Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 27

9You must make the Courtyard of the Tabernacle: On the south side there must be nettings made of twined linen for the Courtyard, 100 cubits long, to make one side.   טוְעָשִׂ֕יתָ אֵ֖ת חֲצַ֣ר הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן לִפְאַ֣ת נֶֽגֶב־תֵּ֠ימָ֠נָה קְלָעִ֨ים לֶֽחָצֵ֜ר שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֗ר מֵאָ֤ה בָֽאַמָּה֙ אֹ֔רֶךְ לַפֵּאָ֖ה הָֽאֶחָֽת:
קְלָעִים - Nettings. They were made to hang like the sail (קֶלַע) of a ship, but with perforations, and by crochet and not by weaving. Onkelos translates it as סְרָדִין, similar to his translation of מִכְבָּר “grate” that he translates as סְרָדָא, because they were also perforated like a sieve.   קְלָעִים.  עֲשׂוּיִין כְּמִין קַלְעֵי סְפִינָה, נְקָבִים נְקָבִים, מַעֲשֵׂה קְלִיעָה וְלֹא מַעֲשֵׂה אוֹרֵג, וְתַרְגּוּם סְרָדִים כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ שֶׁל מִכְבָּר הַמְתֻרְגָּם סְרָדָה, לְפִי שֶׁהֵן מְנֻקָּבִין כִּכְבָרָה:
לַפֵּאָה הָֽאֶחָֽת - For one side. The entire side is called פֵּאָה.   לַפֵּאָה הָֽאֶחָֽת.  כָּל הָרוּחַ קָרוּי פֵּאָה:
10Make 20 pillars with their 20 copper bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands must be made of silver.   יוְעַמֻּדָ֣יו עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֥ם עֶשְׂרִ֖ים נְח֑שֶׁת וָוֵ֧י הָֽעַמֻּדִ֛ים וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶ֖ם כָּֽסֶף:
וְעַמֻּדָיו עֶשְׂרִים - 20 pillars - There were five cubits between each pillar.   וְעַמֻּדָיו עֶשְׂרִים.  חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת בֵּין עַמּוּד לְעַמּוּד:
וְאַדְנֵיהֶם - With their bases - i.e., of the pillars, of copper. The bases rested on the ground and the pillars were inserted into them. He made a type of block, called “pals” in Old French, each six handbreadths long and three wide with a copper ring attached at its center. He would wind the edge of the crocheted netting around it with cords opposite each pillar, and then hang the block by its ring onto the hook on the pillar, which was made like the letter ו – one end bent upright and the other end stuck into the pillar – like those made to affix doors, called “gons” in Old French (“hinges”). The width of the crocheted netting hung down, forming the height of the walls of the Courtyard.   וְאַדְנֵיהֶם.  שֶׁל הָעַמּוּדִים נְחֹשֶׁת, הָאֲדָנִים יוֹשְׁבִים עַל הָאָרֶץ וְהָעַמּוּדִים תְּקוּעִין לְתוֹכָן; הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה כְמִין קֻנְדָּסִין שֶׁקּוֹרִין פל"ש בְּלַעַז, אָרְכָּן שִׁשָּׁה טְפָחִים וְרָחְבָּן שְׁלֹשָׁה, וְטַבַּעַת נְחֹשֶׁת קְבוּעָה בוֹ בְּאֶמְצָעוֹ וְכוֹרֵךְ שְׂפַת הַקֶּלַע סְבִיבָיו בְּמֵיתָרִים כְּנֶגֶד כָּל עַמּוּד וְעַמּוּד, וְתוֹלֶה הַקֻּנְדָּס דֶּרֶךְ טַבַּעְתּוֹ בָאֻנְקְלִיּוֹת שֶׁבָּעַמּוּד הֶעָשׂוּי כְּמִין וָי"ו – רֹאשׁוֹ זָקוּף לְמַעְלָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ אֶחָד תָּקוּעַ בָּעַמּוּד – כְּאוֹתָן שֶעוֹשִׂין לְהַצִּיב דְּלָתוֹת, שֶׁקּוֹרִין גונ"ש בְּלַעַז, וְרֹחַב הַקֶּלַע תָּלוּי מִלְּמַטָּה וְהִיא קוֹמַת מְחִצּוֹת הֶחָצֵר:
וָוֵי הָֽעַמֻּדִים - The hooks of the pillars - are the hooks mentioned above.   וָוֵי הָֽעַמֻּדִים.  הֵם הָאֻנְקְלִיּוֹת:
וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶם - And their bands. The pillars were surrounded with silver threads, but I do not know if these covered their entire surface, or only their tops, or just their middle. I do know, however, that the word חָשׁוּק denotes girding, for so we find in the account of the concubine at Giv’ah: “and with him a pair of saddled donkeys,” 1 where Targum Yonatan renders the word for “saddled” as חֲשִׁיקִין.   וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶם.  מֻקָּפִין הָיוּ הָעַמּוּדִים בְּחוּטֵי כֶסֶף סָבִיב, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם עַל פְּנֵי כֻלָּן, אִם בְּרֹאשָׁם, וְאִם בְּאֶמְצָעָם, אַךְ יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁחָשׁוּק לְשׁוֹן חֲגוֹרָה, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְּפִילֶגֶשׁ בַּגִּבְעָה וְעִמּוֹ צֶמֶד חֲמוֹרִים חֲבוּשִׁים (שופטים י"ט), תַּרְגּוּמוֹ חֲשׁוּקִים:
11Likewise, along the length of the north side, there must be nettings 100 cubits in length, with their 20 pillars and their 20 copper bases; the hooks of the pillars and their bands must be made of silver.   יאוְכֵ֨ן לִפְאַ֤ת צָפוֹן֙ בָּאֹ֔רֶךְ קְלָעִ֖ים מֵ֣אָה אֹ֑רֶךְ וְעַמּוּדָ֣יו (כתיב ועמדו) עֶשְׂרִ֗ים וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֤ם עֶשְׂרִים֙ נְח֔שֶׁת וָוֵ֧י הָֽעַמֻּדִ֛ים וַֽחֲשֻֽׁקֵיהֶ֖ם כָּֽסֶף:
12For the width of the Courtyard on the west side there must be nettings 50 cubits in length, with their 10 pillars and their 10 bases.   יבוְרֹ֤חַב הֶֽחָצֵר֙ לִפְאַת־יָ֔ם קְלָעִ֖ים חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּ֑ה עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶ֣ם עֲשָׂרָ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם עֲשָׂרָֽה:
13The width of the Courtyard on the front, the east side, must be 50 cubits:   יגוְרֹ֣חַב הֶֽחָצֵ֗ר לִפְאַ֛ת קֵ֥דְמָה מִזְרָ֖חָה חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אַמָּֽה:
לִפְאַת קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה - On the front, the east side. The side facing east is called קֶדֶם, literally meaning “face” (פָּנִים), while אָחוֹר means “back.” The east is called קֶדֶם because it is the face of the world, and the west is called אָחוֹר “back,” as we find: הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן (lit.) “the back sea,” 2 which Onkelos translates as יַמָּא מַעַרְבָא “the western sea.”   לִפְאַת קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה.  פְּנֵי הַמִּזְרָח; קֶדֶם לְשׁוֹן פָּנִים, אָחוֹר לָשׁוֹן אֲחוֹרַיִם, לְפִיכָךְ הַמִּזְרָח קָרוּי קֶדֶם שֶׁהוּא פָּנִים, וּמַעֲרָב קָרוּי אָחוֹר, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן (דברים י"א:כ"ד, דברים ל"ד:ב'), יַמָּא מַעַרְבָא:
חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּֽה - 50 cubits. These 50 cubits were not entirely closed off with the nettings, for the entrance was there; rather, there were 15 cubits of nettings to one side adjoining the entrance, and likewise to the other side. This left a 20-cubit width between them for the entrance area; and that is what it says: “To close the entrance of the Courtyard, make a 20-cubit-wide Screen” 3 – a curtain screening the entrance, 20 cubits long like the width of the entrance.   חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּֽה.  אוֹתָן נ' אַמָּה לֹא הָיוּ סְתוּמִים כֻּלָּם בַּקְּלָעִים, לְפִי שֶׁשָּׁם הַפֶּתַח, אֶלָּא ט"ו אַמָּה קְלָעִים לְכֶתֶף הַפֶּתַח מִכָּאן, וְכֵן לַכָּתֵף הַשֵּׁנִית, נִשְׁאַר רֹחַב חֲלַל הַפֶּתַח בֵּינְתַיִם כ' אַמָּה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּ' וּלְשַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר מָסָךְ כ' אַמָּה – וִילוֹן לַמָּסָךְ כְּנֶגֶד הַפֶּתַח כ' אַמָּה אֹרֶךְ, כְּרֹחַב הַפֶּתַח:
14There must be 15 cubits of nettings to one side of the entrance, with their three pillars and their three bases,   ידוַֽחֲמֵ֨שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה אַמָּ֛ה קְלָעִ֖ים לַכָּתֵ֑ף עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶ֣ם שְׁלשָׁ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁלשָֽׁה:
עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶם שְׁלשָׁה - With their three pillars - i.e., five cubits between each pillar – between the pillar at the end of the south side, situated on the southeast corner, and the first pillar of the three on the east side was five cubits, and from it to the second was five cubits, and from the second to the third was five cubits; and likewise to the other side of the entrance; and four pillars for the Screen. There were thus 10 pillars on the east side, just like there were 10 on the west side.   עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶם שְׁלשָׁה.  חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת בֵּין עַמּוּד לְעַמּוּד. בֵּין עַמּוּד שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ הַדָּרוֹם הָעוֹמֵד בְּמִקְצוֹעַ דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית עַד עַמּוּד שֶׁהוּא מִן הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּמִמֶּנּוּ לַשֵּׁנִי חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּמִן הַשֵּׁנִי לַשְּׁלִישִׁי חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וְכֵן לַכָּתֵף הַשֵּׁנִית, וְאַרְבָּעָה עַמּוּדִים לַמָּסָךְ, הֲרֵי עֲשָׂרָה עַמּוּדִים לַמִּזְרָח כְּנֶגֶד י' לַמַּעֲרָב:
15and there must be 15 cubits of nettings to the other side of the entrance, with their three pillars and their three bases.   טווְלַכָּתֵף֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔ית חֲמֵ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה קְלָעִ֑ים עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶ֣ם שְׁלשָׁ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁלשָֽׁה:
16To close the entrance to the Courtyard, make a 20-cubit-wide Screen out of turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. It must have four pillars and four bases.   טזוּלְשַׁ֨עַר הֶֽחָצֵ֜ר מָסָ֣ךְ | עֶשְׂרִ֣ים אַמָּ֗ה תְּכֵ֨לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֜ן וְתוֹלַ֧עַת שָׁנִ֛י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָ֖ר מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה רֹקֵ֑ם עַמֻּֽדֵיהֶ֣ם אַרְבָּעָ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם אַרְבָּעָֽה:
17All the pillars surrounding the Courtyard must be banded with silver; their hooks must be made of silver and their bases of copper.   יזכָּל־עַמּוּדֵ֨י הֶֽחָצֵ֤ר סָבִיב֙ מְחֻשָּׁקִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף וָֽוֵיהֶ֖ם כָּ֑סֶף וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם נְחֽשֶׁת:
כָּל־עַמּוּדֵי הֶֽחָצֵר סָבִיב וגו' - All the pillars surrounding the Courtyard… Since Scripture thus far specified hooks, bands, and that the bases be of copper only for the north and south sides – but for the east and west sides, hooks, bands, and copper bases are not stated explicitly – it comes and teaches us about them here.   כָּל־עַמּוּדֵי הֶֽחָצֵר סָבִיב וגו'.  לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא פֵּרֵשׁ וָוִין וַחֲשׁוּקִים וְאַדְנֵי נְחֹשֶׁת אֶלָּא לַצָּפוֹן וְלַדָּרוֹם, אֲבָל לַמִּזְרָח וְלַמַּעֲרָב לֹא נֶאֱמַר וָוִין וַחֲשׁוּקִים וְאַדְנֵי נְחֹשֶׁת, לְכָךְ בָּא וְלִמֵּד כָּאן:
18The length of the Courtyard must be 100 cubits. The width and breadth of the eastern half of the Courtyard must be 50 cubits by 50. The height of the enclosure must be five cubits, nettings made of twined linen. The bases must be made of copper.   יחאֹ֣רֶךְ הֶֽחָצֵר֩ מֵאָ֨ה בָֽאַמָּ֜ה וְרֹ֣חַב | חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים בַּֽחֲמִשִּׁ֗ים וְקֹמָ֛ה חָמֵ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֑ר וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם נְחֽשֶׁת:
אֹרֶךְ הֶֽחָצֵר - The length of the Courtyard - i.e., the north and south sides from east to west, must be “100 cubits.”   אֹרֶךְ הֶֽחָצֵר.  הַצָּפוֹן וְהַדָּרוֹם שֶׁמִּן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב מאה באמה:
וְרֹחַב חֲמִשִּׁים בַּֽחֲמִשִּׁים - The width, 50 [cubits] by 50 - i.e., the east section of the Courtyard was square, 50 cubits by 50 – for the Tabernacle was 30 cubits long and 10 wide, and when positioning its entrance to the east on the edge of the outer 50 cubits of the length of the Courtyard, it emerges that the entire Tabernacle was within the inner 50 cubits and its length ended at the end of 30 cubits. There was thus a 20-cubit space behind it, between the nettings in the west side and the coverings to the back of the Tabernacle. The width of the Tabernacle was 10 cubits in the middle of the width of the Courtyard, leaving a 20-cubit space on both the north and south sides, from the nettings of the Courtyard to the coverings to the sides of the Tabernacle, and similarly on the west side, and a 50-by-50-cubit Courtyard in front of it.   וְרֹחַב חֲמִשִּׁים בַּֽחֲמִשִּׁים.  חָצֵר שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח הָיְתָה מְרֻבַּעַת, חֲמִשִּׁים עַל חֲמִשִּׁים, שֶׁהַמִּשְׁכָּן אָרְכּוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים וְרָחְבּוֹ עֶשֶׂר, הֶעֱמִיד מִזְרַח פִּתְחוֹ בִּשְׂפַת נ' הַחִיצוֹנִים שֶׁל אֹרֶךְ הֶחָצֵר, נִמְצָא כֻּלּוֹ בַּחֲמִשִּׁים הַפְּנִימִיִּים וְכָלֶה אָרְכּוֹ לְסוֹף שְׁלֹשִׁים, נִמְצְאוּ עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה רֶוַח לַאֲחוֹרָיו בֵּין הַקְּלָעִים שֶׁבַּמַּעֲרָב לַיְרִיעוֹת שֶׁל אֲחוֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְרֹחַב הַמִּשְׁכָּן עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, בְּאֶמְצַע רֹחַב הֶחָצֵר, נִמְצְאוּ לוֹ עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה רֶוַח לַצָּפוֹן וְלַדָּרוֹם מִן קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר לִירִיעוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכֵן לַמַּעֲרָב, וַחֲמִשִּׁים עַל חֲמִשִּׁים חָצֵר לְפָנָיו:
וְקֹמָה חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת - The height, five cubits - i.e., the height of the walls of the Courtyard, which is the width of the nettings.   וְקֹמָה חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת.  גֹּבַהּ מְחִצּוֹת הֶחָצֵר וְהוּא רֹחַב הַקְּלָעִים:
וְאַדְנֵיהֶם נְחֽשֶׁת - (lit.) And their bases of copper. This is written to include the bases of the Screen, so that you not say that copper bases were stated only regarding the pillars of the crocheted nettings, but the bases of the Screen were made of another material. It appears to me that for this reason Scripture mentioned the bases here again.   וְאַדְנֵיהֶם נְחֽשֶׁת.  לְהָבִיא אַדְנֵי הַמָּסָךְ, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר לֹא נֶאֶמְרוּ אַדְנֵי נְחֹשֶׁת אֶלָּא לְעַמּוּדֵי הַקְּלָעִים אֲבָל אַדְנֵי הַמָּסָךְ שֶׁל מִין אַחֵר, כֵּן נִרְאֶה בְעֵינַי שֶׁלְּכָךְ חָזַר וּשְׁנָאָן:
19All the utensils of the Tabernacle used in the work of constructing and dismantling it must be made of copper. All the stakes of the Tabernacle and all the stakes for the Courtyard must be made of copper.”   יטלְכֹל֙ כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן בְּכֹ֖ל עֲבֹֽדָת֑וֹ וְכָל־יְתֵֽדֹתָ֛יו וְכָל־יִתְדֹ֥ת הֶֽחָצֵ֖ר נְחֽשֶׁת:
לְכֹל כְּלֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן - All the utensils of the Tabernacle - which were needed for erecting it and dismantling it, such as hammers to drive the stakes and pillars.   לְכֹל כְּלֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן.  שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִין לַהֲקָמָתוֹ וּלְהוֹרָדָתוֹ, כְּגוֹן מַקָּבוֹת לִתְקֹעַ יְתֵדוֹת וְעַמּוּדִים:
יִתְדֹת - The stakes. These were a type of copper bolt made for the sheets of the Tent covering and the nettings of the Courtyard, fastened to ropes and positioned all around their lower edges so that the wind not lift them. I do not know for certain whether they were implanted into the ground as is the usual function of stakes, or if in this case they were tied hanging freely and their weight held the bottom of the sheets down so that they not move in the wind, but I maintain that their name indicates that they were implanted into the ground and for this reason they are called יְתֵדוֹת, and this verse supports my opinion: “A Tent that will not fall and whose stakes (יְתֵדֹתָיו) will not be removed forever.” 4   יִתְדֹת.  כְּמִין נִגְרֵי נְחֹשֶׁת עֲשׂוּיִין לִירִיעוֹת הָאֹהֶל וּלְקַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר, קְשׁוּרִים בְּמֵיתָרִים סָבִיב סָבִיב בְּשִׁפּוּלֵיהֶן, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא הָרוּחַ מַגְבִּיהָתָן, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם תְּחוּבִין בָּאָרֶץ אוֹ קְשׁוּרִין וּתְלוּיִין וְכָבְדָּן מַכְבִּיד שִׁפּוּלֵי הַיְרִיעוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יָנוּעוּ בָרוּחַ, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁשְּׁמָן מוֹכִיחַ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁהֵם תְּקוּעִים בָּאָרֶץ, לְכָךְ נִקְרְאוּ יְתֵדוֹת, וּמִקְרָא זֶה מְסַיְּעֵנִי אֹהֶל בַּל יִצְעָן בַּל יִסַּע יְתֵדֹתָיו לָנֶצַח (ישעיהו ל"ג):