioned there, so you may infer that the copper for the Laver was not part of the copper of the wave-offering but came from some other donation, namely, these mirrors. This is how Rabbi Tanchuma expounded it,4 and Onkelos also translates it in this way: בְּמֶחְזְיָת נְשַׁיָּא “with the women’s mirrors,” מֶחְזְיָת being the translation of מַרְאוֹת; “mirores” in Old French. Similarly we find in Isaiah:5 וְהַגִּלְיֹנִים, which translates as וּמֶחְזְיָתָא “and the mirrors.”   בְּמַרְאֹת הַצֹּבְאֹת.  בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ בְיָדָן מַרְאוֹת שֶׁרוֹאוֹת בָּהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן מִתְקַשְּׁטוֹת, וְאַף אוֹתָן לֹא עִכְּבוּ מִלְּהָבִיא לְנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְהָיָה מוֹאֵס מֹשֶׁה בָּהֶן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשׂוּיִם לְיֵצֶר הָרָע, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קַבֵּל, כִּי אֵלּוּ חֲבִיבִין עָלַי מִן הַכֹּל, שֶׁעַל יְדֵיהֶם הֶעֱמִידוּ הַנָּשִׁים צְבָאוֹת רַבּוֹת בְּמִצְרַיִם; כְּשֶׁהָיוּ בַעְלֵיהֶם יְגֵעִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ, הָיוּ הוֹלְכוֹת וּמוֹלִיכוֹת לָהֶם מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה, וּמַאֲכִילוֹת אוֹתָם וְנוֹטְלוֹת הַמַּרְאוֹת, וְכָל אַחַת רוֹאָה עַצְמָהּ עִם בַּעְלָהּ בַּמַּרְאָה, וּמְשַׁדַּלְתּוֹ בִדְבָרִים, לוֹמַר אֲנִי נָאָה מִמְּךָ, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ מְבִיאוֹת לְבַעְלֵיהֶן לִידֵי תַאֲוָה וְנִזְקָקוֹת לָהֶם וּמִתְעַבְּרוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ (שיר השירים ח'), וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּמַרְאֹת הַצּוֹבְאוֹת. וְנַעֲשָׂה הַכִּיּוֹר מֵהֶם, שֶׁהוּא לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ – לְהַשְׁקוֹת מִמַּיִם שֶׁבְּתוֹכוֹ לְמִי שֶׁקִּנֵּא לָהּ בַּעְלָהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה; וְתֵדַע לְךָ שֶׁהֵן מַרְאוֹת מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה שִׁבְעִים כִּכָּר וְגוֹ', וַיַּעַשׂ בָּהּ וְגוֹמֵר, וְכִיּוֹר וְכַנּוֹ לֹא הֻזְכְּרוּ שָׁם, לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה נְחֹשֶׁת שֶׁל כִּיּוֹר מִנְּחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה, כָּךְ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס בְּמֶחְזְיָת נְשַׁיָא וְהוּא תַרְגּוּם שֶׁל מַרְאוֹת, מירוריי"ש בְּלַעַז. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ וְהַגִּלְיוֹנִים (ישעיה ג') – מְתַרְגְּמִינָן מֶחְזְיָתָא:
אֲשֶׁר צָֽבְאוּ - Who congregated - to bring their donation.   אֲשֶׁר צָֽבְאוּ.  לְהָבִיא נִדְבָתָן:
9He made the Courtyard as follows: On the south side, the nettings of the Courtyard, which were made of twined linen, were 100 cubits long.   טוַיַּ֖עַשׂ אֶת־הֶֽחָצֵ֑ר לִפְאַ֣ת | נֶ֣גֶב תֵּימָ֗נָה קַלְעֵ֤י הֶֽחָצֵר֙ שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֔ר מֵאָ֖ה בָּֽאַמָּֽה:
10They had 20 pillars with their 20 copper bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were made of silver.   יעַמּֽוּדֵיהֶ֣ם עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֥ם עֶשְׂרִ֖ים נְח֑שֶׁת וָוֵ֧י הָֽעַמּוּדִ֛ים וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶ֖ם כָּֽסֶף:
11On the north side, the nettings were also 100 cubits long, with their 20 pillars and their 20 copper bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were made of silver.   יאוְלִפְאַ֤ת צָפוֹן֙ מֵאָ֣ה בָֽאַמָּ֔ה עַמּֽוּדֵיהֶ֣ם עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֥ם עֶשְׂרִ֖ים נְח֑שֶׁת וָוֵ֧י הָֽעַמּוּדִ֛ים וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶ֖ם כָּֽסֶף:
12On the west side, there were nettings 50 cubits long, with their 10 pillars and their 10 bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were made of silver.   יבוְלִפְאַת־יָ֗ם קְלָעִים֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה עַמּֽוּדֵיהֶ֣ם עֲשָׂרָ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם עֲשָׂרָ֑ה וָוֵ֧י הָֽעַמֻּדִ֛ים וַֽחֲשֽׁוּקֵיהֶ֖ם כָּֽסֶף:
13On the east side, the enclosure was also 50 cubits long, as follows:   יגוְלִפְאַ֛ת קֵ֥דְמָה מִזְרָ֖חָה חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אַמָּֽה:
14there were 15 cubits of nettings along one flank, with their three pillars and their three bases,   ידקְלָעִ֛ים חֲמֵֽשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה אַמָּ֖ה אֶל־הַכָּתֵ֑ף עַמּֽוּדֵיהֶ֣ם שְׁלשָׁ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁלשָֽׁה:
15and likewise along the other flank—the flanks being at either side of the entrance to the Courtyard—there were 15 cubits of nettings, with their three pillars and their three bases.   טווְלַכָּתֵ֣ף הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית מִזֶּ֤ה וּמִזֶּה֙ לְשַׁ֣עַר הֶֽחָצֵ֔ר קְלָעִ֕ים חֲמֵ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה אַמָּ֑ה עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶ֣ם שְׁלשָׁ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁלשָֽׁה:
16The nettings surrounding the entire Courtyard were made of twined linen.   טזכָּל־קַלְעֵ֧י הֶֽחָצֵ֛ר סָבִ֖יב שֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָֽר:
17The bases for the pillars were made of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were made of silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. All the pillars of the Courtyard were banded with silver.   יזוְהָֽאֲדָנִ֣ים לָֽעַמֻּדִים֘ נְח֒שֶׁת֒ וָוֵ֨י הָֽעַמּוּדִ֜ים וַֽחֲשֽׁוּקֵיהֶם֙ כֶּ֔סֶף וְצִפּ֥וּי רָֽאשֵׁיהֶ֖ם כָּ֑סֶף וְהֵם֙ מְחֻשָּׁקִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף כֹּ֖ל עַמֻּדֵ֥י הֶֽחָצֵֽר:
18The Screen for the entrance to the Courtyard was embroidered out of turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twined linen. It was 20 cubits in length, and its width was its height of five cubits, like the nettings of the Courtyard.   יחוּמָסַ֞ךְ שַׁ֤עַר הֶֽחָצֵר֙ מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה רֹקֵ֔ם תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֑ר וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים אַמָּה֙ אֹ֔רֶךְ וְקוֹמָ֤ה בְרֹ֨חַב֙ חָמֵ֣שׁ אַמּ֔וֹת לְעֻמַּ֖ת קַלְעֵ֥י הֶֽחָצֵֽר:
לְעֻמַּת קַלְעֵי הֶֽחָצֵר - (lit.) Corresponding to the nettings of the Courtyard - means: the Screen was five cubits high because it had to be the same size as the height of the nettings of the Courtyard. End of Parashat Vayakhel   לְעֻמַּת קַלְעֵי הֶֽחָצֵר.  כְּמִדַּת קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר:
19It had four pillars with their four copper bases; their hooks were silver, and their tops and bands were overlaid with silver.   יטוְעַמֻּֽדֵיהֶם֙ אַרְבָּעָ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֥ם אַרְבָּעָ֖ה נְח֑שֶׁת וָֽוֵיהֶ֣ם כֶּ֔סֶף וְצִפּ֧וּי רָֽאשֵׁיהֶ֛ם וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶ֖ם כָּֽסֶף:
20All the stakes for the Tabernacle and for the surrounding Courtyard were made of copper.   כוְכָל־הַיְתֵדֹ֞ת לַמִּשְׁכָּ֧ן וְלֶֽחָצֵ֛ר סָבִ֖יב נְחֽשֶׁת: