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Learning & Values Parshah (Weekly Torah) Shemot - Exodus Terumah Texts & Summaries

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First Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 25

1God spoke to Moses, saying:		אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
2“Speak to the Israelites and have the treasurers take a contribution for Me. Tell the treasurers: ‘You must take the contribution for Me from every man whose heart prompts him to give.		בדַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרֽוּמָתִֽי:
וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה - Have them take a contribution for Me. “For Me” here means: dedicated for My sake.		וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה. לִי – לִשְׁמִי:
תְּרוּמָה - means here “a separation,” i.e., let the treasurers take what the people will separate from their belongings as a donation for Me.		תְּרוּמָה. הַפְרָשָׁה, יַפְרִישׁוּ לִי מִמָּמוֹנָם נְדָבָה:
יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ - Whose heart prompts him. יִדְּבֶנּוּ is related to נְדָבָה “donation,” which connotes goodwill; “present” in Old French (“gift”).		יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ. לְשׁוֹן נְדָבָה וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן רָצוֹן טוֹב, פיישנ"ט בְּלַעַז:
תִּקְחוּ אֶת־תְּרֽוּמָתִֽי - You must take the contribution for Me. Our rabbis 1 said: Three mentions of “contribution” are stated here. One is the contribution of a beka per head, from which the bases were made, as explained in Parashat Eleh Fekudei [i.e., Pekudei]; 2 another is the contribution for the Altar – also a beka per head, which was put into the collection boxes to purchase the communal offerings from it; and another is the contribution for the Tabernacle, which was each one’s personal donation. The thirteen items mentioned in this passage were all required either for the construction of the Tabernacle or for the priestly garments, as you will see when you examine them.		תִּקְחוּ אֶת־תְּרֽוּמָתִֽי. אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שָׁלֹשׁ תְּרוּמוֹת אֲמוּרוֹת כָּאן, אַחַת תְּרוּמַת בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ מֵהֶם הָאֲדָנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּאֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי, וְאַחַת תְּרוּמַת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת לַקֻּפּוֹת לִקְנוֹת מֵהֶן קָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר, וְאַחַת תְּרוּמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן נִדְבַת כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד (תלמוד ירושלמי שקלים א'). י"ג דְּבָרִים הָאֲמוּרִים בָּעִנְיָן כֻּלָּם הֻצְרְכוּ לִמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אוֹ לְבִגְדֵי כְהֻנָּה כְּשֶׁתְּדַקְדֵּק בָּהֶם:
3The following materials constitute the contribution that you must take from them: gold, silver, copper,		גוְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֽשֶׁת:
זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֽשֶׁת וגו' - Gold, silver, copper… These were all brought as freewill donations, each person giving according to his generosity, except for the silver, which for the main part was brought by everyone equally, half a shekel per person, and we do not find in the entire construction of the Tabernacle that more silver was required, as it says: “The silver from those of the community who had been counted…a beka per head…”; 3 and the remaining silver that was brought as freewill donations was used for service utensils.		זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֽשֶׁת וגו'. כֻּלָּם בָּאוּ בִנְדָבָה – אִישׁ אִישׁ מַה שֶּׁנְּדָבוֹ לִבּוֹ – חוּץ מִן הַכֶּסֶף שֶׁבָּא בְּשָׁוֶה, מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל לְכָל אֶחָד, וְלֹא מָצִינוּ בְכָל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן שֶׁהֻצְרַךְ שָׁם כֶּסֶף יוֹתֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְכֶסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה וְגוֹ' בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת וְגוֹ', וּשְׁאָר הַכֶּסֶף הַבָּא שָׁם בִּנְדָבָה עֲשָׂאוּהוּ לִכְלֵי שָׁרֵת:
4wool dyed turquoise, wool dyed purple, wool dyed scarlet, linen, goat hair,		דוּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים:
וּתְכֵלֶת - is wool dyed with the blood of the chilazon, the color of which is greenish-blue.		וּתְכֵלֶת. צֶמֶר צָבוּעָ בְּדַם חִלָּזוֹן וְצִבְעוֹ יָרֹק (מנחות מ"ד):
וְאַרְגָּמָן - is wool dyed with a type of dye named Argaman.		וְאַרְגָּמָן. צֶמֶר צָבוּעַ מִמִּין צֶבַע שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ אַרְגָּמָן:
וְשֵׁשׁ - is linen.		וְשֵׁשׁ. הוּא פִּשְׁתָּן.
וְעִזִּֽים - (lit., “and goats”) – is goats’ hair. Therefore Onkelos translated it as וּמְעַזֵּי, i.e., that which comes from goats and not the goats themselves, for the translation of עִזִּים “goats” is עִזַּיָא.		וְעִזִּֽים. נוֹצָה שֶׁל עִזִּים, לְכָךְ תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס וּמְעַזֵּי – הַבָּא מִן הָעִזִּים – וְלֹא עִזִּים עַצְמָם, שֶׁתַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל עִזִּים עִזַּיָּא:
5red-dyed ram skins, skins of the tachash, acacia wood,		הוְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאָדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַֽעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים:
מְאָדָּמִים - means they were dyed red after tanning.		מְאָדָּמִים. צְבוּעוֹת הָיוּ אָדֹם לְאַחַר עִבּוּדָן:
תְּחָשִׁים - Tachash - is a type of animal, and it existed only at that time. It was multicolored, and therefore Onkelos translates it as סַסְגּוֹנָא, meaning that it rejoices (שָׂשׂ) and takes pride in its colors (גְוָנִין).		תְּחָשִׁים. מִין חַיָּה, וְלֹא הָיְתָה אֶלָּא לְשָׁעָה, וְהַרְבֵּה גְּוָנִים הָיוּ לָהּ, לְכָךְ מְתֻרְגָּם סַסְגּוֹנָא שֶׁשָּׂשׂ וּמִתְפָּאֵר בִּגְוָנִין שֶׁלּוֹ (שבת כ"ח):
וַֽעֲצֵי שִׁטִּֽים - Acacia wood. And from where did they have this wood in the desert? Rabbi Tanchuma explained: Our father Jacob foresaw through Divine inspiration that the Israelites were destined to build a Tabernacle in the desert, and so he brought cedars from Canaan to Egypt and planted them, and he instructed his children to take them along when they left Egypt.		וַֽעֲצֵי שִׁטִּֽים. וּמֵאַיִן הָיוּ לָהֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר? פֵּרֵשׁ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא: יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ צָפָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁעֲתִידִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִבְנוֹת מִשְׁכָּן בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְהֵבִיא אֲרָזִים לְמִצְרַיִם וּנְטָעָם, וְצִוָּה לְבָנָיו לִטְּלָם עִמָּהֶם כְּשֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם:
6olive oil for the luminary, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense-offering,		ושֶׁ֖מֶן לַמָּאֹ֑ר בְּשָׂמִים֙ לְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְלִקְטֹ֖רֶת הַסַּמִּֽים:
שֶׁמֶן לַמָּאֹר - Oil for the luminary - i.e., clear olive oil to be used for kindling the lamp of the Candelabrum regularly.		שֶׁמֶן לַמָּאֹר. שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זַךְ לְהַעֲלוֹת נֵר תָּמִיד:
בְּשָׂמִים לְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה - Spices for the anointing oil - which was made to anoint the furnishings of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle itself in order to sanctify it, and spices were necessary for it, as stated in parashat Ki Tisa. 4		בְּשָׂמִים לְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה. שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לִמְשֹׁחַ כְּלֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהַמִּשְׁכָּן לְקַדְּשׁוֹ, וְהֻצְרְכוּ לוֹ בְשָׂמִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּכִי תִשָּׂא:
וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּֽים - The incense-offering - which would be burned every evening and morning, as stated in parashat VeAtah Tetzaveh. 5 The term קְטֹרֶת denotes raising mist (קִיטוֹר) and pillars of smoke.		וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּֽים. שֶׁהָיוּ מַקְטִירִין בְּכָל עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בִּוְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה, וּלְשׁוֹן קְטֹרֶת הַעֲלָאַת קִיטוֹר וְתִמְרַת עָשָׁן:
7and onyx stones and inset stones for the Ephod and the Breastplate.’		זאַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֕הַם וְאַבְנֵ֖י מִלֻּאִ֑ים לָֽאֵפֹ֖ד וְלַחֽשֶׁן:
אַבְנֵי־שֹׁהַם - Shoham stones. Two were required there for use with the Ephod, as stated in parashat VeAtah Tetzaveh. 6		אַבְנֵי־שֹׁהַם. שְׁתַּיִם הֻצְרְכוּ שָׁם לְצֹרֶךְ הָאֵפוֹד הָאָמוּר בִּוְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה:
מִלֻּאִים - (lit.) Filling. Because a setting is made for these stones in gold, like a recess, and the stone placed there fills (לְמַלֹּאות) the recess, they are called אַבְנֵי מִלּוּאִים “filling stones,” and the place of the setting is called מִשְׁבֶּצֶת (lit.) “a frame.”		מִלֻּאִים. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁעוֹשִׂין לָהֶם בַּזָּהָב מוֹשָׁב כְּמִין גֻּמָּא, וְנוֹתְנִין הָאֶבֶן שָׁם לְמַלֹּאות הַגֻּמָּא, קְרוּיִים אַבְנֵי מִלּוּאִים, וּמְקוֹם הַמּוֹשָׁב קָרוּי מִשְׁבֶּצֶת:
לָֽאֵפֹד וְלַחֽשֶׁן - For the Ephod and the Breastplate - the onyx stones for the Ephod and the inset stones for the Breastplate. The Breastplate and the Ephod are explained in detail in parashat VeAtah Tetzaveh, 7 and they are kinds of ornaments worn by the high priest.		לָֽאֵפֹד וְלַחֽשֶׁן. אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם לָאֵפוֹד וְאַבְנֵי הַמִּלֻּאִים לַחֹשֶׁן; וְחֹשֶׁן וְאֵפוֹד מְפֹרָשִׁים בִּוְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה וְהֵם מִינֵי תַכְשִׁיט:
8They must make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst.		חוְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָֽׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם:
וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ - They must make Me a sanctuary - i.e., they shall make for My sake a house of holiness, i.e., they must specifically intend to infuse holiness into these materials by using them in the sanctuary.		וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ. וְעָשׂוּ לִשְׁמִי בֵּית קְדֻשָּׁה:
9They must make this dwelling according to all that I am showing you—the form of the Tabernacle and the form of all its furnishings. And so must you make replacements for these furnishings, if necessary.		טכְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אֽוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ:
כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֽוֹתְךָ - According to all that I am showing you – here – “the form of the Tabernacle.” - This verse is connected to the previous verse: “They must make Me a sanctuary according to all that I am showing you.”		כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֽוֹתְךָ. כָּאן את תבנית המשכן, הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתְךָ:
וְכֵן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ - And so must you make - also in future generations; i.e., if one of the utensils is lost, or when you make for Me the furnishings of the permanent Temple, such as the tables, candelabra, lavers, and stands that Solomon made, you must make them according to the same form as these. If this verse were to be read by itself, not connected to the previous verse, it should not have said וְכֵן תַּעֲשׂוּ “and so must you make,” but כֵּן תַּעֲשׂוּ “so must you make,” and this phrase would then be describing only the construction of the Tent of Meeting and its furnishings.		וְכֵן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ. לְדוֹרוֹת (סנהדרין ט"ז), אִם יֹאבַד אֶחָד מִן הַכֵּלִים, אוֹ כְּשֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ לִי כְּלֵי בֵית עוֹלָמִים, כְּגוֹן שֻׁלְחָנוֹת וּמְנוֹרוֹת וְכִיּוֹרוֹת וּמְכוֹנוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה, כְּתַבְנִית אֵלּוּ תַּעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם; וְאִם לֹא הָיָה הַמִּקְרָא מְחֻבָּר לְמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ, לֹא הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב וְכֵן תַּעֲשׂוּ אֶלָּא כֵּן תַּעֲשׂוּ, וְהָיָה מְדַבֵּר עַל עֲשִׂיַּת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְכֵלָיו:
10They must make an Ark of acacia wood, two-and-a-half cubits long, one-and-a-half cubits wide, and one-and-a-half cubits high.		יוְעָשׂ֥וּ אֲר֖וֹן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֨יִם וָחֵ֜צִי אָרְכּ֗וֹ וְאַמָּ֤ה וָחֵ֨צִי֙ רָחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹֽמָתֽוֹ:
וְעָשׂוּ אֲרוֹן - They must make an Ark - like those closets (אֲרוֹנוֹת) constructed without legs, in the same fashion as a trunk that is called “escrin” in Old French, which sits on its base.		וְעָשׂוּ אֲרוֹן. כְּמִין אֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁעוֹשִׂים בְּלֹא רַגְלַיִם, עֲשׂוּיִם כְּמִין אַרְגָּז שֶׁקּוֹרִין אישקרי"ן בְּלַעַז, יוֹשֵׁב עַל שׁוּלָיו:
11You must overlay it with pure gold: you must overlay it inside and out. You must make a gold rim upon it all around.		יאוְצִפִּיתָ֤ אֹתוֹ֙ זָהָ֣ב טָה֔וֹר מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ תְּצַפֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ עָלָ֛יו זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב:
מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ תְּצַפֶּנּוּ - You must overlay it inside and out. Betzalel made three boxes, two of gold and one of wood, each with four walls and a base and open at the top. He inserted the wooden one into the larger gold one, and the smaller gold one into the wooden one, and covered its top edge with gold. Thus it was overlaid from inside and out.		מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ תְּצַפֶּנּוּ. שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲרוֹנוֹת עָשָׂה בְצַלְאֵל, שְׁנַיִם שֶׁל זָהָב וְאֶחָד שֶׁל עֵץ, אַרְבַּע כְּתָלִים וְשׁוּלַיִם לְכָל אֶחָד וּפְתוּחִים מִלְמַעְלָה, נָתַן שֶׁל עֵץ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁל זָהָב וְשֶׁל זָהָב בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁל עֵץ וְחִפָּה שְׂפָתוֹ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה בְּזָהָב, נִמְצָא מְצֻפֶּה מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ (יומא ע"ב):
זֵר זָהָב - A gold rim - i.e., a kind of crown going all around the Ark above its top edge, for he made the outer, golden Ark higher than the inner, wooden one, so that its height would match the thickness of the Cover and a little above, and thus when the Cover lay on the thickness of the walls, the rim rose a little above the entire thickness of the Cover. It signified “the crown of the Torah.”		זֵר זָהָב. כְּמִין כֶּתֶר מֻקָּף לוֹ סָבִיב לְמַעְלָה מִשְּׂפָתוֹ, שֶׁעָשָׂה הָאָרוֹן הַחִיצוֹן גָּבוֹהַּ מִן הַפְּנִימִי, עַד שֶׁעָלָה לְמוּל עֹבִי הַכַּפֹּרֶת וּלְמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ מַשֶּׁהוּ, וּכְשֶׁהַכַּפֹּרֶת שׁוֹכֵב עַל עֹבִי הַכְּתָלִים, עוֹלֶה הַזֵּר לְמַעְלָה מִכָּל עֹבִי הַכַּפֹּרֶת כָּל שֶׁהוּא וְהוּא סִימָן לְכֶתֶר תּוֹרָה:
12You must cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four corners, two rings on one side and two rings on the opposite side.		יבוְיָצַ֣קְתָּ לּ֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּֽעֲמֹתָ֑יו וּשְׁתֵּ֣י טַבָּעֹ֗ת עַל־צַלְעוֹ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּי֙ טַבָּעֹ֔ת עַל־צַלְע֖וֹ הַשֵּׁנִֽית:
וְיָצַקְתָּ - denotes casting metal (הַתָּכָה), as Onkelos translates it: וְתַתֵּיךְ.		וְיָצַקְתָּ. לְשׁוֹן הַתָּכָה, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
פַּֽעֲמֹתָיו - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: זִוְיָתֵהּ “its corners.” The rings were placed on the upper corners of the Ark near the Cover, two on one side and two on the other, along the width of the Ark, and the poles were inserted into them. The length of the Ark separated between the poles, two-and-a-half cubits between one pole and the other, so that the two men who carried the Ark at each end could walk between them. So it is explained in Menachot, in Chapter Shtei HaLechem. 8		פַּֽעֲמֹתָיו. כְּתַרְגוּמוֹ זִוְיָתֵיהּ; וּבַזָּוִיּוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת סָמוּךְ לַכַּפֹּרֶת הָיוּ נְתוּנוֹת, שְׁתַּיִם מִכָּאן וּשְׁתַּיִם מִכָּאן לְרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן, וְהַבַּדִּים נְתוּנִים בָּהֶם, וְאָרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן מַפְסִיק בֵּין הַבַּדִּים, אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי בֵּין בַּד לְבַד, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵי בְנֵי אָדָם הַנּוֹשְׂאִין אֶת הָאָרוֹן מְהַלְּכִין בֵּינֵיהֶם; וְכֵן מְפֹרָשׁ בִּמְנָחוֹת בְּפ' שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם (מנחות דף צ"ח):
וּשְׁתֵּי טַבְּעֹת עַל צַלְעוֹ הָֽאֶחָת - (lit.) And two rings on one side. These are the same four rings mentioned at the beginning of the verse, and now it specifies for you where they were placed. This ו of וּשְׁתֵּי is thus superfluous, and it is to be interpreted as if it were written שְׁתֵּי טַבָּעֹת without the ו. You may also explain the sense of the ו here as follows: “and two of these rings will be on one side.”		וּשְׁתֵּי טַבְּעֹת עַל צַלְעוֹ הָֽאֶחָת. הֵן הֵן אַרְבַּע טַבָּעוֹת שֶׁבִּתְחִלַּת הַמִּקְרָא, וּפֵרֵשׁ לְךָ הֵיכָן הָיוּ; וְהַוָּי"ו זוֹ יְתֵרָה הִיא, וּפִתְרוֹנוֹ כְּמוֹ שְׁתֵּי טַבָּעוֹת, וְיֵשׁ לְךָ לְיַשְּׁבָהּ כֵּן: וּשְׁתֵּי מִן הַטַּבָּעוֹת הָאֵלּוּ עַל צַלְעוֹ הָאַחַת:
צַלְעוֹ - means “its side.”		צַלְעוֹ. צִדּוֹ:
13You must make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.		יגוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בַדֵּ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָֽב:
בַדֵּי - means here “poles.”		בַדֵּי. מוֹטוֹת:
14You must insert the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark, so that the Ark can be carried with them.		ידוְהֵֽבֵאתָ֤ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֖ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הָֽאָרֹ֑ן לָשֵׂ֥את אֶת־הָֽאָרֹ֖ן בָּהֶֽם:
15The poles must remain in the rings of the Ark; they may not be removed from it.		טובְּטַבְּעֹת֙ הָֽאָרֹ֔ן יִֽהְי֖וּ הַבַּדִּ֑ים לֹ֥א יָסֻ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ:
לֹא יָסֻרוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ - They may not be removed from it - ever.		לֹא יָסֻרוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ. לְעוֹלָם (יומא ע"ב):
16You must place in the Ark the Tablets of the Testimony that I will give you.		טזוְנָֽתַתָּ֖ אֶל־הָֽאָרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָֽעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ:
וְנָֽתַתָּ אֶל־הָֽאָרֹן - You must place (lit.) to the Ark – is to be understood here as though it were written בָּאָרוֹן - in the Ark.		וְנָֽתַתָּ אֶל־הָֽאָרֹן. כְּמוֹ בָּאָרוֹן:
הָֽעֵדֻת - The Testimony - i.e., the Tablets that encompass the entire Torah, which bear witness between Me and you that I have commanded you to keep the commandments written there.		הָֽעֵדֻת. הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהִיא לְעֵדוּת בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם שֶׁצִּוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִצְווֹת הַכְּתוּבוֹת בָּהּ:

Footnotes

Megilah 29b.

Exodus 38:26-27.

Exodus 38:25-26.

Exodus 30:23-25.

Exodus 30:7-8.

Exodus 28:9-12.

Exodus 28:6-30.

Menachot 98b.

Second Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 25

17You must make a Cover of pure gold, two-and-a-half cubits long and one-and-a-half cubits wide.		יזוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ כַפֹּ֖רֶת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר אַמָּתַ֤יִם וָחֵ֨צִי֙ אָרְכָּ֔הּ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי רָחְבָּֽהּ:
כַפֹּרֶת - is a Cover for the Ark, for the Ark was open on top, and he placed the Cover on it like a board.		כַפֹּרֶת. כִּסּוּי עַל הָאָרוֹן, שֶׁהָיָה פָּתוּחַ מִלְמַעְלָה וּמַנִּיחוֹ עָלָיו כְּמִין דַּף:
אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי אָרְכָּהּ - Two-and-a-half cubits long - like the length of the Ark, and its width was like the width of the Ark, and it was placed on the thickness of its four walls. Although Scripture does not give the dimensions of its thickness, our rabbis specified 1 that its thickness was one handbreadth.		אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי אָרְכָּהּ. כְּאָרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן, וְרָחְבָּהּ כְּרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן, וּמֻנַּחַת עַל עֹבִי הַכְּתָלִים אַרְבַּעְתָּם, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן שִׁעוּר לְעָבְיָהּ, פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁהָיָה עָבְיָהּ טֶפַח (סוכה ה'):
18You must make two golden cherubim. You must make them by hammering them out of the two ends of the Cover.		יחוְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת:
כְּרֻבִים - Cherubim. They had the form of a child’s face.		כְּרֻבִים. דְּמוּת פַּרְצוּף תִּינוֹק לָהֶם:
מִקְשָׁה תַּֽעֲשֶׂה - You must make [them] by hammering [them] out - i.e., do not make them separate and attach them to the ends of the Cover after they are made, in the manner of metalworkers called “solder” in Old French (“to solder”); rather, take a large amount of gold when beginning to make the Cover, beat the middle with a hammer or mallet so that the ends protrude upwards, and then sculpt the cherubim out of the protruding ends.		מִקְשָׁה תַּֽעֲשֶׂה. שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֵׂם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם וּתְחַבְּרֵם בְּרָאשֵׁי הַכַּפֹּרֶת לְאַחַר עֲשִׂיָּתָם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה צוֹרְפִים שֶׁקּוֹרִין שולד"יר בְּלַעַז, אֶלָּא הַטֵּל זָהָב הַרְבֵּה בִּתְחִלַּת עֲשִׂיַּת הַכַּפֹּרֶת, וְהַכֵּה בְּפַטִּישׁ וּבְקֻרְנָס בָּאֶמְצַע, וְרָאשִׁין בּוֹלְטִין לְמַעְלָה, וְצַיֵּר הַכְּרוּבִים בִּבְלִיטַת קְצוֹתָיו:
מִקְשָׁה - “batediz” in Old French (“beaten”), similar to “his knees were beating (נָקְשָׁן) against one another.” 2		מִקְשָׁה. בטדי"ץ בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן (דניאל ה'):
קְצוֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת - means “the ends of the Cover.”		קְצוֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת. רָאשֵׁי הַכַּפֹּרֶת:
19Make one cherub out of one end and one cherub out of the other end; you must make the cherubim from the Cover itself, at its two ends.		יטוַֽ֠עֲשֵׂ֠ה כְּר֨וּב אֶחָ֤ד מִקָּצָה֙ מִזֶּ֔ה וּכְרוּב־אֶחָ֥ד מִקָּצָ֖ה מִזֶּ֑ה מִן־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת תַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י קְצוֹתָֽיו:
וַֽעֲשֵׂה כְּרוּב אֶחָד מִקָּצָה - Make one cherub out of one end. So that you not say that there were to be two cherubim at each end, it was necessary to specify: “one cherub from one end….”		וַֽעֲשֵׂה כְּרוּב אֶחָד מִקָּצָה. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר שְׁנַיִם כְּרוּבִים לְכָל קָצֶה וְקָצֶה, לְכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ כְּרוּב אֶחָד מִקָּצָה מִזֶּה:
מִן־הַכַּפֹּרֶת - From the Cover - itself “you must make the cherubim.” This is the explanation of the earlier statement: “you must make them by hammering them out,” 3 i.e., you must not make them separately and then attach them to the Cover.		מִן־הַכַּפֹּרֶת. עַצְמָהּ תַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַכְּרוּבִים, זֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁל מִקְשָׁה תַּעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָם, שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם וּתְחַבְּרֵם לַכַּפֹּרֶת:
20The cherubim must have their wings spread aloft, so that their wings shield the Cover. They must face one another, the faces of the cherubim being inclined toward the Cover.		כוְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּֽרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹֽכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶ֨ל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִֽהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים:
פֹּֽרְשֵׂי כְנָפַיִם - Have their wings spread - i.e., do not make their wings in a resting position, but spread out and raised upward at the level of their heads, so that the space between the wings and the Cover span ten handbreadths, as is stated in Sukah. 4		פֹּֽרְשֵׂי כְנָפַיִם. שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה כַנְפֵיהֶם שׁוֹכְבִים אֶלָּא פְּרוּשִׂים וּגְבוֹהִים לְמַעְלָה אֵצֶל רָאשֵׁיהֶם, שֶׁיְּהֵא עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים בֶּחָלָל שֶׁבֵּין הַכְּנָפַיִם לַכַּפֹּרֶת, כִּדְאִיתָא בְסֻכָּה:
21You must place the Cover on top of the Ark, having placed in the Ark the Tablets of Testimony that I will give you.		כאוְנָֽתַתָּ֧ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָֽאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ:
וְאֶל־הָֽאָרֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת־הָעֵדֻת - And in the Ark (lit.) you must place the Testimony. I do not know why this is repeated, for it has already said: “You must place in the Ark the Testimony.” 5 However, one may answer that it comes to teach us that while it is still only an Ark, without the Cover, Moses must first put the Testimony into it, and only afterwards put the Cover on top of it. And so we find that when he erected the Tabernacle, it says: “he placed the Testimony into the Ark” and afterwards: “and placed the Cover on top of the Ark.” 6		וְאֶל־הָֽאָרֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת־הָעֵדֻת. לֹא יָדַעְתִּי לָמָּה נִכְפַּל, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר וְנָתַתָּ אֶל הָאָרֹן אֵת הָעֵדֻת, וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֶׁבָּא לְלַמֵּד שֶׁבְּעוֹדוֹ אָרוֹן לְבַדּוֹ, בְּלֹא כַפֹּרֶת, יִתֵּן תְּחִלָּה הָעֵדוּת לְתוֹכוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתֵּן אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת עָלָיו, וְכֵן מָצִינוּ כְּשֶׁהֵקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, נֶאֱמַר וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הָעֵדֻת אֶל הָאָרֹן וְאַחַר כָּךְ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת עַל הָאָרֹן מִלְמָעְלָה:
22I will convene with you there: I will speak to you from above the Cover, from between the two cherubim that are on the Ark of Testimony. I will convey to you everything that I will command you concerning the Israelites.		כבוְנֽוֹעַדְתִּ֣י לְךָ֘ שָׁם֒ וְדִבַּרְתִּ֨י אִתְּךָ֜ מֵעַ֣ל הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת מִבֵּין֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־אֲר֣וֹן הָֽעֵדֻ֑ת אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֲצַוֶּ֛ה אֽוֹתְךָ֖ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וְנֽוֹעַדְתִּי - I will convene - i.e., when I fix a meeting (מוֹעֵד) to speak with you, I will fix that place for the meeting, for I will come there to speak to you.		וְנֽוֹעַדְתִּי. כְּשֶׁאֶקְבַּע מוֹעֵד לְךָ לְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ, אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם אֶקְבַּע לַמּוֹעֵד שֶׁאָבֹא שָׁם לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ:
וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת - I will speak to you from above the Cover. Yet elsewhere it says: “God spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, to address the people,” 7 referring to the outer chamber of the Tabernacle, outside the Curtain separating the two chambers of the Tabernacle. Thus the two verses seem to contradict each other. A third verse, however, comes and reconciles them: “When Moses would come into the Tent of Meeting…he would hear the voice speaking to itself, issuing from above the covering…”; 8 i.e., Moses would enter the Tabernacle, and once he came through the entrance, standing in the outer chamber, the voice would descend from heaven to the area between the cherubim, and from there it would resound and be heard by Moses in the Tent of Meeting.		וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר (ויקרא א'), זֶה הַמִּשְׁכָּן, מִחוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים מַכְחִישִׁים זֶה אֶת זֶה, – בָּא הַכָּתוּב הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם: וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת וְגוֹ' (במדבר ז'), מֹשֶׁה הָיָה נִכְנָס לַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּא בְתוֹךְ הַפֶּתַח, קוֹל יוֹרֵד מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְבֵין הַכְּרוּבִים, וּמִשָּׁם יוֹצֵא וְנִשְׁמָע לְמֹשֶׁה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ספרי):
ואֶת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוֶּה אֽוֹתְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל - Here the ו of וְאֵת is extra and superfluous, and there are many such cases in Scripture; but it can be interpreted as follows: “and that (וְאֵת) which I will speak with you there is everything that I will command you concerning the Israelites.”		ואֶת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוֶּה אֽוֹתְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל. הֲרֵי וָי"ו זוֹ יְתֵרָה וּטְפֵלָה, וְכָמוֹהָ הַרְבֵּה בַּמִּקְרָא, וְכֹה תִפָּתֵר: וְאֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ שָׁם אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוֶּה אוֹתְךָ אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא:
23You must make a Table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one-and-a-half cubits high.		כגוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ שֻׁלְחָ֖ן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֤יִם אָרְכּוֹ֙ וְאַמָּ֣ה רָחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹֽמָתֽוֹ:
קֹֽמָתֽוֹ - (lit.) Its height - i.e., including the height of its legs together with the thickness of the tabletop.		קֹֽמָתֽוֹ. גֹּבַהּ רַגְלָיו עִם עֹבִי הַשֻּׁלְחָן:
24You must overlay it with pure gold, and you must make a gold rim for it all around.		כדוְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לּ֛וֹ זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב:
זֵר זָהָב - A gold rim. Signifying the crown of royalty, for the Table denotes wealth and position, as people say in reference to wealth: “the royal table.”		זֵר זָהָב. סִימָן לְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת, שֶׁהַשֻּׁלְחָן שֵׁם עֹשֶׁר וּגְדֻלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים שֻׁלְחַן מְלָכִים:
25You must make a frame for it all around, one handbreadth high. You must make a gold rim for its frame all around.		כהוְעָשִׂ֨יתָ לּ֥וֹ מִסְגֶּ֛רֶת טֹ֖פַח סָבִ֑יב וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ זֵֽר־זָהָ֛ב לְמִסְגַּרְתּ֖וֹ סָבִֽיב:
מִסְגֶּרֶת - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: גְּדַנְפָא “a frame.” The sages of Israel 9 differed in this matter: Some say it was above, around the Table, like the ledges on the edge of noblemen’s tables, and others say it was underneath, fixed between one leg and the next across the four sides of the Table so that the board of the tabletop rested on top of this frame.		מִסְגֶּרֶת. כְּתַרְגוּמוֹ גְּדַנְפָא; וְנֶחְלְקוּ חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּדָּבָר, יֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים לְמַעְלָה הָיְתָה סָבִיב לַשֻּׁלְחָן כְּמוֹ לְבִזְבְּזִין שֶׁבִּשְׂפַת שֻׁלְחַן שָׂרִים, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים לְמַטָּה הָיְתָה תְקוּעָה מֵרֶגֶל לְרֶגֶל בְּאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשֻּׁלְחָן, וְדַף הַשֻּׁלְחָן שׁוֹכֵב עַל אוֹתָהּ מִסְגֶּרֶת:
וְעָשִׂיתָ זֵֽר־זָהָב לְמִסְגַּרְתּוֹ - You must make a gold rim for its frame. This is the same rim mentioned above, and it specifies for you here that it was situated on the frame.		וְעָשִׂיתָ זֵֽר־זָהָב לְמִסְגַּרְתּוֹ. הוּא זֵר הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, וּפֵרֵשׁ לְךָ כָּאן שֶׁעַל הַמִּסְגֶּרֶת הָיְתָה:
26You must make four gold rings for it, and you must place the rings on the four corners of its four legs.		כווְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ אַרְבַּ֖ע טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֑ב וְנָֽתַתָּ֙ אֶת־הַטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע הַפֵּאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר לְאַרְבַּ֥ע רַגְלָֽיו:
27The rings must be close to the frame, to serve as holders for the poles with which to carry the Table.		כזלְעֻמַּת֙ הַמִּסְגֶּ֔רֶת תִּֽהְיֶ֖יןָ הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת לְבָתִּ֣ים לְבַדִּ֔ים לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָֽן:
לְעֻמַּת הַמִּסְגֶּרֶת תִּֽהְיֶיןָ הַטַּבָּעֹת - The rings must be close to the frame - i.e., they were fixed into the legs, opposite the ends of the frame.		לְעֻמַּת הַמִּסְגֶּרֶת תִּֽהְיֶיןָ הַטַּבָּעֹת. בָּרַגְלַיִם תְּקוּעוֹת, כְּנֶגֶד רָאשֵׁי הַמִּסְגֶרֶת:
לְבָתִּים לְבַדִּים - As holders for the poles - i.e., those rings will be holders into which the poles will be inserted.		לְבָתִּים לְבַדִּים. אוֹתָן טַבָּעוֹת יִהְיוּ בָתִּים לְהַכְנִיס בָּהֶן הַבַּדִּים:
לְבָתִּים - means: for the purpose of being holders		לְבָתִּים. לְצֹרֶךְ:
28You must make the poles out of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the Table will be carried with them.		כחוְעָשִׂ֤יתָ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָ֑ב וְנִשָּׂא־בָ֖ם אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָֽן:
וְנִשָּׂא־בָם - נִשָּׂא is a nif’al (passive) form, and the meaning of the phrase is: the Table will be carried with them.		וְנִשָּׂא־בָם. לְשׁוֹן נִפְעַל, יִהְיֶה נִשָּׂא בָם אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן:
29You must make its bread-forms, its spoons, its shelving tubes with which the bread will be covered, and its supporting frames; you must make all these of pure gold.		כטוְעָשִׂ֨יתָ קְּעָֽרֹתָ֜יו וְכַפֹּתָ֗יו וּקְשׂוֹתָיו֙ וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻסַּ֖ךְ בָּהֵ֑ן זָהָ֥ב טָה֖וֹר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם:
וְעָשִׂיתָ קְּעָֽרֹתָיו וְכַפֹּתָיו - You must make its bread-forms and its spoons. קְעָרֹתָיו are the molds that were made to fit the shape of the bread. The bread was shaped like a box open at two sides, with a floor below and its two other sides bent upward like walls. It was called לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים (lit.) “bread of faces” because it had surfaces (פָּנִים) which faced the two sides of the House, one to one side and one to the other, for it was placed lengthwise across the width of the Table and its walls stood upright in line with the edge of the Table. A golden mold and an iron mold were made for it – it was baked in the iron one, and when the baker took it out of the oven, he placed it in the golden one until the next day, the Sabbath, when a priest would arrange it on the table. That golden mold is called קְעָרָה.		וְעָשִׂיתָ קְּעָֽרֹתָיו וְכַפֹּתָיו. קְעָרוֹתָיו זֶה דְּפוּס שֶׁהָיָה עָשׂוּי כִּדְפוּס הַלֶּחֶם, וְהַלֶּחֶם הָיָה עָשׂוּי כְּמִין תֵּבָה פְּרוּצָה מִשְׁתֵּי רוּחוֹתֶיהָ, שׁוּלַיִם לוֹ לְמַטָּה, וְקוֹפֵל מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה כְּמִין כְּתָלִים, וּלְכָךְ קָרוּי לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פָנִים רוֹאִין לְכָאן וּלְכָאן לְצִדֵּי הַבַּיִת מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה, וְנוֹתֵן אָרְכּוֹ לְרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל שֻׁלְחָן, וְכָתְלָיו זְקוּפִים כְּנֶגֶד שְׂפַת הַשֻּׁלְחָן; וְהָיָה עָשׂוּי לוֹ דְּפוּס זָהָב וּדְפוּס בַּרְזֶל, בְּשֶׁל בַּרְזֶל הוּא נֶאֱפֶה, וּכְשֶׁמּוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הַתַּנּוּר נוֹתְנוֹ בְשֶׁל זָהָב עַד לְמָחָר בְּשַׁבָּת שֶׁמְּסַדְּרוֹ עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, וְאוֹתוֹ דְּפוּס קָרוּי קְעָרָה:
וְכַפֹּתָיו - are the bowls in which frankincense was put. There were two, one for each of the two fistfuls of frankincense that were placed alongside the two stacks of loaves, as it says: “You must place pure frankincense alongside each stack.” 10		וְכַפֹּתָיו. בָּזִיכִין שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין בָּהֶם לְבוֹנָה שְׁתַּיִם הָיוּ לִשְׁנֵי קֻמְצֵי לְבוֹנָה שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין עַל שְׁתֵּי הַמַּעֲרָכוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְנָתַתָּ עַל הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת לְבֹנָה זַכָּה (ויקרא כ"ד):
וּקְשׂוֹתָיו - Its shelving tubes. These resemble hollow half-tubes, split along their length; such forms he made out of gold. Three were arranged above each loaf, so that the next loaf above it would rest on those tubes, and thus they separated between each loaf so that air circulate between them and they not become moldy. In Arabic, any hollow object is called “kassu” (קסו"ה).		וּקְשׂוֹתָיו. הֵן כְּמִין חֲצָאֵי קָנִים חֲלוּלִים הַנִּסְדָּקִין לְאָרְכָּן (מנחות צ"ו), דֻּגְמָתָן עוֹשֶׂה שֶׁל זָהָב, וּמְסַדֵּר ג' עַל רֹאשׁ כָּל לֶחֶם, שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב לֶחֶם הָאַחֵר עַל גַּבֵּי אוֹתָן הַקָּנִים, וּמַבְדִּילִין בֵּין לֶחֶם לְלֶחֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס הָרוּחַ בֵּינֵיהֶם וְלֹא יִתְעַפְּשׁוּ; וּבִלְשׁוֹן עֲרָבִי כָּל דָּבָר חָלוּל קָרוּי קס"וא:
וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו - Its translation by Onkelos is וּמְכִילָתֵהּ “and its supports,” i.e., they are attachments, like golden staves, standing on the ground and extending above the Table as far as the height of the stacks of bread. They were scored with five notches, one above the other, and the ends of the tubes between each bread rested on those notches, so that the weight of the upper loaves would not bear down on the lower ones and they would break. The term מְכִילָתֵהּ means “its bearers,” as in נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל “I am too tired to bear.” 11 However, I do not know how the Hebrew term מְנַקִּיּוֹת relates to supporting frames. In fact, some of the sages of Israel say 12 that קְשׂוֹתָיו are the supporting frames that keep the bread firm (מַקְשִׁין), holding it so that it does not break, and וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו are the tubes which keep the bread clean (מְנַקִּין) so that it does not become moldy, but Onkelos, who translated מְנַקִּיֹּתָיו as מְכִילָתֵהּ, explained the verse according to the opinion that מְנַקִּיּוֹת are the supporting frames.		וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו. תַּרְגּוּמוֹ וּמְכִילָתֵיהּ, הֵן סְנִיפִים כְּמִין יִתְדוֹת זָהָב, עוֹמְדִין בָּאָרֶץ וּגְבוֹהִים עַד לְמַעְלָה מִן הַשֻּׁלְחָן הַרְבֵּה, כְּנֶגֶד גֹּבַהּ מַעֲרֶכֶת הַלֶּחֶם, וּמְפֻצָּלִים חֲמִשָּׁה פִצּוּלִים זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה, וְרָאשֵׁי הַקָּנִים שֶׁבֵּין לֶחֶם לְלֶחֶם סְמוּכִין עַל אוֹתָן פִּצּוּלִין, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִכְבַּד מַשָּׂא הַלֶּחֶם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים וְיִשָּׁבְרוּ; וּלְשׁוֹן מְכִילָתֵיהּ סֹבְלוֹתָיו, כְּמוֹ נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל (ירמיהו ו'). אֲבָל לְשׁוֹן מְנַקִּיּוֹת אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיךְ נוֹפֵל עַל סְנִיפִין; וְיֵשׁ מֵחַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים קְשֹׂתָיו אֵלּוּ סְנִיפִין, שֶׁמַּקְשִׁין אוֹתוֹ וּמַחֲזִיקִים אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁבֵר, וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו אֵלּוּ הַקָּנִים שֶׁמְּנַקִּין אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַפֵּשׁ (מנחות צ"ז), אֲבָל אֻנְקְלוֹס שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם וּמְכִילָתֵיהּ, הָיָה שׁוֹנֶה כְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר מְנַקִּיּוֹת הֵן סְנִיפִין:
אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן - means: with which the bread will be covered, and it is about the shelving tubes that it is saying: אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ “with which it will be covered,” for they acted as a form of screen and covering for it. Similarly elsewhere, it says: וְאֵת קְשׂוֹת הַנָּסֶךְ “and the covering shelving tubes,” 13 and both יֻסַּךְ and הַנֶּסֶךְ have the connotation of screening and covering.		אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן. אֲשֶׁר יְכֻסֶּה בָהֵן, וְעַל קְשֹׂתָיו הוּא אוֹמֵר אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ, שֶׁהָיוּ עָלָיו כְּמִין סְכָךְ וְכִסּוּי, וְכֵן בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר וְאֵת קְשׂוֹת הַנָּסֶךְ (במדבר ד'), וְזֶה וָזֶה, יֻסַּךְ וְהַנָּסֶךְ, לְשׁוֹן סְכָךְ וְכִסּוּי הֵם:
30You must place showbread on the Table before Me at all times.		לוְנָֽתַתָּ֧ עַל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן לֶ֥חֶם פָּנִ֖ים לְפָנַ֥י תָּמִֽיד:
לֶחֶם פָּנִים - Showbread - It is so called because it had surfaces (פָּנִים), as I explained above. The amount of loaves and how they were arranged on the Table are explained in parashat Emor el HaKohanim. 14		לֶחֶם פָּנִים. שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ פָּנִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי, וּמִנְיַן הַלֶּחֶם וְסֵדֶר מַעַרְכוֹתָיו מְפֹרָשִׁים בֶּאֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים:

Footnotes

Sukah 5a.

Sukah 5b.

Menachot 96b.

Menachot 97a.

Third Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 25

31You must make a Candelabrum of pure gold. The Candelabrum must be formed as if by hammering: its base, its central stem, its goblets, its spheres, and its flowers must all be an integral part of it.		לאוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מְנֹרַ֖ת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה תֵּֽיעָשֶׂ֤ה הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִֽהְיֽוּ:
מִקְשָׁה תֵּֽיעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה - The Candelabrum must be formed as if by hammering - i.e., the craftsman must not make it out of separate parts, nor should he make its branches and its lamps as individual limbs and afterward attach them in the manner of metalworkers called “solder” in Old French (“to solder”), but it must be fashioned entirely from one piece of gold, which he beats with a hammer and cuts with craftsman’s tools so that the branches extend on either side.		מִקְשָׁה תֵּֽיעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה. שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂנָּה חֻלְיוֹת וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה קָנֶיהָ וְנֵרוֹתֶיהָ אֵבָרִים אֵבָרִים וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַדְבִּיקֵם, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַצּוֹרְפִים שֶׁקּוֹרִין שולד"יר בְּלַעַז, אֶלָּא כֻלָּהּ בָּאָה מֵחֲתִיכָה אַחַת, וּמַקִּישׁ בַּקֻּרְנָס וְחוֹתֵךְ בִּכְלִי הָאֻמָּנוּת וּמַפְרִיד הַקָּנִים אֵילָךְ וָאֵילָךְ:
מִקְשָׁה - Onkelos translates it as נְגִיד, meaning “stretching,” for he draws the limbs of the Candelabrum from the mass of gold in both directions by beating it with a hammer. The term מִקְשָׁה denotes a hammer blow; “batediz” in Old French (“beaten”), similar to: “his knees were beating (נָקְשָׁן) against one another.” 1		מִקְשָׁה. תַּרְגּוּמוֹ נְגִיד, לְשׁוֹן הַמְשָׁכָה, שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיךְ אֶת הָאֵבָרִים מִן הָעֶשֶׁת לְכָאן וּלְכָאן בְּהַקָּשַׁת הַקֻּרְנָס, וּלְשׁוֹן מִקְשָׁה מַכַּת קֻרְנָס, בטדי"ץ בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן (דניאל ה'):
תֵּֽיעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה - The Candelabrum must be formed - The passive form implies it was made by itself. Since it was too difficult for Moses to comprehend, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Cast the block of gold into the fire and it will be made by itself.” Therefore it is not written תַּעֲשֶׂה “you must make.”		תֵּֽיעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה. מֵאֵלֶיהָ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מִתְקַשֶּׁה בָהּ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַשְׁלֵךְ אֶת הַכִּכָּר לָאוּר וְהִיא נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ, לְכָךְ לֹא נִכְתַּב תַּעֲשֶׂה (תנחומא):
יְרֵכָהּ - Its base. This is its foot at its lower end, made in the form of a box with three legs extending downward from it.		יְרֵכָהּ. הוּא הָרֶגֶל שֶׁלְּמַטָּה הֶעָשׂוּי כְּמִין תֵּבָה, וּשְׁלֹשָׁה רַגְלַיִם יוֹצְאִין הֵימֶנּוּ וּלְמַטָּה:
וְקָנָהּ - Its stem - i.e., its middle branch, rising directly upward from the middle of the base. On top of it was the middle lamp, shaped like a bowl into which to pour the oil and place the wick.		וְקָנָהּ. הַקָּנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי שֶׁלָּהּ הָעוֹלֶה בְּאֶמְצַע הַיָּרֵךְ זָקוּף כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה, וְעָלָיו נֵר הָאֶמְצָעִי עָשׂוּי כְּמִין בָּזֵךְ, לָצוּק הַשֶּׁמֶן לְתוֹכוֹ וְלָתֵת הַפְּתִילָה:
גְּבִיעֶיהָ - Its goblets. These are like the long, narrow glass cups called “maderins” in Old French, but these were made of gold. They protruded from each branch of the Candelabrum according to the number prescribed in Scripture, but they were there only for beautification.		גְּבִיעֶיהָ. הֵן כְּמִין כּוֹסוֹת שֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִזְּכוּכִית, אֲרֻכִּים וּקְצָרִים, וְקוֹרִין לָהֶם מדיר"נש בְּלַעַז, וְאֵלּוּ עֲשׂוּיִין שֶׁל זָהָב, וּבוֹלְטִין וְיוֹצְאִין מִכָּל קָנֶה וְקָנֶה כַּמִּנְיָן שֶׁנָּתַן בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב, וְלֹא הָיוּ בָהּ אֶלָּא לְנוֹי:
כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ - Its spheres - These were shaped like apples, spherical, and protruding around the middle branch, in the same manner made in our times for candelabra placed in front of noblemen, and they are called “pomeles” in Old French. Their number is stated in this passage, including how many spheres protruded from the middle branch and how much smooth space there was between one sphere and the next.		כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ. כְּמִין תַּפּוּחִים הָיוּ, עֲגֻלִּין סָבִיב, בּוֹלְטִין סְבִיבוֹת הַקָּנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין לַמְּנוֹרוֹת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַשָּׂרִים, וְקוֹרִין לָהֶם פומיל"ש בְּלַעַז, וּמִנְיָן שֶׁלָּהֶם כָּתוּב בַּפָּרָשָׁה, כַּמָּה כַּפְתּוֹרִים בּוֹלְטִין מִמֶּנָּה וְכַמָּה חָלָק בֵּין כַּפְתּוֹר לְכַפְתּוֹר:
וּפְרָחֶיהָ - And its flowers - i.e., there were flower-like designs on it.		וּפְרָחֶיהָ. צִיּוּרִין עֲשׂוּיִן בָּהּ כְּמִין פְּרָחִין:
מִמֶּנָּה יִֽהְיֽוּ - Must be an integral part of it - i.e., all beaten out of the block of gold, and he must not make them separately and then attach them to the branches.		מִמֶּנָּה יִֽהְיֽוּ. הַכֹּל מִקְשָׁה יוֹצֵא מִתּוֹךְ חֲתִיכַת הָעֶשֶׁת, וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה לְבַדָּם וְיַדְבִּיקֵם:
32Six branches must extend diagonally from out of its two sides, three branches of the Candelabrum from one side of it and three branches of the Candelabrum from its other side.		לבוְשִׁשָּׁ֣ה קָנִ֔ים יֹֽצְאִ֖ים מִצִּדֶּ֑יהָ שְׁלשָׁ֣ה \| קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֗ה מִצִּדָּהּ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁלשָׁה֙ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֔ה מִצִּדָּ֖הּ הַשֵּׁנִֽי:
יֹֽצְאִים מִצִּדֶּיהָ - Must extend from its sides - in both directions diagonally, reaching up to the level of the height of the main Candelabrum, i.e., the middle branch. They extended from the middle branch one above the other, the lowest one on each side being long, the one above shorter, and the highest one shorter still, for the height of their tops was level with the height of the seventh, middle branch, from which these other six branches extended.		יֹֽצְאִים מִצִּדֶּיהָ. לְכָאן וּלְכָאן בַּאֲלַכְסוֹן, נִמְשָׁכִים וְעוֹלִין עַד כְּנֶגֶד גָּבְהָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא קָנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי, וְיוֹצְאִין מִתּוֹךְ קָנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה, הַתַּחְתּוֹן אָרֹךְ, וְשֶׁל מַעְלָה קָצָר הֵימֶנּוּ, וְהָעֶלְיוֹן קָצָר הֵימֶנּוּ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה גֹּבַהּ רָאשֵׁיהֶן שָׁוֶה לְגָבְהוֹ שֶׁל קָנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי, הַשְּׁבִיעִי, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ יוֹצְאִים הַשִּׁשָּׁה קָנִים:
33There must be three engraved goblets, as well as a sphere and a flower, on one branch, and three engraved goblets, as well as a sphere and a flower, on the next branch; the same will apply to all six branches extending from the stem of the Candelabrum.		לגשְׁלשָׁ֣ה גְ֠בִעִ֠ים מְשֻׁקָּדִ֞ים בַּקָּנֶ֣ה הָֽאֶחָד֘ כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפֶ֒רַח֒ וּשְׁלשָׁ֣ה גְבִעִ֗ים מְשֻׁקָּדִ֛ים בַּקָּנֶ֥ה הָֽאֶחָ֖ד כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפָ֑רַח כֵּ֚ן לְשֵׁ֣שֶׁת הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּֽצְאִ֖ים מִן־הַמְּנֹרָֽה:
מְשֻׁקָּדִים - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: מְצַיְרִין – engraved, i.e., decorated with designs in the manner done on silver and gold vessels, which is called “nieler” in Old French (“to engrave with niello”).		מְשֻׁקָּדִים. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, מְצֻיָּרִים הָיוּ, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין לִכְלֵי כֶסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁקּוֹרִים נייל"יר בְּלַעַז:
שְׁלשָׁה גְבִעִים - Three goblets - protruding from each branch.		שְׁלשָׁה גְבִעִים. בּוֹלְטִין מִכָּל קָנֶה וְקָנֶה:
כַּפְתֹּר וָפֶרַח - A sphere and a flower - were formed on each branch.		כַּפְתֹּר וָפֶרַח. הָיָה לְכָל קָנֶה וְקָנֶה:
34On the stem of the Candelabrum there must be four goblets. The spheres and flowers of the stem must both be engraved.		לדוּבַמְּנֹרָ֖ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה גְבִעִ֑ים מְשֻׁ֨קָּדִ֔ים כַּפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ וּפְרָחֶֽיהָ:
וּבַמְּנֹרָה אַרְבָּעָה גְבִעִים - On the Candelabrum there must be four goblets - i.e., on the stem of the Candelabrum there were four goblets: one protruding from it below where the branches extended from it, and the other three above where the branches extended from its sides.		וּבַמְּנֹרָה אַרְבָּעָה גְבִעִים. בְּגוּפָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה הָיוּ אַרְבָּעָה גְּבִיעִים – אֶחָד בּוֹלֵט בָּהּ לְמַטָּה מִן הַקָּנִים, וְהַשְּׁלֹשָׁה לְמַעְלָה מִן יְצִיאַת הַקָּנִים הַיּוֹצְאִין מִצִּדֶּיהָ:
מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶֽיהָ - Its spheres and flowers must be engraved. This is one of five verses whose division into clauses cannot be determined. It is unclear if it is to be read: גְּבִעִים מְשֻׁקָּדִים “four goblets engraved,” or: מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ “its spheres and flowers engraved.”		מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶֽיהָ. זֶה אֶחָד מֵחֲמִשָּׁה מִקְרָאוֹת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם הֶכְרֵעַ (יומא נ"ב), אֵין יָדוּעַ אִם גְּבִיעִים מְשֻׁקָּדִים אוֹ מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתּוֹרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ:
35There must be one sphere situated on the stem at the point where the first two branches extend from it; another sphere must be situated at the point where the next two branches extend from it; and a third sphere must be situated at the point where the last two branches extend from it. These three spheres will serve as base-points for all the six branches extending from the stem of the Candelabrum.		להוְכַפְתֹּ֡ר תַּ֩חַת֩ שְׁ֨נֵי הַקָּנִ֜ים מִמֶּ֗נָּה וְכַפְתֹּר֙ תַּ֣חַת שְׁנֵ֤י הַקָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְכַפְתֹּ֕ר תַּֽחַת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַקָּנִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑נָּה לְשֵׁ֨שֶׁת֙ הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּֽצְאִ֖ים מִן־הַמְּנֹרָֽה:
וְכַפְתֹּר תַּחַת שְׁנֵי הַקָּנִים - (lit.) A sphere below the two branches extending from it- i.e., the branches extended from the two sides of the sphere itself in both directions. Thus we have learned in Melechet HaMishkan: 2 The Candelabrum was 18 handbreadths tall: the legs and the adjoining flower were three handbreadths tall – i.e., the flower mentioned with the base, as it says: 3 “from its base to its flower”; above that were two handbreadths of smooth space; then one handbreadth containing one goblet of the four goblets, and one sphere and one flower of the two spheres and two flowers mentioned regarding the main stem of the Candelabrum, as it says: “its spheres and flowers – engraved,” 4 from which we learn that the stem contained two spheres and two flowers besides the three spheres from which the branches extended, as it says here: “a sphere below the two branches…”; then two handbreadths of smooth space; then one handbreadth containing a sphere, with two branches extending from it in both directions, rising up to the level of the height of the Candelabrum; one handbreadth of smooth space; another handbreadth containing a sphere with two branches extending from it; one handbreadth of smooth space; another handbreadth containing a sphere with two branches extending from it, rising up to the level of the height of the Candelabrum; then two handbreadths of smooth space – leaving the three top handbreadths, containing three goblets, a sphere, and a flower. Thus there were 22 goblets: 18 for the six branches – three for each one – and four on the main stem of the Candelabrum, making 22 altogether; and 11 spheres: six on the six branches, three on the main stem of the Candelabrum from which the branches extended, and an additional two on the main stem of the Candelabrum, as it says: “its spheres – engraved,” the minimum of the plural form “spheres” being two – one below at the base, and the other in the top three handbreadths together with the three goblets. And it had nine flowers: six for the six branches, as it says: “a sphere and a flower on one branch,” 5 and three for the main stem of the Candelabrum, as it says: “its spheres and its flowers – engraved,” the minimum of the plural form “flowers” being two, and another one stated in Parashat Beha’alotecha: “from its base to its flower.” And if you study this above-quoted mishnah carefully, you will indeed find all these components according to their number prescribed above, each in its proper place.		וְכַפְתֹּר תַּחַת שְׁנֵי הַקָּנִים. מִתּוֹךְ הַכַּפְתּוֹר הָיוּ הַקָּנִים נִמְשָׁכִים מִשְּׁנֵי צִדֶּיהָ אֵילָךְ וָאֵילָךְ, כָּךְ שָׁנִינוּ בִמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן: גָּבְהָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה י"ח טְפָחִים, הָרַגְלַיִם וְהַפֶּרַח שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים – הוּא הַפֶּרַח הָאָמוּר בַּיָּרֵךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַד יְרֵכָהּ עַד פִּרְחָהּ (במדבר ח') – וּטְפָחַיִם חָלָק, וְטֶפַח שֶׁבּוֹ גָּבִיעַ מֵהָאַרְבָּעָה גְבִיעִים וְכַפְתּוֹר וָפֶרַח מִשְּׁנֵי כַפְתּוֹרִים וּשְׁנֵי פְרָחִים הָאֲמוּרִים בַּמְּנוֹרָה עַצְמָהּ, שֶׁנֶּ' מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתּוֹרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיוּ בַּקָּנֶה שְׁנֵי כַפְתּוֹרִים וּשְׁנֵי פְרָחִים לְבַד מִן הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה כַפְתּוֹרִים שֶׁהַקָּנִים נִמְשָׁכִין מִתּוֹכָן, שֶׁנֶּ' וְכַפְתֹּר תַּחַת שְׁנֵי הַקָּנִים וְגוֹ', וּטְפָחַיִם חָלָק, וְטֶפַח כַּפְתּוֹר וּשְׁנֵי קָנִים יוֹצְאִים מִמֶּנּוּ אֵילָךְ וָאֵילָךְ נִמְשָׁכִים וְעוֹלִים כְּנֶגֶד גָּבְהָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה, טֶפַח חָלָק, וְטֶפַח כַּפְתּוֹר וּשְׁנֵי קָנִים יוֹצְאִים מִמֶּנּוּ, וְטֶפַח חָלָק, וְטֶפַח כַּפְתּוֹר וּשְׁנֵי קָנִים יוֹצְאִים מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִמְשָׁכִים וְעוֹלִין כְּנֶגֶד גָּבְהָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה, וּטְפָחַיִם חָלָק, נִשְׁתַּיְּרוּ שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים שֶׁבָּהֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה גְבִיעִים וְכַפְתּוֹר וָפֶרַח, נִמְצְאוּ גְּבִיעִים כ"ב – י"ח לְשִׁשָּׁה קָנִים, שְׁלֹשָׁה לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, וְאַרְבָּעָה בְּגוּפָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה, הֲרֵי כ"ב – וְאַחַד עָשָׂר כַּפְתּוֹרִים, שִׁשָּׁה בְּשֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים, וּשְׁלֹשָׁה בְּגוּפָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה שֶׁהַקָּנִים יוֹצְאִים מֵהֶם, וּשְׁנַיִם עוֹד בַּמְּנוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּ' מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתּוֹרֶיהָ, וּמִעוּט כַּפְתּוֹרִים שְׁנַיִם, הָאֶחָד לְמַטָּה אֵצֶל הַיָּרֵךְ, וְהָאֶחָד בְּג' טְפָחִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים עִם ג' הַגְּבִיעִים, וְתִשְׁעָה פְרָחִים הָיוּ לָהּ, שִׁשָּׁה לְשֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים, שֶׁנֶּ' בַּקָּנֶה הָאֶחָד כַּפְתֹּר וָפֶרַח, וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לַמְּנוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּ' מְשֻׁקָּדִים כַּפְתּוֹרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ, וּמִעוּט פְּרָחִים שְׁנַיִם, וְאֶחָד הָאָמוּר בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ עַד יְרֵכָהּ עַד פִּרְחָהּ, וְאִם תְּדַקְדֵּק בְּמִשְׁנָה זוֹ הַכְּתוּבָה לְמַעְלָה, תִּמְצָאֵם כְּמִנְיָנָם אִישׁ אִישׁ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ:
36The spheres and the branches of the Candelabrum must be an integral part of it; it must all be hammered out of a single ingot of pure gold.		לוכַּפְתֹּֽרֵיהֶ֥ם וּקְנֹתָ֖ם מִמֶּ֣נָּה יִֽהְי֑וּ כֻּלָּ֛הּ מִקְשָׁ֥ה אַחַ֖ת זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר:
37You must make seven lamps for it such that when the priest kindles its lamps, they will shine toward its center.		לזוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶת־נֵֽרֹתֶ֖יהָ שִׁבְעָ֑ה וְהֶֽעֱלָה֙ אֶת־נֵ֣רֹתֶ֔יהָ וְהֵאִ֖יר עַל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנֶֽיהָ:
אֶת־נֵֽרֹתֶיהָ - (lit.) Its lamps. These were a type of bowl into which the oil and wicks were placed.		אֶת־נֵֽרֹתֶיהָ. כְּמִין בָּזִיכִין שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין בְּתוֹכָן הַשֶּׁמֶן וְהַפְּתִילוֹת:
וְהֵאִיר עַל־עֵבֶר פָּנֶֽיהָ - (lit.) They will shine toward its face - i.e., have the mouths of the six lamps at the top of the branches extending from its sides turn towards the middle one, so that the lamps, when you light them, shine towards פָּנֶיהָ “its face,” i.e., that their light will turn in the direction of the middle stem, which is the main body of the Candelabrum.		וְהֵאִיר עַל־עֵבֶר פָּנֶֽיהָ. עָשָׂה פִּי שֵׁשֶׁת הַנֵּרוֹת שֶׁבְּרָאשֵׁי הַקָּנִים הַיּוֹצְאִים מִצִּדֶּיהָ מְסֻבִּים כְּלַפֵּי הָאֶמְצָעִי, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַנֵּרוֹת כְּשֶׁתַּדְלִיקֵם מְאִירִים אֶל עֵבֶר פָּנֶיהָ – מֻסָּב אוֹרָם אֶל צַד פְּנֵי הַקָּנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי, שֶׁהוּא גּוּף הַמְּנוֹרָה:
38Make its tongs and its ash-pans out of pure gold.		לחוּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ וּמַחְתֹּתֶ֖יהָ זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר:
וּמַלְקָחֶיהָ - are the tongs made for removing the wicks from the oil, for positioning them, and for drawing them into the mouth of the lamps, and because their function is to take (לקח), they are called מֶלְקָחַיִם. Similarly, Onkelos’ translation here: וְצִבְתָהָא is derived from צְבַת “tongs”; “tenayls” in Old French.		וּמַלְקָחֶיהָ. הֵם הַצְּבָתִים הָעֲשׂוּיִין לִקַּח בָּהֶם הַפְּתִילָה מִתּוֹךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, לְיַשְּׁבָן וּלְמָשְׁכָן בְּפִי הַנֵּרוֹת, וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁלּוֹקְחִים בָּהֶם קְרוּיִים מֶלְקָחַיִם; וְצִבְתָהָא שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס לְשׁוֹן צְבָת, טנייל"ש בְּלַעַז:
וּמַחְתֹּתֶיהָ - are a type of small bowl with which the priest scoops the ash in the lamp each morning, when he cleans out the lamps from the ash of the wicks that were burning during the night and then went out. The term מַחְתָּה is “poysedure” in Old French (“small shovel”), similar to: “to scoop (לַחְתּוֹת) fire from a hearth.” 6		וּמַחְתֹּתֶיהָ. הֵם כְּמִין בָּזִיכִין קְטַנִּים שֶׁחוֹתֶה בָּהֶן אֶת הָאֵפֶר שֶׁבַּנֵּר בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, כְּשֶׁהוּא מֵיטִיב אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת מֵאֵפֶר הַפְּתִילוֹת שֶׁדָּלְקוּ הַלַּיְלָה וְכָבוּ, וּלְשׁוֹן מַחְתָּה פויישר"יא בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ לַחְתּוֹת אֵשׁ מִיָּקוּד (ישעיהו ל'):
39It must be made, together with all these utensils, out of one talent of pure gold.		לטכִּכַּ֛ר זָהָ֥ב טָה֖וֹר יַֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֑הּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה:
כִּכַּר זָהָב טָהוֹר - One talent of pure gold - i.e., its weight, including all its utensils, should be only one talent, no less and no more. An ordinary talent is 60 maneh and the sacred talent is double – 120 maneh. A maneh is equivalent to a litra, a unit by which silver is weighed according to the standard weight of Cologne; and it is equal to 100 gold dinars – 25 sela’im (shekels), for one sela is equal to four gold dinars – thus a sacred talent is equal to 3000 shekels.		כִּכַּר זָהָב טָהוֹר. שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה מִשְׁקָלָהּ עִם כָּל כֵּלֶיהָ אֶלָּא כִּכָּר, לֹא פָּחוֹת וְלֹא יוֹתֵר (מנחות פ"ח). וְהַכִּכָּר שֶׁל חֹל שִׁשִּׁים מָנֶה, וְשֶׁל קֹדֶשׁ הָיָה כָּפוּל, ק"ך מָנֶה, וְהַמָּנֶה הוּא לִיטְרָא שֶׁשּׁוֹקְלִין בָּהּ כֶּסֶף לְמִשְׁקַל קוֹלוֹנְיָא, וְהֵם מֵאָה זְהוּבִים – עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים וְהַסֶּלַע אַרְבָּעָה זְהוּבִים:
40Observe their forms that you are being shown on the mountain, and make them in that manner.		מוּרְאֵ֖ה וַֽעֲשֵׂ֑ה בְּתַ֨בְנִיתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה מָרְאֶ֖ה בָּהָֽר:
וּרְאֵה וַֽעֲשֵׂה - (lit.) Look and make - means: Look here on the mountain at the form that I am showing you and make it accordingly. This tells us that Moses found it difficult to understand the construction of the Candelabrum, until the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him a Candelabrum of fire.		וּרְאֵה וַֽעֲשֵׂה. רְאֵה כָאן בָּהָר תַּבְנִית שֶׁאֲנִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתְךָ, מַגִּיד שֶׁנִּתְקַשָּׁה מֹשֶׁה בְמַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה עַד שֶׁהֶרְאָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְנוֹרָה שֶׁל אֵשׁ (שם כ"ט):
אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה מָרְאֶה - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: דְּאַתְּ מִתַּחֲזֵי בְּטוּרָא – “that you are being shown on the mountain.” If it had been vocalized מַרְאֶה with a patach, its meaning would have been: “that you are to show to others.” Now, however, that it is vocalized with a chataf-kamatz (kamatz katan), its meaning is: “that you are being shown,” i.e., that others show you.		אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה מָרְאֶה. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ דְּאַתְּ מִתְחֲזֵי בְּטוּרָא; אִלּוּ הָיָה נָקוּד מַרְאֶה, בְּפַתָּח, הָיָה פִּתְרוֹנוֹ אַתָּה מַרְאֶה לַאֲחֵרִים, עַכְשָׁו שֶׁנָּקוּד חֲטַף קָמָץ, פִּתְרוֹנוֹ דְּאַתְּ מִתְחֲזֵי – שֶׁאֲחֵרִים מַרְאִים לְךָ (שֶׁהַנִּקּוּד מַפְרִיד בֵּין עוֹשֶׂה לְנַעֲשֶׂה):

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 26

1You must make the first cover of the Tabernacle out of 10 tapestries, woven out of twined linen, turquoise wool, purple wool, and scarlet wool. You must make them with a woven design of cherubim.		אוְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֥ן תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה עֶ֣שֶׂר יְרִיעֹ֑ת שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י כְּרֻבִ֛ים מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ה חשֵׁ֖ב תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם:
וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּֽעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעֹת - You must make the Tabernacle out of 10 tapestries - i.e., to act as a roof for it, and as coverings over the outside of the planks, for the tapestries hung down behind them to cover them.		וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּֽעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעֹת. לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְגַג וְלִמְחִצּוֹת מִחוּץ לַקְּרָשִׁים, שֶׁהַיְרִיעוֹת תְּלוּיוֹת מֵאֲחוֹרֵיהֶן לְכַסּוֹתָן:
שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר וּתְכֵלֶת וְתֹלַעַת שָׁנִי - Twined linen, turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool. There were thus four kinds of material together in each thread – one of linen and three of wool. Each sub-thread of these four was composed of six strands of its constituent material. Thus the four kinds, each one consisting of six strands intertwined into one, when twined together, combined for a total of 24 strands per thread.		שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָמָן וְתֹלַעַת שָׁנִי. הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעָה מִינִין יַחַד בְּכָל חוּט וְחוּט – אֶחָד שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן וּשְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁל צֶמֶר – וְכָל חוּט וְחוּט כָּפוּל ו' הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעָה מִינִין כְּשֶׁהֵן שְׁזוּרִין יַחַד כ"ד כְּפָלִים לַחוּט (יומא ע"א):
כְּרֻבִים מַֽעֲשֵׂה חשֵׁב - means: they were woven so as to produce illustrations of cherubim, and not by embroidery, which is needlework, but by weaving on both surfaces, one face on one side and one on the other - a lion on one side and an eagle on the other – just as silk belts, called “feysses” in Old French, are woven.		כְּרֻבִים מַֽעֲשֵׂה חשֵׁב. כְּרוּבִים הָיוּ מְצֻיָּרִין בָּהֶם בַּאֲרִיגָתָן, וְלֹא בִרְקִימָה שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה מַחַט, אֶלָּא בַאֲרִיגָה בִשְׁנֵי כְּתָלִים, פַּרְצוּף אֶחָד מִכָּאן וּפַרְצוּף אֶחָד מִכָּאן – אֲרִי מִצַּד זֶה וְנֶשֶׁר מִצַּד זֶה – כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹרְגִין חֲגוֹרוֹת שֶׁל מֶשִׁי שֶׁקּוֹרִין בְּלַעַז פיישי"שא:
2The length of each tapestry must be 28 cubits and the width of each tapestry must be four cubits, all the tapestries being of the same size.		באֹ֣רֶךְ \| הַיְרִיעָ֣ה הָֽאַחַ֗ת שְׁמֹנֶ֤ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וְרֹ֨חַב֙ אַרְבַּ֣ע בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה הַיְרִיעָ֖ה הָֽאֶחָ֑ת מִדָּ֥ה אַחַ֖ת לְכָל־הַיְרִיעֹֽת:
3Five tapestries must be attached to one another, and the other five must likewise be attached to one another.		גחֲמֵ֣שׁ הַיְרִיעֹ֗ת תִּֽהְיֶ֨יןָ֙ חֹֽבְרֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָ֑הּ וְחָמֵ֤שׁ יְרִיעֹת֙ חֹֽבְרֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ:
תִּֽהְיֶיןָ חֹֽבְרֹת - Must be attached - i.e., he sews them with a needle so that one adjoins the other, one set of five separately and the other set of five separately.		תִּֽהְיֶיןָ חֹֽבְרֹת. תּוֹפְרָן בְּמַחַט זוֹ בְצַד זוֹ, חָמֵשׁ לְבַד וְחָמֵשׁ לְבַד:
אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ - (lit.) A woman to her sister. This is Scripture’s way of speech regarding anything in the feminine gender; and similarly regarding anything in the male gender it says: אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו (lit.) “a man to his brother,” as it says about the cherubim: וּפְנֵיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו “they must face one another.” 7		אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ. כָּךְ דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּקְרָא לְדַבֵּר בְּדָבָר שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה, וּבְדָבָר שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן זָכָר אוֹמֵר אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱ' בַּכְּרוּבִים וּפְנֵיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו (שמות כ"ה):
4You must make loops of turquoise wool along the edge of the tapestry at the end of the first set, and you must do the same along the edge of the endmost tapestry of the second set.		דוְעָשִׂ֜יתָ לֻֽלְאֹ֣ת תְּכֵ֗לֶת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת מִקָּצָ֖ה בַּֽחֹבָ֑רֶת וְכֵ֤ן תַּֽעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה בַּמַּחְבֶּ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית:
לֻֽלְאֹת - are “lazoles” in Old French (“loops”), and so Onkelos translates it: עֲנוּבִין, a term denoting looping.		לֻֽלְאֹת. לצול"ש בְּלַעַז, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס עֲנוּבִין, לְשׁוֹן עֲנִיבָה:
מִקָּצָה בַּֽחֹבָרֶת - At the end of the set - i.e., on the tapestry that is at the end of the attached set of tapestries. The group of five tapestries is termed here חוֹבֶרֶת.		מִקָּצָה בַּֽחֹבָרֶת. בְּאוֹתָהּ יְרִיעָה שֶׁבְּסוֹף הַחִבּוּר, קְבוּצַת חֲמֵשֶׁת הַיְרִיעוֹת קְרוּיָה חוֹבֶרֶת:
וְכֵן תַּֽעֲשֶׂה בִּשְׂפַת הַיְרִיעָה הַקִּיצוֹנָה בַּמַּחְבֶּרֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית - And you must do the same along the edge of the endmost tapestry of the second set - i.e., on the tapestry that is קִיצוֹנָה, a term relating to קָצֶה “end,” i.e., at the end of the set.		וְכֵן תַּֽעֲשֶׂה בִּשְׂפַת הַיְרִיעָה הַקִּיצוֹנָה בַּמַּחְבֶּרֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית. בְּאוֹתָהּ יְרִיעָה שֶׁהִיא קִיצוֹנָה, לְשׁוֹן קָצֶה, כְּלוֹמַר לְסוֹף הַחוֹבֶרֶת:
5You must make 50 loops on one tapestry, and you must make another 50 loops along the edge of the tapestry of the second set, each loop being exactly aligned with its counterpart.		החֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת תַּֽעֲשֶׂה֘ בַּיְרִיעָ֣ה הָֽאֶחָת֒ וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת תַּֽעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַיְרִיעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּמַּחְבֶּ֣רֶת הַשֵּׁנִ֑ית מַקְבִּילֹת֙ הַלֻּֽלָאֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ:
מַקְבִּילֹת הַלֻּֽלָאֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ - Each loop being aligned with its counterpart- i.e., be careful to make the loops all exactly the same distance from one another, and that they measure the same on one tapestry as on the other, so that when you spread one set of tapestries next to the other, the loops at the edge of one tapestry will be exactly opposite the loops at the edge of the other; and this is the meaning of the term מַקְבִּילֹת: “opposite one another.” Similarly, the Aramaic translation of נֶגֶד “opposite” is לָקֳבֵל. The tapestries were 28 cubits long and four wide, so when five tapestries were attached together, their width totaled 20 cubits; and the same with the second set. The Tabernacle was 30 cubits long from east to west, as it says: “20 planks for the southern side,” 8 and similarly to the north, and each plank was one-and-a-half cubits wide, making 30 cubits from east to west. The width of the Tabernacle from north to south was ten cubits, as it says: “For the back of the Tabernacle, to the west, you must make six planks, and you must make two planks for the corners,” 9 making ten cubits, and I will explain these verses in their place. When placing the length of the tapestries across the width of the Tabernacle, the middle ten cubits served as the roof over the space of the width of the Tabernacle, and another cubit on each side for covering the width of the top of the planks, which were each one cubit thick. There thus remained 16 cubits, eight on the north side and eight on the south, covering most of the height of the planks, which were ten cubits high, with the two lower cubits thus remaining uncovered. The width of the tapestries was 40 cubits when joined, 20 cubits for each set. Thirty of them served as the roof over the space of the length of the Tabernacle, another cubit was above the width of the tops of the planks on the west side, and another cubit was to cover the width of the pillars on the east side, for there were no planks on the east side, but four {five} pillars where the Screen was spread, hanging on hooks there in the form of a curtain. There thus remained eight cubits hanging down over the back of the Tabernacle on the west side, with the lower two cubits remaining uncovered. This I found in Baraita d’Arba’im VeTesha Midot. However, in Tractate Shabbat 10 it states that the tapestries did not cover the thickness of the pillars on the east side, and nine cubits hung down over the back of the Tabernacle; and the following verse supports this opinion: “You must position the Curtain under the clasps that couple the two sets of tapestries,” 11 and if it were as stated in the above baraita, it emerges that the Curtain was one cubit further west than the clasps.		מַקְבִּילֹת הַלֻּֽלָאֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ. שְׁמֹר שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה הַלּוּלָאוֹת בְּמִדָּה אַחַת, מְכֻוֶּנֶת הַבְדָּלָתָן זוֹ מִזּוֹ, וּכְמִדָּתָן בִּירִיעָה זוֹ כֵּן יְהֵא בַּחֲבֶרְתָּהּ, שֶׁכְּשֶׁתִּפְרֹשׂ חוֹבֶרֶת אֵצֶל חוֹבֶרֶת יִהְיוּ הַלּוּלָאוֹת שֶׁל יְרִיעָה זוֹ מְכֻוָּנוֹת כְּנֶגֶד לוּלָאוֹת שֶׁל זוֹ, וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן מַקְבִּילוֹת – זוֹ כְּנֶגֶד זוֹ, תַּרְגּוּמוֹ שֶׁל נֶגֶד לָקֳבֵל. הַיְרִיעוֹת אָרְכָּן כ"ח וְרָחְבָּן אַרְבַּע, וּכְשֶׁחִבֵּר חָמֵשׁ יְרִיעוֹת יַחַד נִמְצָא רָחְבָּן עֶשְׂרִים, וְכֵן הַחוֹבֶרֶת הַשֵּׁנִית, וְהַמִּשְׁכָּן אָרְכּוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב, שֶׁנֶּ' עֶשְׂרִים קְרָשִׁים לִפְאַת נֶגֶב תֵּימָנָה, וְכֵן לַצָּפוֹן, וְכָל קֶרֶשׁ אַמָּה וַחֲצִי הָאַמָּה, הֲרֵי שְׁלֹשִׁים מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב, רֹחַב הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִן הַצָּפוֹן לַדָּרוֹם עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּלְיַרְכְּתֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן יָמָּה וְגוֹ' וּשְׁנֵי קְרָשִׁים לִמְקֻצְעֹת הֲרֵי עֶשֶׂר – וּבִמְקוֹמָם אֲפָרְשֵׁם לַמִּקְרָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ – נוֹתֵן הַיְרִיעוֹת אָרְכָּן לְרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן, עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֶמְצָעִיּוֹת לְגַג חֲלַל רֹחַב הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְאַמָּה מִכָּאן וְאַמָּה מִכָּאן לְעֹבִי רָאשֵׁי הַקְּרָשִׁים שֶׁעָבְיָם אַמָּה, נִשְׁתַּיְּרוּ ט"ז אַמָּה, ח' לַצָפוֹן וְח' לַדָרוֹם, מְכַסּוֹת קוֹמַת הַקְּרָשִׁים שֶׁגָּבְהָן עֶשֶׂר, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת מְגֻלּוֹת; רָחְבָּן שֶׁל יְרִיעוֹת אַרְבָּעִים אַמָּה כְּשֶׁהֵן מְחֻבָּרוֹת, עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה לְחוֹבֶרֶת. שְׁלֹשִׁים מֵהֶן לְגַג חֲלַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן לְאָרְכּוֹ, וְאַמָּה כְנֶגֶד עֹבִי רָאשֵׁי הַקְּרָשִׁים שֶׁבַּמַּעֲרָב, וְאַמָּה לְכַסּוֹת עֹבִי הָעַמּוּדִים שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח – שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ קְרָשִׁים בַּמִּזְרָח, אֶלָּא חֲמִשָּׁה עַמּוּדִים שֶׁהַמָּסָךְ פָּרוּשׂ וְתָלוּי בַּוָּוִין שֶׁבָּהֶן כְּמִין וִילוֹן – נִשְׁתַּיְּרוּ שְׁמוֹנֶה אַמּוֹת הַתְּלוּיִין עַל אֲחוֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן שֶׁבַּמַּעֲרָב, וּשְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת מְגֻלּוֹת, זוֹ מָצָאתִי בְּבָרַיְתָא דְּאַרְבָּעִים וְתֵשַׁע מִדּוֹת. אֲבָל בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת אֵין הַיְרִיעוֹת מְכַסּוֹת אֶת עַמּוּדֵי הַמִּזְרָח, וְתֵשַׁע אַמּוֹת תְּלוּיוֹת אֲחוֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְהַכָּתוּב בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ מְסַיְּעֵנוּ, וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַפָּרֹכֶת "תַּחַת" הַקְּרָסִים, וְאִם כְּדִבְרֵי הַבָּרַיְתָא הַזֹּאת, נִמְצֵאת פָּרֹכֶת מְשׁוּכָה מִן הַקְּרָסִים וְלַמַּעֲרָב אַמָּה:
6You must make 50 golden clasps, and you must join the two sets of tapestries to each other with the clasps, so that the cover of the Tabernacle will become one.		ווְעָשִׂ֕יתָ חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים קַרְסֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב וְחִבַּרְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַיְרִיעֹ֜ת אִשָּׁ֤ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ֙ בַּקְּרָסִ֔ים וְהָיָ֥ה הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן אֶחָֽד:
קַרְסֵי זָהָב - are “fermeylz” in Old French (“clasps”). One of their ends was inserted into the loops at the edge of one set of tapestries, and the other end into the loops of the other set, and thus they were joined by them.		קַרְסֵי זָהָב. פירמי"לש בְּלַעַז, וּמַכְנִיסִין רֹאשָׁן אֶחָד בַּלּוּלָאוֹת שֶׁבְּחוֹבֶרֶת זוֹ וְרֹאשָׁן אֶחָד בַּלּוּלָאוֹת שֶׁבְּחוֹבֶרֶת זוֹ וּמְחַבְּרָן בָּהֶן:
7For the second cover, you must make sheets of goat hair as a Tent to spread over the first cover of the Tabernacle; you must make 11 such sheets.		זוְעָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ יְרִיעֹ֣ת עִזִּ֔ים לְאֹ֖הֶל עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן עַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה יְרִיעֹ֖ת תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם:
יְרִיעֹת עִזִּים - Sheets (lit.) of goats - means: of goats’ hair.		יְרִיעֹת עִזִּים. מִנּוֹצָה שֶׁל עִזִּים:
לְאֹהֶל עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן - To spread over the Tabernacle - i.e., to spread them over the lower tapestries.		לְאֹהֶל עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן. לִפְרֹשׂ אוֹתָן עַל הַיְרִיעוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת:
8The length of each sheet must be 30 cubits and the width of each sheet must be four cubits, all 11 sheets being of the same size.		חאֹ֣רֶךְ \| הַיְרִיעָ֣ה הָֽאַחַ֗ת שְׁלשִׁים֙ בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וְרֹ֨חַב֙ אַרְבַּ֣ע בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה הַיְרִיעָ֖ה הָֽאֶחָ֑ת מִדָּ֣ה אַחַ֔ת לְעַשְׁתֵּ֥י עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה יְרִיעֹֽת:
שְׁלשִׁים בָּֽאַמָּה - 30 cubits. When placing their length across the width of the Tabernacle, just as the first ones were placed, these sheets extend beyond the lower covers one cubit on each side, thus covering one of the two cubits of the planks that remained uncovered, and the bottom cubit of the plank, not covered by the sheet, is the cubit that was inserted into the hollow of the base holding the plank, for the bases were one cubit high.		שְׁלשִׁים בָּֽאַמָּה. שֶׁכְּשֶׁנּוֹתֵן אָרְכָּן לְרֹחַב הַמִּשְׁכָּן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנָּתַן אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, נִמְצְאוּ אֵלּוּ עוֹדְפוֹת אַמָּה מִכָּאן וְאַמָּה מִכָּאן לְכַסּוֹת אַחַת מֵהַשְּׁתֵי אַמּוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ מְגֻלּוֹת מִן הַקְּרָשִׁים, וְהָאַמָּה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה שֶׁל קֶרֶשׁ שֶׁאֵין הַיְרִיעָה מְכַסָּה אוֹתוֹ הִיא הָאַמָּה הַתְּחוּבָה בְּנֶקֶב הָאֶדֶן, שֶׁהָאֲדָנִים גָּבְהָן אַמָּה:
9You must attach five of the sheets by themselves, and attach the remaining six sheets by themselves. You must fold half of the sixth sheet over the front of the Tent.		טוְחִבַּרְתָּ֞ אֶת־חֲמֵ֤שׁ הַיְרִיעֹת֙ לְבָ֔ד וְאֶת־שֵׁ֥שׁ הַיְרִיעֹ֖ת לְבָ֑ד וְכָֽפַלְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַיְרִיעָ֣ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔ית אֶל־מ֖וּל פְּנֵ֥י הָאֹֽהֶל:
וְכָֽפַלְתָּ אֶת־הַיְרִיעָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית - You must fold the sixth sheet - the one which was additional in these upper covers beyond the lower ones.		וְכָֽפַלְתָּ אֶת־הַיְרִיעָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית. הָעוֹדֶפֶת בְּאֵלּוּ הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת יוֹתֵר מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת:
אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הָאֹֽהֶל - over the front of the Tent - i.e., half its width – i.e., two cubits – hung down and doubled over the Screen on the east side across the entrance, similar to a modest bride with a veil covering her face.		אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הָאֹֽהֶל. חֲצִי רָחְבָּה הָיָה תָלוּי וְכָפוּל עַל הַמָּסָךְ שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח כְּנֶגֶד הַפֶּתַח, דּוֹמֶה לְכַלָּה צְנוּעָה הַמְכֻסָּה בְּצָעִיף עַל פָּנֶיהָ:
10You must make 50 loops along the edge of the endmost sheet of the first set, and 50 loops along the edge of the endmost sheet of the second set.		יוְעָשִׂ֜יתָ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת הַקִּֽיצֹנָ֖ה בַּֽחֹבָ֑רֶת וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת עַ֚ל שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַֽחֹבֶ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית:
11You must make 50 copper clasps, and you must insert the clasps into the loops, joining the two halves of the goat-hair Tent together and making it one.		יאוְעָשִׂ֛יתָ קַרְסֵ֥י נְח֖שֶׁת חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְהֵֽבֵאתָ֤ אֶת־הַקְּרָסִים֙ בַּלֻּ֣לָאֹ֔ת וְחִבַּרְתָּ֥ אֶת־הָאֹ֖הֶל וְהָיָ֥ה אֶחָֽד:
12With regard to the overlapping remainder of the sheets of the goat-hair Tent, the extra half-sheet will overhang the back of the Tabernacle.		יבוְסֶ֨רַח֙ הָֽעֹדֵ֔ף בִּֽירִיעֹ֖ת הָאֹ֑הֶל חֲצִ֤י הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽעֹדֶ֔פֶת תִּסְרַ֕ח עַ֖ל אֲחֹרֵ֥י הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן:
וְסֶרַח הָֽעֹדֵף בִּֽירִיעֹת הָאֹהֶל - The overlapping remainder of the sheets of the Tent - over the lower tapestries of the Tabernacle. יְרִיעֹת הָאֹהֶל are the upper covers of goat hair, which are called אֹהֶל “a Tent,” as is written about them: לְאֹהֶל עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן “as a Tent to spread over the Tabernacle,” 34 and every instance of אֹהֶל stated regarding them is used only in the sense of a roof, that they cover and shelter the lower covers. They extended half a sheet to the west beyond the lower ones, for half the additional eleventh sheet was folded over the front of the Tent, which left two cubits, the width of half a sheet, extending beyond the width of the lower covers.		וְסֶרַח הָֽעֹדֵף בִּֽירִיעֹת הָאֹהֶל. עַל יְרִיעוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן; יְרִיעוֹת הָאֹהֶל הֵן הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁל עִזִּים, שֶׁקְּרוּיִים אֹהֶל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם לְאֹהֶל עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכָל אֹהֶל הָאָמוּר בָּהֶן אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן גַּג, שֶׁמַּאֲהִילוֹת וּמְסַכְּכוֹת עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת, וְהֵן הָיוּ עוֹדְפוֹת עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת חֲצִי הַיְרִיעָה לַמַּעֲרָב, שֶׁהַחֵצִי שֶׁל יְרִיעָה אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה הַיְתֵרָה הָיָה נִכְפָּל אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הָאֹהֶל, נִשְׁאֲרוּ שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת רֹחַב חֶצְיָהּ עוֹדֵף עַל רֹחַב הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת:
תִּסְרַח עַל אֲחֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן - This will overhang the back of the Tabernacle. to cover the two bottom cubits of the planks remaining uncovered.		תִּסְרַח עַל אֲחֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן. לְכַסּוֹת שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מְגֻלּוֹת בַּקְּרָשִׁים:
אֲחֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן - The back of the Tabernacle. This is the west side, since the entrance is on the east side, which is its “face”; and accordingly the north and south sides are called “sides,” one to the right and the other to the left.		אֲחֹרֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן. הוּא צַד מַעֲרָבִי, לְפִי שֶׁהַפֶּתַח בַּמִּזְרָח שֶׁהֵן פָּנָיו, וְצָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם קְרוּיִין צְדָדִין לַיָּמִין וְלַשְּׂמֹאל:
13The extra cubit at either end of the length of the sheets of the goat-hair Tent must hang down over the two sides of the lower cover of the Tabernacle, to cover it.		יגוְהָֽאַמָּ֨ה מִזֶּ֜ה וְהָֽאַמָּ֤ה מִזֶּה֙ בָּֽעֹדֵ֔ף בְּאֹ֖רֶךְ יְרִיעֹ֣ת הָאֹ֑הֶל יִֽהְיֶ֨ה סָר֜וּחַ עַל־צִדֵּ֧י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן מִזֶּ֥ה וּמִזֶּ֖ה לְכַסֹּתֽוֹ:
וְהָֽאַמָּה מִזֶּה וְהָֽאַמָּה מִזֶּה - The [extra] cubit at either end - i.e., to the north and to the south.		וְהָֽאַמָּה מִזֶּה וְהָֽאַמָּה מִזֶּה. לַצָּפוֹן וְלַדָּרוֹם:
בָּֽעֹדֵף בְּאֹרֶךְ יְרִיעֹת הָאֹהֶל - Extra…of the length of the sheets of the Tent. for they exceed the length of the lower tapestries of the Tabernacle by two cubits.		בָּֽעֹדֵף בְּאֹרֶךְ יְרִיעֹת הָאֹהֶל. שֶׁהֵן עוֹדְפוֹת עַל אֹרֶךְ יְרִיעוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת:
יִֽהְיֶה סָרוּחַ עַל־צִדֵּי הַמִּשְׁכָּן - Must hang down over the sides of the Tabernacle - i.e., to the north and south, as I explained above. The Torah teaches here proper conduct, that a person should be careful with valuable items.		יִֽהְיֶה סָרוּחַ עַל־צִדֵּי הַמִּשְׁכָּן. לַצָּפוֹן וְלַדָּרוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְמַעְלָה. לִמְּדָה תוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁיְּהֵא אָדָם חָס עַל הַיָּפֶה (ילקוט שמעוני):
14You must make a roof over the goat-hair Tent out of red-dyed ram skins, and a roof of tachash skins above it.		ידוְעָשִׂ֤יתָ מִכְסֶה֙ לָאֹ֔הֶל עֹרֹ֥ת אֵילִ֖ם מְאָדָּמִ֑ים וּמִכְסֵ֛ה עֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים מִלְמָֽעְלָה:
מִכְסֶה לָאֹהֶל - A roof over the Tent - i.e., for that roof of sheets of goat hair make another cover of red-dyed ram skins, and additionally above that a cover of tachash skins. These two covers covered only the roof area, their length being 30 cubits and their width 10. This is the opinion of Rabbi Nechemyah, but according to Rabbi Yehudah there was only one cover combining the two, half of red-dyed ram skins and half of tachash skins.		מִכְסֶה לָאֹהֶל. לְאוֹתוֹ גַּג שֶׁל יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים עֲשֵׂה עוֹד מִכְסֶה אַחֵר שֶׁל עוֹרוֹת אֵילִים מְאָדָּמִים, וְעוֹד לְמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ מִכְסֵה עוֹרוֹת תְּחָשִׁים; וְאוֹתָן מִכְסָאוֹת לֹא הָיוּ מְכַסִּין אֶלָּא אֶת הַגָּג, אָרְכָּן ל' וְרָחְבָּן י', אֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, וּלְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מִכְסֶה אֶחָד הָיָה, חֶצְיוֹ שֶׁל עוֹרוֹת אֵילִים מְאָדָּמִים וְחֶצְיוֹ שֶׁל עוֹרוֹת תְּחָשִׁים (שבת כ"ח):

Footnotes

Daniel 5:6.

Melechet HaMishkan ch. 10.

Exodus 26:22-23.

Shabbat 98b.

Fourth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 26

15You must make the planks for the Tabernacle out of acacia wood, placed vertically.		טווְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶת־הַקְּרָשִׁ֖ים לַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן עֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּ֖ים עֹֽמְדִֽים:
וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַקְּרָשִׁים - You must make the planks. It should have said: וְעָשִׂיתָ קְרָשִׁים “you must make planks,” in the same way stated regarding each of the other objects. What then does הַקְּרָשִׁים “the planks” signify? It means that the planks were to be from those that were set and designated for that purpose – for our father Jacob planted cedars in Egypt, and when he died, he instructed his sons to take them along with them when they would leave Egypt, saying to them: “The Holy One, blessed be He, will command you in the future to construct a Tabernacle in the desert from acacia wood, so see that they will be ready in your possession.” This is what Rabbi Shlomo HaBavli wrote in his piyut (liturgical poem): “The plant of those urged by their father Jacob grew rapidly to become the cedar planks of our House” – referring to the fact that they were urged to have them ready in their possession beforehand.		וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַקְּרָשִׁים. הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר וְעָשִׂיתָ קְרָשִׁים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּכָל דָּבָר וְדָבָר, מַהוּ הַקְּרָשִׁים? מֵאוֹתָן הָעוֹמְדִין וּמְיֻחָדִין לְכָךְ; יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ נָטַע אֲרָזִים בְּמִצְרַיִם, וּכְשֶׁמֵּת צִוָּה לְבָנָיו לְהַעֲלוֹתָם עִמָּהֶם כְּשֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְאָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁעָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְצַוּוֹת אוֹתָן לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁכָּן בַּמִּדְבָּר מֵעֲצֵי שִׁטִּים, רְאוּ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְזֻמָּנִים בְּיֶדְכֶם; הוּא שֶׁיִּסֵּד הַבַּבְלִי בַּפִּיּוּט שֶׁלּוֹ, "טָס מַטַּע מְזֹרָזִים קוֹרוֹת בָּתֵּינוּ אֲרָזִים", שֶׁנִּזְדָּרְזוּ לִהְיוֹת מוּכָנִים בְּיָדָם מִקֹּדֶם לָכֵן:
עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עומדים - Acacia wood, placed vertically - “estantivs” in Old French, i.e., that the length of the planks be standing upright along the walls of the Tabernacle, but do not make the walls with planks lying horizontally, that the width of the planks form the height of the walls, one plank on top of another.		עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עומדים. איתשט"נביש בְּלַעַז; שֶׁיְּהֵא אֹרֶךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים זָקוּף לְמַעְלָה בְּקִירוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה הַכְּתָלִים בִּקְרָשִׁים שׁוֹכְבִים, לִהְיוֹת רֹחַב הַקְּרָשִׁים לְגֹבַהּ הַכְּתָלִים קֶרֶשׁ עַל קֶרֶשׁ:
16The length of each plank must be 10 cubits, and the width of each plank must be one-and-a-half cubits.		טזעֶ֥שֶׂר אַמּ֖וֹת אֹ֣רֶךְ הַקָּ֑רֶשׁ וְאַמָּה֙ וַֽחֲצִ֣י הָֽאַמָּ֔ה רֹ֖חַב הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָֽד:
עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ הַקָּרֶשׁ - The length of each plank must be 10 cubits. From here we learn that the height of the Tabernacle was 10 cubits.		עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ הַקָּרֶשׁ. לָמַדְנוּ גָּבְהוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת:
וְאַמָּה וַֽחֲצִי הָֽאַמָּה רֹחַב - And the width…one-and-a-half cubits. From here we learn that the length of the Tabernacle, for the 20 planks that were on both the north and south sides running from east to west, was 30 cubits.		וְאַמָּה וַֽחֲצִי הָֽאַמָּה רֹחַב. לָמַדְנוּ אָרְכּוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן, לְעֶשְׂרִים קְרָשִׁים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בַּצָּפוֹן וּבַדָּרוֹם מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב, שְׁלֹשִׁים אַמָּה:
17Whittle the bottom of each plank into two tenons parallel to each other; you must do likewise to all the planks of the Tabernacle.		יזשְׁתֵּ֣י יָד֗וֹת לַקֶּ֨רֶשׁ֙ הָאֶחָ֔ד מְשֻׁ֨לָּבֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָ֑הּ כֵּ֣ן תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל קַרְשֵׁ֥י הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן:
שְׁתֵּי יָדוֹת לַקֶּרֶשׁ הָאֶחָד - (lit.) Two tenons for each plank - i.e., he would carve out the middle part of the bottom of each plank to the height of one cubit, and leave a quarter of its width – i.e., of a cubit – on one side and a quarter of its width on the other, and these are the tenons; and the part carved out was half the width of the remaining portion of the plank – i.e., half a cubit – in the middle. These tenons were inserted into the bases, which were hollow. The bases were a cubit high and sat in a continuous line of 40, one next to the other. The tenons of the planks that were inserted into the hollow of the bases were carved also on the three other sides, the width of the shaved perimeter being equal to the thickness of the rim of the base, so that the plank cover the entire top of the base, for if not, there would be a gap between each plank equal to the thickness of the rims of the two bases, which would have separated them. And this is what it says: “They must be flush against each other at the bottom,” 1 that the sides of the tenons be carved out so that the planks directly adjoin each other.		שְׁתֵּי יָדוֹת לַקֶּרֶשׁ הָאֶחָד. הָיָה חוֹרֵץ אֶת הַקֶּרֶשׁ מִלְּמַטָּה בְּאֶמְצָעוֹ בְּגֹבַהּ אַמָּה, וּמַנִּיחַ רְבִיעַ רָחְבּוֹ מִכָּאן, וּרְבִיעַ רָחְבּוֹ מִכָּאן, וְהֵן הֵן הַיָּדוֹת, וְהֶחָרִיץ חֲצִי רֹחַב הַקֶּרֶשׁ בָּאֶמְצַע, וְאוֹתָן הַיָּדוֹת מַכְנִיס בָּאֲדָנִים שֶׁהָיוּ חֲלוּלִים, וְהָאֲדָנִים גָּבְהָן אַמָּה וְיוֹשְׁבִים רְצוּפִים אַרְבָּעִים זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה, וִידוֹת הַקֶּרֶשׁ הַנִּכְנָסוֹת בַּחֲלַל הָאֲדָנִים חֲרוּצוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה צִדֵּיהֶן – רֹחַב הֶחָרִיץ כְּעֹבִי שְׂפַת הָאֶדֶן – שֶׁיְּכַסֶּה הַקֶּרֶשׁ אֶת כָּל רֹאשׁ הָאֶדֶן, שֶׁאִם לֹא כֵן, נִמְצָא רֶוַח בֵּין קֶרֶשׁ לְקֶרֶשׁ כְּעֹבִי שְׂפַת שְׁנֵי הָאֲדָנִים, שֶׁיַּפְסִיקוּ בֵּינֵיהֶם, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיִהְיוּ תֹאֲמִים מִלְּמַטָּה, שֶׁיַּחֲרֹץ אֶת צִדֵּי הַיָּדוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְחַבְּרוּ הַקְּרָשִׁים זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה:
מְשֻׁלָּבֹת - means: they were made like rungs of a ladder, separated from one another and whittled at their ends in order to fit into the hollow of the base, like a rung fits into the hole in the sides of a ladder.		מְשֻׁלָּבֹת. עֲשׂוּיוֹת כְּמִין שְׁלִיבוֹת סֻלָּם, וּמֻבְדָּלוֹת זוֹ מִזּוֹ, וּמְשֻׁפִּין רָאשֵׁיהֶם לִכָּנֵס בְּתוֹךְ חֲלַל הָאֶדֶן כִּשְׁלִיבָה הַנִּכְנֶסֶת בְּנֶקֶב עַמּוּדֵי הַסֻּלָּם:
אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ - means: corresponding to one another - that both tenons be carved out equally, with the same dimensions, so that the two tenons not be positioned one towards the inside and the other towards the outside within the width of the plank, which is one cubit. Onkelos translates יָדוֹת as צִירִין, since they resemble the hinges (צִירִים) of a door that fit into the holes of the threshold.		אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ. מְכֻוָּנוֹת זוֹ כְנֶגֶד זוֹ, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ חֲרִיצֵיהֶם שָׁוִים זוֹ כְמִדַּת זוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ שְׁתֵּי יָדוֹת זוֹ מְשׁוּכָה לְצַד פְּנִים וְזוֹ מְשׁוּכָה לְצַד חוּץ בְּעֹבִי הַקֶּרֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא אַמָּה, וְתַרְגּוּם שֶׁל יָדוֹת צִירִין, לְפִי שֶׁדּוֹמוֹת לְצִירֵי הַדֶּלֶת הַנִּכְנָסִים בְּחֹרֵי הַמִּפְתָּן:
18You must make the planks for the Tabernacle: 20 planks for the southern side.		יחוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶת־הַקְּרָשִׁ֖ים לַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן עֶשְׂרִ֣ים קֶ֔רֶשׁ לִפְאַ֖ת נֶ֥גְבָּה תֵימָֽנָה:
לִפְאַת נֶגְבָּה תֵימָֽנָה - The term פֵּאָה here does not mean “corner”; rather, the entire side is called פֵּאָה, as Onkelos translates it: לְרוּחַ עֵבַר דָּרוֹמָא – “for the south-facing side.”		לִפְאַת נֶגְבָּה תֵימָֽנָה. אֵין פֵּאָה זוֹ לְשׁוֹן מִקְצוֹעַ, אֶלָּא כָּל הָרוּחַ קְרוּיָה פֵּאָה, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ: לְרוּחַ עֵבַר דָּרוֹמָא:
19You must make 40 silver bases under the 20 planks, two bases under one plank to accommodate its two tenons, and two bases under each following plank to accommodate its two tenons.		יטוְאַרְבָּעִים֙ אַדְנֵי־כֶ֔סֶף תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֕ה תַּ֖חַת עֶשְׂרִ֣ים הַקָּ֑רֶשׁ שְׁנֵ֨י אֲדָנִ֜ים תַּֽחַת־הַקֶּ֤רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָד֙ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י יְדֹתָ֔יו וּשְׁנֵ֧י אֲדָנִ֛ים תַּֽחַת־הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָ֖ד לִשְׁתֵּ֥י יְדֹתָֽיו:
20For the second side of the Tabernacle, to the north, there must be 20 planks		כוּלְצֶ֧לַע הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית לִפְאַ֣ת צָפ֑וֹן עֶשְׂרִ֖ים קָֽרֶשׁ:
21with their 40 silver bases: two bases under one plank, and two bases under each following plank.		כאוְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם כָּ֑סֶף שְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֗ים תַּ֚חַת הַקֶּ֣רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָֽד:
22For the back of the Tabernacle, to the west, you must make six planks,		כבוּלְיַרְכְּתֵ֥י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן יָ֑מָּה תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה שִׁשָּׁ֥ה קְרָשִֽׁים:
וּלְיַרְכְּתֵי - A term for “end,” as Onkelos translates it: וְלִסְיָפֵי; and because the entrance was on the east side, the east side is called “the face” and the west side “the back,” meaning the end, for the front is the head, the beginning.		וּלְיַרְכְּתֵי. לְשׁוֹן סוֹף, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְלִסְיָפֵי, וּלְפִי שֶׁהַפֶּתַח בַּמִּזְרָח, קָרוּי מִזְרָח פָּנִים וְהַמַּעֲרָב אֲחוֹרַיִם, וְזֶהוּ סוֹף, שֶׁהַפָּנִים הוּא הָרֹאשׁ:
תַּֽעֲשֶׂה שִׁשָּׁה קְרָשִֽׁים - You must make six planks. Thus making nine cubits for the width.		תַּֽעֲשֶׂה שִׁשָּׁה קְרָשִֽׁים. הֲרֵי תֵשַׁע אַמּוֹת רֹחַב:
23and you must make two planks for the back corners of the Tabernacle.		כגוּשְׁנֵ֤י קְרָשִׁים֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה לִמְקֻצְעֹ֖ת הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן בַּיַּרְכָתָֽיִם:
וּשְׁנֵי קְרָשִׁים תַּֽעֲשֶׂה לִמְקֻצְעֹת - And you must make two planks for the corners - one for the northwest corner and the other for the southwest corner. All eight planks were in one line, except that these two were not entirely facing the inner space of the Tabernacle, but only half a cubit of one and half a cubit of the other were visible inside, completing the ten-cubit width of the Tabernacle on the inside, and the remaining cubit on each side sat against the cubit thickness of the planks of the north and south sides of the Tabernacle respectively, so that the corner from the outside would be even.		וּשְׁנֵי קְרָשִׁים תַּֽעֲשֶׂה לִמְקֻצְעֹת. אֶחָד לְמִקְצוֹעַ צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית, וְאֶחָד לְמַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית, כָּל שְׁמֹנָה קְרָשִׁים בְּסֵדֶר אֶחָד הֵן, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁנַיִם אֵינָן בַּחֲלַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶלָּא חֲצִי אַמָּה מִזּוֹ וַחֲצִי אַמָּה מִזּוֹ נִרְאוֹת בֶּחָלָל, לְהַשְׁלִים רָחְבּוֹ לְעֶשֶׂר, וְהָאַמָּה מִזֶּה וְהָאַמָּה מִזֶּה בָּאוֹת כְּנֶגֶד אַמַּת עֹבִי קַרְשֵׁי הַמִּשְׁכָּן הַצָּפוֹן וְהַדָּרוֹם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא הַמִּקְצוֹעַ מִבַּחוּץ שָׁוֶה:
24They must be flush against each other at the bottom. They must be flush against each other at the top with a band. This must also be done with the two planks on the two corners.		כדוְיִֽהְי֣וּ תֹֽאֲמִם֘ מִלְּמַ֒טָּה֒ וְיַחְדָּ֗ו יִֽהְי֤וּ תַמִּים֙ עַל־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ אֶל־הַטַּבַּ֖עַת הָֽאֶחָ֑ת כֵּ֚ן יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לִשְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם לִשְׁנֵ֥י הַמִּקְצֹעֹ֖ת יִֽהְיֽוּ:
וְיִֽהְיוּ - And they – i.e., all the planks – “must be flush against each other at the bottom” - that the thickness of the rims of the two bases not separate between them by distancing one from the other. This is what I explained above, 2 that the hinge-like tenons should be carved out on their sides so that the width of the plank protrude on its sides beyond the tenons of the plank in order to cover the rim of the base, and similarly for the adjoining plank, and thus the planks would be flush against each other. Likewise, each corner plank of the western row was carved out along its width in its thickness corresponding to the portion carved from the side of the adjacent planks of the northern and southern rows, so that the bases not separate between them.		וְיִֽהְיוּ. כָּל הַקְּרָשִׁים תּוֹאֲמִים זֶה לָזֶה מִלְּמַטָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יַפְסִיק עֹבִי שְׂפַת שְׁנֵי הָאֲדָנִים בֵּינֵיהֶם לְהַרְחִיקָם זוֹ מִזּוֹ, זֶהוּ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ צִירֵי הַיָּדוֹת חֲרוּצִים מִצִּדֵּיהֶן, שֶׁיְּהֵא רֹחַב הַקֶּרֶשׁ בּוֹלֵט לְצִדָּיו חוּץ לִידֵי הַקֶּרֶשׁ, לְכַסּוֹת אֶת שְׂפַת הָאֶדֶן, וְכֵן הַקֶּרֶשׁ שֶׁאֶצְלוֹ, וְנִמְצְאוּ תוֹאֲמִים זֶה לָזֶה; וְקֶרֶשׁ הַמִּקְצוֹעַ שֶׁבְּסֵדֶר הַמַּעֲרָב חָרוּץ לְרָחְבּוֹ בְּעָבְיוֹ כְּנֶגֶד חָרִיץ שֶׁל צַד קֶרֶשׁ הַצְּפוֹנִי וְהַדְּרוֹמִי, כְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַפְרִידוּ הָאֲדָנִים בֵּינֵיהֶם:
וְיַחְדָּו יִֽהְיוּ תַמִּים - תַמִּים is the equivalent of תּוֹאֲמִים “parallel.”		וְיַחְדָּו יִֽהְיוּ תַמִּים. כְּמוֹ תוֹאֲמִים:
עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ - At the top - of the plank.		עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ. שֶׁל קֶרֶשׁ:
אֶל־הַטַּבַּעַת הָֽאֶחָת - With a band. Each plank had two notches carved out on top along its width, one on each of its two sides, each the thickness of a band, and he inserted it with the matching notch of the next plank into one ring, thus making it flush with the adjoining plank. However, I do not know if these rings were fixed or movable. And regarding the plank at each corner, a band was fitted onto the width of both the southernmost and the northernmost plank, and the top of each corner plank on the western row was inserted into each one respectively, thus resulting in the two walls on each side being joined.		אֶל־הַטַּבַּעַת הָֽאֶחָת. כָּל קֶרֶשׁ וְקֶרֶשׁ הָיָה חָרוּץ מִלְמַעְלָה בְרָחְבּוֹ שְׁנֵי חֲרִיצִין, בִּשְׁנֵי צִדָּיו, כְּמוֹ עֹבִי טַבַּעַת, וּמַכְנִיסוֹ בְּטַבַּעַת אַחַת, נִמְצָא מַתְאִים לַקֶּרֶשׁ שֶׁאֶצְלוֹ, אֲבָל אוֹתָן טַבָּעוֹת לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אִם קְבוּעוֹת הֵן, אִם מְטֻלְטָלוֹת, וּבַקֶּרֶשׁ שֶׁבַּמִּקְצוֹעַ הָיְתָה טַבַּעַת בְּעֹבִי הַקֶּרֶשׁ הַדְּרוֹמִי וְהַצְּפוֹנִי, וְרֹאשׁ קֶרֶשׁ הַמִּקְצוֹעַ שֶׁבְּסֵדֶר מַעֲרָב נִכְנָס לְתוֹכוֹ, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁנֵי הַכְּתָלִים מְחֻבָּרִים:
כֵּן יִֽהְיֶה לִשְׁנֵיהֶם - (lit.) So must it be for the two of them - i.e., for the two corner planks – the plank at the end of the north side and the adjoining plank on the west side – and it must be the same on both corners.		כֵּן יִֽהְיֶה לִשְׁנֵיהֶם. לִשְׁנֵי הַקְּרָשִׁים שֶׁבַּמִּקְצוֹעַ, לַקֶּרֶשׁ שֶׁבְּסוֹף צָפוֹן וְלַקֶּרֶשׁ הַמַּעֲרָבִי, וְכֵן לִשְׁנֵי הַמִּקְצוֹעוֹת:
25Thus, on the west side, there will be a total of eight planks with their silver bases—16 bases in all: two bases under one plank, and two bases under each following plank.		כהוְהָיוּ֙ שְׁמֹנָ֣ה קְרָשִׁ֔ים וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֣ם כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר אֲדָנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֗ים תַּ֚חַת הַקֶּ֣רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָֽד:
וְהָיוּ שְׁמֹנָה קְרָשִׁים - There will be eight planks. These are those mentioned above: “you must make six planks, and you must make two planks for the corners,” 3 thus making a total of eight planks in the western row. The method of arranging the planks is stated in the mishnah of Melechet HaMishkan 4 as follows: He made the bases hollow, and carved out each plank at the bottom, a quarter of a cubit on one side and a quarter on the other, and half the remaining portion carved out in the middle. He thus made two tenons resembling two חֲמוּקִין (feet) – but I think the correct reading is חֲוָקִין – i.e., like two rungs of a ladder separated one from another, and they were whittled so as to fit into the hollow of the base, like a rung that fits into the hole of the side of a ladder; and this is the meaning of the term מְשֻׁלָּבֹת, 5 i.e., made like a rung (שְׁלִיבָה). He inserted them into two bases, as it says “two bases…and two bases.” He made notches in the plank on top, a fingerbreadth away from its edge on one side and a fingerbreadth on the other, and fitted them into a golden band so that the adjoining planks not be separated from each other, as it says: וְיִהְיוּ תֹאֲמִם מִלְּמַטָּה וגו׳ “They must be flush against each other at the bottom….” 6 This is the mishnah, and its explanation I have set out above following the order of the verses.		וְהָיוּ שְׁמֹנָה קְרָשִׁים. הֵן הָאֲמוּרוֹת לְמַעְלָה תַּעֲשֶׂה שִׁשָּׁה קְרָשִׁים וּשְׁנֵי קְרָשִׁים תַּעֲשֶׂה לִמְקֻצְעֹת, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁמֹנָה קְרָשִׁים בְּסֵדֶר מַעֲרָבִי; כָּךְ שְׁנוּיָה בַּמִּשְׁנָה מַעֲשֵׂה סֵדֶר הַקְּרָשִׁים בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן; הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָאֲדָנִים חֲלוּלִים וְחוֹרֵץ אֶת הַקֶּרֶשׁ מִלְּמַטָּה רְבִיעַ מִכָּאן וּרְבִיעַ מִכָּאן, וְהֶחָרִיץ חֶצְיוֹ בָּאֶמְצַע, וְעָשָׂה לוֹ שְׁתֵּי יָדוֹת כְּמִין שְׁנֵי חֲמוּקִין – וְלִי נִרְאֶה שֶׁהַגִּרְסָא כְּמִין שְׁנֵי חֲוָקִין, כְּמִין שְׁנֵי שְׁלִיבוֹת סֻלָּם הַמֻּבְדָּלוֹת זוֹ מִזּוֹ, וּמְשֻׁפּוֹת לִכָּנֵס בַּחֲלַל הָאֶדֶן כִּשְׁלִיבָה הַנִּכְנֶסֶת בְּנֶקֶב עַמּוּד הַסֻּלָּם, וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן מְשֻׁלָּבוֹת, עֲשׂוּיוֹת כְּמִין שְׁלִיבָה – וּמַכְנִיסָן לְתוֹךְ שְׁנֵי אֲדָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שְׁנֵי אֲדָנִים שְׁנֵי אֲדָנִים, וְחוֹרֵץ אֶת הַקֶּרֶשׁ מִלְמַעְלָה אֶצְבַּע מִכָּאן וְאֶצְבַּע מִכָּאן, וְנוֹתְנָן לְתוֹךְ טַבַּעַת אַחַת שֶׁל זָהָב כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ נִפְרָדִין זֶה מִזֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיִהְיוּ תֹאֲמִים מִלְּמַטָּה וְגוֹ', כָּךְ הִיא הַמִּשְׁנָה, וְהַפֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁלָּהּ הִצַּעְתִּי לְמַעְלָה בְּסֵדֶר הַמִּקְרָאוֹת:
26You must make crossbars out of acacia wood: five for the planks of one side of the Tabernacle,		כווְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בְרִיחִ֖ם עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חֲמִשָּׁ֕ה לְקַרְשֵׁ֥י צֶֽלַע־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן הָֽאֶחָֽד:
בְרִיחִם - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: עַבְרִין, and in Old French: “esparres” (“poles”).		בְרִיחִם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ עַבְּרִין, וּבְלַעַז אשפ"ריש:
חֲמִשָּׁה לְקַרְשֵׁי צֶֽלַע־הַמִּשְׁכָּן - Five for the planks of [one] side of the Tabernacle. These five were actually three, but the upper and lower crossbars were made of two pieces – one traversed half the length of the wall, and the other one traversed the other half of the wall; one was inserted into the rings from one end, and the other was inserted into the rings from the other end, until they reached each other. Thus the upper and lower crossbars were actually two made up of four. The middle one, however, was as long as the entire wall, extending from one end of the wall to the other, as it says: “The crossbar at the wall’s mid height…from one end of the Tabernacle to the other.” 7 The upper and lower crossbars had rings on the surface of the planks, into which they were inserted, two rings for each plank, arranged so that there be three points within the ten-cubit height of the plank – one part being from the top ring upwards and one part from the lower ring downwards, each part being a quarter of the length of the plank – i.e., two-and-a-half cubits – and two parts – five cubits – between the rings, in order that all the rings align exactly with one another. The middle crossbar, however, did not have rings; rather, the planks had holes drilled through their thickness and the crossbar passed through them by way of the holes that aligned with one another, and that is what it says: “into the planks.” 8 The length of each of the upper and lower crossbars on the north and south sides was 15 cubits, and the middle one was 30 cubits long, which is “from one end to the other” – from east to west. As to the five crossbars on the west side – the length of the upper and lower ones were each six cubits, and the middle one was 12 cubits long, corresponding to the width of eight planks. So it is explained in Melechet HaMishkan. 9		חֲמִשָּׁה לְקַרְשֵׁי צֶֽלַע־הַמִּשְׁכָּן. אֵלּוּ חֲמִשָּׁה ג' הֵן, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַבְּרִיחַ הָעֶלְיוֹן וְהַתַּחְתּוֹן עָשׂוּי מִשְׁתֵּי חֲתִיכוֹת, זֶה מַבְרִיחַ עַד חֲצִי הַכֹּתֶל וְזֶה מַבְרִיחַ עַד חֲצִי הַכֹּתֶל, זֶה נִכְנָס בַּטַּבָּעוֹת מִצַּד זֶה, וְזֶה נִכְנָס בַּטַּבָּעוֹת מִצַּד זֶה, עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעִין זֶה לָזֶה, נִמְצָא שֶׁעֶלְיוֹן וְתַחְתּוֹן שְׁנַיִם שֶׁהֵן אַרְבָּעָה, אֲבָל הָאֶמְצָעִי אָרְכּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַכֹּתֶל, וּמַבְרִיחַ מִקְצֵה הַכֹּתֶל וְעַד קָצֵהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכֹן וְגוֹ' מַבְרִחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה", הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים הָיוּ לָהֶן טַבָּעוֹת בַּקְּרָשִׁים לִכָּנֵס בְּתוֹכָן, שְׁתֵּי טַבָּעוֹת לְכָל קֶרֶשׁ מְשֻׁלָּשִׁים בְּתוֹךְ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת שֶׁל גֹּבַהּ הַקֶּרֶשׁ – חֵלֶק אֶחָד מִן הַטַּבַּעַת הָעֶלְיוֹנָה וּלְמַעְלָה, וְחֵלֶק אֶחָד מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה וּלְמַטָּה, וְכָל חֵלֶק הוּא רְבִיעַ אֹרֶךָ הַקֶּרֶשׁ, וּשְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים בֵּין טַבַּעַת לְטַבַּעַת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָל הַטַּבָּעוֹת מְכֻוָּנִים זוֹ כְּנֶגֶד זוֹ – אֲבָל לַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן אֵין טַבָּעוֹת, אֶלָּא הַקְּרָשִׁים נְקוּבִים בְּעָבְיָן, וְהוּא נִכְנָס בָּהֶם דֶּרֶךְ הַנְּקָבִים שֶׁהֵם מְכֻוָּנִין זֶה מוּל זֶה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בְּתוֹךְ" הַקְּרָשִׁים; הַבְּרִיחִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁבַּצָּפוֹן וְשֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם אֹרֶךָ כָּל אֶחָד חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, וְהַתִּיכוֹן אָרְכּוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים אַמָּה, וְזֶהוּ "מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה" – מִן הַמִּזְרָח וְעַד הַמַּעֲרָב – וַחֲמִשָּׁה בְרִיחִים שֶׁבַּמַּעֲרָב אֹרֶךְ הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת, וְהַתִּיכוֹן אָרְכּוֹ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה, כְּנֶגֶד רֹחַב שְׁמֹנָה קְרָשִׁים, כָּךְ הִיא מְפֹרֶשֶׁת בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן:
27five crossbars for the planks of the other side of the Tabernacle, and five crossbars for the planks of the back wall of the Tabernacle, to the west.		כזוַֽחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה בְרִיחִ֔ם לְקַרְשֵׁ֥י צֶֽלַע־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן הַשֵּׁנִ֑ית וַֽחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה בְרִיחִ֗ם לְקַרְשֵׁי֙ צֶ֣לַע הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן לַיַּרְכָתַ֖יִם יָֽמָּה:
28The crossbar at the wall’s mid height must be inserted into holes drilled through the planks, from one end of the Tabernacle to the other.		כחוְהַבְּרִ֥יחַ הַתִּיכֹ֖ן בְּת֣וֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁ֑ים מַבְרִ֕חַ מִן־הַקָּצֶ֖ה אֶל־הַקָּצֶֽה:
29You must overlay the planks with gold. You must make their gold rings to hold the crossbars, and overlay the crossbars with gold.		כטוְאֶת־הַקְּרָשִׁ֞ים תְּצַפֶּ֣ה זָהָ֗ב וְאֶת־טַבְּעֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה זָהָ֔ב בָּתִּ֖ים לַבְּרִיחִ֑ם וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֶת־הַבְּרִיחִ֖ם זָהָֽב:
בָּתִּים לַבְּרִיחִם - To hold the crossbars - i.e., the rings that you will make on them will act as holders into which the crossbars will be inserted.		בָּתִּים לַבְּרִיחִם. הַטַּבָּעוֹת שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶן יִהְיוּ בָּתִּים לִכָּנֵס בָּהֵן הַבְּרִיחִים:
וְצִפִּיתָ אֶת־הַבְּרִיחִם זָהָב - And overlay the crossbars with gold - not that the gold was stuck onto the crossbars, for there was no covering attached over them; rather, he affixed to the planks a form of two golden tubes, like two halves of a split hollow reed, which were affixed at the level of the rings, on either side, so that their length fill the entire width of the plank on either side of the ring. The crossbar was inserted into one tube, passed from it into the ring, and from the ring into the second tube. The crossbars were thus entirely covered with gold when inserted into position onto the planks. These crossbars protruded on the outside of the Tabernacle, so the rings and tubes were not visible inside the Tabernacle, but the entire wall was smooth from within.		וְצִפִּיתָ אֶת־הַבְּרִיחִם זָהָב. לֹא שֶׁהָיָה הַזָּהָב מְדֻבָּק עַל הַבְּרִיחִים – שֶׁאֵין עֲלֵיהֶם שׁוּם צִפּוּי – אֶלָּא בַקֶּרֶשׁ הָיָה קוֹבֵעַ כְּמִין שְׁתֵּי פִּיפִיּוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב, כְּמִין שְׁנֵי סִדְקֵי קָנֶה חָלוּל, וְקוֹבְעָן אֵצֶל הַטַּבַּעַת לְכָאן וּלְכָאן, אָרְכָּן מְמַלֵּא אֶת רֹחַב הַקֶּרֶשׁ מִן הַטַּבַּעַת לְכָאן וּמִמֶּנָּה לְכָאן, וְהַבְּרִיחַ נִכְנָס לְתוֹכוֹ וּמִמֶּנּוּ לַטַּבַּעַת וּמִן הַטַּבַּעַת לַפֶּה הַשֵּׁנִי, נִמְצְאוּ הַבְּרִיחִים מְצֻפִּים זָהָב כְּשֶׁהֵן תְּחוּבִין בַּקְּרָשִׁים; וְהַבְּרִיחִים הַלָּלוּ מִבַּחוּץ הָיוּ בּוֹלְטוֹת, הַטַּבָּעוֹת וְהַפִּיפִיּוֹת לֹא הָיוּ נִרְאוֹת בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן, אֶלָּא כָּל הַכֹּתֶל חָלָק מִבִּפְנִים:
30You must erect the Tabernacle in its proper order, as you will have been shown by Me on the mountain.		לוַֽהֲקֵֽמֹתָ֖ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן כְּמִ֨שְׁפָּט֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָרְאֵ֖יתָ בָּהָֽר:
וַֽהֲקֵֽמֹתָ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן - You must erect the Tabernacle - i.e., after it is completed, erect it.		וַֽהֲקֵֽמֹתָ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן. לְאַחַר שֶׁיִּגָּמֵר הֲקִימֵהוּ:
הָרְאֵיתָ בָּהָֽר - You will have been shown on the mountain - beforehand, for in the future I will teach you and show you the procedure how it must be erected.		הָרְאֵיתָ בָּהָֽר. קֹדֶם לָכֵן, שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לְלַמֶּדְךָ וּלְהַרְאוֹתְךָ סֵדֶר הֲקָמָתוֹ:

Footnotes

Exodus 26:24.

Exodus 26:17.

Exodus 26:22-23.

Melechet HaMishkan ch.1.

Exodus 26:17.

Exodus 26:24.

Exodus 26:28.

Melechet HaMishkan ch.1.

Fifth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 26

31You must make a Curtain woven out of turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twined linen. The weaver must make it with a woven design of cherubim.		לאוְעָשִׂ֣יתָ פָרֹ֗כֶת תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֑ר מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ה חשֵׁ֛ב יַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֖הּ כְּרֻבִֽים:
פָרֹכֶת - denotes a partition, this being its primary purpose, and in the language of our sages פַּרְגּוֹד – an object that separates between the king and the people.		פָרֹכֶת. לְשׁוֹן מְחִצָּה הוּא, וּבִלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים פַּרְגּוֹד דָּבָר הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבֵין הָעָם:
תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן - Turquoise and purple. Each particular material was intertwined in each thread – six strands of each.		תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן. כָּל מִין וָמִין הָיָה כָפוּל בְּכָל חוּט וָחוּט שִׁשָּׁה חוּטִין:
מַֽעֲשֵׂה חשֵׁב - I have already explained 1 that this refers to weaving on two opposite surfaces, where the designs on its two sides do not resemble one another.		מַֽעֲשֵׂה חשֵׁב. כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא אֲרִיגָה שֶׁל שְׁתֵּי קִירוֹת, וְהַצִּיּוּרִין שֶׁמִּשְּׁנֵי עֲבָרֶיהָ אֵינָן דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה:
כְּרֻבִֽים - Cherubim - i.e., designs of different creatures he should make on it.		כְּרֻבִֽים. צִיּוּרִין שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת יַעֲשֶׂה בָהּ:
32You must hang it on four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold and with hooks of gold, set in four bases of silver.		לבוְנָֽתַתָּ֣ה אֹתָ֗הּ עַל־אַרְבָּעָה֙ עַמּוּדֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים מְצֻפִּ֣ים זָהָ֔ב וָֽוֵיהֶ֖ם זָהָ֑ב עַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה אַדְנֵי־כָֽסֶף:
אַרְבָּעָה עַמּוּדֵי שִׁטִּים - Four pillars - inserted into four bases, and hooks were attached to them, bent upwards so that the pole around which the top of the Curtain was wrapped be placed on them. These hooks are the ווים stated in the verse, so called because they are made like the letter ו. The length of the Curtain was 10 cubits, corresponding to the width of the Tabernacle, and its width was 10 cubits like the height of the planks. It was spread across at a third of the length of the Tabernacle, so that there be 10 cubits from the Curtain inwards and 20 cubits from it outwards, thus making the Holy of Holies 10 cubits by 10 cubits. This is what it says: “You must position the Curtain under the clasps” 2 that join the two sets of the tapestries of the Tabernacle – for the width of each set was 20 cubits, and when it was spread over the roof of the Tabernacle from the entrance towards the west, the first set ended at two-thirds of the length of the Tabernacle, while the second set covered a third of the Tabernacle, the rest of it hanging down behind the Tabernacle covering the planks.		אַרְבָּעָה עַמּוּדֵי שִׁטִּים. תְּקוּעִים בְּתוֹךְ אַרְבָּעָה אֲדָנִים, וְאוּנְקְלִיּוֹת קְבוּעִין בָּהֵן, עֲקֻמִּים לְמַעְלָה, לְהוֹשִׁיב עֲלֵיהֶן כְּלוֹנָס שֶׁרֹאשׁ הַפָּרֹכֶת כָּרוּךְ בָּהּ, וְהָאוּנְקְלִיּוֹת הֵן הַוָּוִין – שֶׁהֲרֵי כְמִין וָוִין הֵן עֲשׂוּיִים – וְהַפָּרֹכֶת אָרְכָּהּ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת לְרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן וְרָחְבָּהּ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת כְּגָבְהָן שֶׁל קְרָשִׁים, פְּרוּסָה בִּשְׁלִישִׁית שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן, שֶׁיְּהֵא הֵימֶנָּה וְלִפְנִים עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת וְהֵימֶנָּה וְלַחוּץ עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה, נִמְצָא בֵית קָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים עֶשֶׂר עַל עֶשֶׂר, שֶׁנֶּ' "וְנָתַתָּה אֶת הַפָּרֹכֶת תַּחַת הַקְּרָסִים" – הַמְחַבְּרִים אֶת שְׁתֵּי חוֹבְרוֹת שֶׁל יְרִיעוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן; רֹחַב הַחוֹבֶרֶת עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה, וּכְשֶׁפְּרָשָׂהּ עַל גַּג הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִן הַפֶּתַח לַמַּעֲרָב, כָּלְתָה בִּשְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְהַחוֹבֶרֶת הַשֵּׁנִית כִּסְּתָה שְׁלִישׁוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן, וְהַמּוֹתָר תָּלוּי לַאֲחוֹרָיו לְכַסּוֹת אֶת הַקְּרָשִׁים:
33You must position the Curtain under the clasps that couple the two sets of lower tapestries. There, on the inner side of the Curtain, you must bring the Ark of Testimony. The Curtain will separate for you between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies.		לגוְנָֽתַתָּ֣ה אֶת־הַפָּרֹ֘כֶת֘ תַּ֣חַת הַקְּרָסִים֒ וְהֵֽבֵאתָ֥ שָׁ֨מָּה֙ מִבֵּ֣ית לַפָּרֹ֔כֶת אֵ֖ת אֲר֣וֹן הָֽעֵד֑וּת וְהִבְדִּילָ֤ה הַפָּרֹ֨כֶת֙ לָכֶ֔ם בֵּ֣ין הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וּבֵ֖ין קֹ֥דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִֽׁים:
34You must place the Cover on the Ark of Testimony, in the Holy of Holies.		לדוְנָֽתַתָּ֙ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת עַ֖ל אֲר֣וֹן הָֽעֵדֻ֑ת בְּקֹ֖דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִֽׁים:
35You must place the Table outside the Curtain, and the Candelabrum opposite the Table on the south side of the Tabernacle. You must place the Table on the north side.		להוְשַׂמְתָּ֤ אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ מִח֣וּץ לַפָּרֹ֔כֶת וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה֙ נֹ֣כַח הַשֻּׁלְחָ֔ן עַ֛ל צֶ֥לַע הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן תֵּימָ֑נָה וְהַ֨שֻּׁלְחָ֔ן תִּתֵּ֖ן עַל־צֶ֥לַע צָפֽוֹן:
וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן - You must place the Table. The Table was on the north side, two-and-a-half cubits away from the north wall, and the Candelabrum was on the south side, two-and-a-half cubits away from the south wall, and the golden Altar was placed opposite the space between the Table and the Candelabrum, slightly east of that space, and all of them were situated within the inner half of the Tabernacle, i.e., of the outer chamber. How? The length of the Tabernacle from the entrance until the Curtain was 20 cubits, and the Altar, the Table, and the Candelabrum were 10 cubits west of the entrance.		וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן. שֻׁלְחָן בַּצָּפוֹן, מָשׁוּךְ מִן הַכֹּתֶל הַצְּפוֹנִי שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה, וּמְנוֹרָה בַדָּרוֹם, מְשׁוּכָה מִן הַכֹּתֶל הַדְּרוֹמִי שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה, וּמִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב נָתוּן כְּנֶגֶד אֲוִיר שֶׁבֵּין שֻׁלְחָן לַמְּנוֹרָה מָשׁוּךְ קִמְעָא כְּלַפֵּי הַמִּזְרָח, וְכֻלָּם נְתוּנִים מִן חֲצִי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְלִפְנִים; כֵּיצַד? אֹרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִן הַפֶּתַח לַפָּרֹכֶת עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה, הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהַמְּנוֹרָה מְשׁוּכִים מִן הַפֶּתַח לְצַד מַעֲרָב עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת (יומא ל"ג):
36You must make a Screen for the entrance to the Tent, out of turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twined linen, the work of an embroiderer.		לווְעָשִׂ֤יתָ מָסָךְ֙ לְפֶ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֑ר מַֽעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֹקֵֽם:
וְעָשִׂיתָ מָסָךְ - מָסָךְ means a curtain, for it provides protection (מֵסֵךְ) for the entrance. The term is related to שַׂכְתָּ בַעֲדוֹ “You protected him,” 3 i.e., it has the connotation of shielding.		וְעָשִׂיתָ מָסָךְ. וִילוֹן, הוּא מָסָךְ כְּנֶגֶד הַפֶּתַח, כְּמוֹ "שַׂכְתָּ בַעֲדוֹ" (איוב א'), לְשׁוֹן מָגֵן:
מַֽעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵֽם - The work of an embroiderer - i.e., the designs were made on it by needlework, and thus the face on one side was the same as the face on the other side.		מַֽעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵֽם. הַצּוּרוֹת עֲשׂוּיוֹת בּוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה מַחַט, כְּפַרְצוּף שֶׁל עֵבֶר זֶה כָּךְ פַּרְצוּף שֶׁל עֵבֶר זֶה:
רֹקֵֽם - This is the name of the artisan (embroiderer) and not of the craft (embroidery), and so Onkelos translates it: עוֹבַד צַיָּר “the work of a embroiderer,” and not: עוֹבַד צִיּוּר “the work of embroidery.” The size of the Screen was the same as that of the Curtain – 10 cubits by 10 cubits.		רֹקֵֽם. שֵׁם הָאָמָּן וְלֹא שֵׁם הָאָמָּנוּת, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ עוֹבַד צַיָּר וְלֹא עוֹבַד צִיּוּר. מִדַּת הַמָּסָךְ כְּמִדַּת הַפָּרֹכֶת – עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת עַל עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת:
37You must make five pillars of acacia wood for the Screen. You must overlay them with gold; their hooks must be of gold. You must cast five copper bases for them.		לזוְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לַמָּסָ֗ךְ חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַמּוּדֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וְצִפִּיתָ֤ אֹתָם֙ זָהָ֔ב וָֽוֵיהֶ֖ם זָהָ֑ב וְיָֽצַקְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם חֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אַדְנֵ֥י נְחֽשֶׁת:

Footnotes

Exodus 26:1.

Exodus 26:33.

Job 1:10.

Sixth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 27

1You must make the Outer Altar out of panels of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide—the Altar must be square—and three cubits high.		אוְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חָמֵשׁ֩ אַמּ֨וֹת אֹ֜רֶךְ וְחָמֵ֧שׁ אַמּ֣וֹת רֹ֗חַב רָב֤וּעַ יִֽהְיֶה֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְשָׁל֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת קֹֽמָתֽוֹ:
וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וגו' וְשָׁלשׁ אַמּוֹת קֹֽמָתֽוֹ - You must make the Altar…and three cubits high. These words are to be taken literally; this is the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah. But Rabbi Yosei says: It says here: רָבוּעַ “square,” and it says regarding the Inner Altar: רָבוּעַ “square” 1 – just as there its height is double its length, so here too its height is double its length. How, then, do I explain “and three cubits high”? From the edge of the Border upwards.		וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וגו' וְשָׁלשׁ אַמּוֹת קֹֽמָתֽוֹ. דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן, דִּבְרֵי רַ' יְהוּדָה, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר נֶאֱמַר כָּאן רָבוּעַ וְנֶאֱמַר בַּפְּנִימִי רָבוּעַ, מַה לְּהַלָּן גָּבְהוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאָרְכּוֹ, אַף כָּאן גָּבְהוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאָרְכּוֹ, וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קֹמָתוֹ? מִשְּׂפַת סוֹבֵב וּלְמַעְלָה (זבח' נ"ט):
2You must make protrusions for it at its four corners, the protrusions being of one piece with it. You must overlay this Altar with copper.		בוְעָשִׂ֣יתָ קַרְנֹתָ֗יו עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פִּנֹּתָ֔יו מִמֶּ֖נּוּ תִּֽהְיֶ֣יןָ קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ נְחֽשֶׁת:
מִמֶּנּוּ תִּֽהְיֶיןָ קַרְנֹתָיו - The protrusions being of one piece with it - i.e., they must not be made separately and then attached to it.		מִמֶּנּוּ תִּֽהְיֶיןָ קַרְנֹתָיו. שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂם לְבַדָּם וִיחַבְּרֵם בּוֹ:
וְצִפִּיתָ אֹתוֹ נְחֽשֶׁת - You must overlay it with copper - in order for it to atone for brazen stubbornness, as it says: וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָׁה “and your forehead is brazen.” 2		וְצִפִּיתָ אֹתוֹ נְחֽשֶׁת. לְכַפֵּר עַל עַזּוּת מֶצַח, שֶׁנֶּ' וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָׁה (ישעיהו מ"ח):
3You must make its pots with which to remove the ashes from it, its scoops, its basins, its flesh hooks, and its fire pans. You must make all its implements of copper.		גוְעָשִׂ֤יתָ סִּֽירֹתָיו֙ לְדַשְּׁנ֔וֹ וְיָעָיו֙ וּמִזְרְקֹתָ֔יו וּמִזְלְגֹתָ֖יו וּמַחְתֹּתָ֑יו לְכָל־כֵּלָ֖יו תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה נְחֽשֶׁת:
סִּֽירֹתָיו - are a type of pot.		סִּֽירֹתָיו. כְּמִין יוֹרוֹת:
לְדַשְּׁנוֹ - means: “to remove its ashes” into them, and this is how Onkelos translated it: לְמִסְפֵּי קִטְמֵיהּ – to collect the ashes into them. לְדַשְּׁנוֹ may have this meaning for there are words in the Hebrew language where a word may change in meaning, denoting both a constructive and destructive action, such as וַתַּשְׁרֵשׁ שָׁרָשֶׁיהָ “You have implanted its roots,” 3 and אֱוִיל מַשְׁרִישׁ “a fool taking root,” 4 and its opposite meaning: “and it uproots (תְשָׁרֵשׁ) all my produce.” 5 Similarly: בִּסְעִפֶיהָ פֹּרִיָּה “on its once-fruitful branches,” 6 and its opposite: מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה, 7 meaning: “He will cut down the branches.” Similarly, in the verse “and this last one עִצְּמוֹ,” 8 עִצְּמוֹ means “broke its bones.” Similarly: וַיִּסְקְלֻהוּ בָאֲבָנִים “and they pelted him with stones”; 9 and its opposite: סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן, 10 meaning: “remove its stones,” and also: וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ “he surrounded it and removed its stones.” 11 So, too, here לְדַשְּׁנוֹ means not to place ashes but “to remove its ashes,” and in Old French: “adeszandrer.”		לְדַשְּׁנוֹ. לְהָסִיר דִּשְׁנוֹ לְתוֹכָם, וְהוּא שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס לְמִסְפֵּי קִטְמֵהּ – לִסְפּוֹת הַדֶּשֶׁן לְתוֹכָם; כִּי יֵשׁ מִלּוֹת בְּלָשׁוֹן עִבְרִית מִלָּה אַחַת מִתְחַלֶּפֶת בַּפִּתְרוֹן לְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּנְיָן וּסְתִירָה, כְּמוֹ וַתַּשְׁרֵשׁ שָׁרָשֶׁיהָ (תהילים פ'), אֱוִיל מַשְׁרִישׁ (איוב ה'), וְחִלּוּפוֹ וּבְכָל תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ (איוב ל״א:י״ב); וְכָמוֹהוּ בִּסְעִפֶּיהָ פֹּרִיָּה (ישעיהו י״ז:ו׳), וְחִלּוּפוֹ מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה (ישעיהו י׳:ל״ג) – מְפַשֵּׁחַ סְעִפֶּיהָ; וְכָמוֹהוּ וְזֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן עִצְּמוֹ (ירמיהו נ') – שִׁבַּר עֲצָמָיו; וְכָמוֹהוּ וַיִּסְקְלֻהוּ בָאֲבָנִים (מלכים א כ״א:י״ג), וְחִלּוּפוֹ סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן (ישעיהו ס״ב:י׳) – הָסִירוּ אֲבָנֶיהָ, וְכֵן וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ (שם ה'), אַף כָּאן לְדַשְּׁנוֹ – לְהָסִיר דִּשְׁנוֹ, וּבְלַעַז אדשצנדר"יר:
וְיָעָיו - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וּמַגְרוֹפְיָתֵיהּ – i.e., shovels with which to take the ashes. They are like the cover of a pot made of thin metal and having a handle; and in Old French: “vedil.”		וְיָעָיו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, מִגְרָפוֹת שֶׁנּוֹטְלִים בָּהֶם הַדֶּשֶׁן, וְהֵן כְּמִין כִּסּוּי הַקְּדֵרָה שֶׁל מַתֶּכֶת דַּק וְלֹוֹ בֵית יָד, וּבְלַעַז ווד"יל:
וּמִזְרְקֹתָיו - Its basins - in which to receive the blood of sacrifices.		וּמִזְרְקֹתָיו. לְקַבֵּל בָּהֶם דַּם הַזְּבָחִים:
וּמִזְלְגֹתָיו - Its flesh hooks. These are like bent hooks, used to hit the flesh on the Altar and stick into it, so it can be turned over through them on the coals of the woodpile and burn quickly. In Old French: “crozins,” and in the language of the sages: צִינּוֹרִיּוֹת.		וּמִזְלְגֹתָיו. כְּמִין אֻנְקְלִיּוֹת כְּפוּפִים, וּמַכֶּה בָהֶם בַּבָּשָׂר וְנִתְחָבִים בּוֹ וּמְהַפֵּךְ בָּהֶן עַל גַּחֲלֵי הַמַּעֲרָכָה שֶׁיְּהֵא מְמַהֵר שְׂרֵפָתָן, ובְלַעַז קרוצי"נש, וּבִלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים צִנּוֹרִיּוֹת (יומא י"ב):
וּמַחְתֹּתָיו - And its fire pans. They have a receptacle with which to take coals from the Altar, in order to carry them and place them onto the Inner Altar for the purpose of incense. On account of their being used to scoop coals (חֲתִיָּה) they are called מַחְתּוֹת, as in: “to scoop (לַחְתּוֹת) fire from a hearth,” 12 denoting drawing fire from its place, and similarly: “Can a man scoop (הֲיַחֲתֶּה) fire onto his lap?” 13		וּמַחְתֹּתָיו. בֵּית קִבּוּל יֵשׁ לָהֶם לִטֹּל בָּהֶן גֶּחָלִים מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, לְשֵׂאתָם עַל מִזְבֵּחַ הַפְּנִימִי לַקְּטֹרֶת, וְעַל שֵׁם חֲתִיָּתָן קְרוּיִים מַחְתּוֹת, כְּמוֹ לַחְתּוֹת אֵשׁ מִיָּקוּד (ישעיהו ל'), לְשׁוֹן שְׁאִיבַת אֵשׁ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ, וְכֵן הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ (משלי ו'):
לְכָל־כֵּלָיו - (lit.) For all its implements - is the same as כָּל כֵּלָיו “all its implements.”		לְכָל־כֵּלָיו. כְּמוֹ כָּל כֵּלָיו:
4You must make a Grate of copper network for it. You must make on the network four copper rings on its four corners.		דוְעָשִׂ֤יתָ לּוֹ֙ מִכְבָּ֔ר מַֽעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֶ֣שֶׁת נְח֑שֶׁת וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־הָרֶ֗שֶׁת אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת נְח֔שֶׁת עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֥ע קְצוֹתָֽיו:
מִכְבָּר - Grate. This is related to כְּבָרָה“sieve,” called “crible” in Old French. It was a kind of garment made for the Altar, made up of many holes like a net. The words of this verse are transposed and it is to be understood as follows: וְעָשִׂיתָ לּוֹ מִכְבַּר נְחֹשֶׁת מַעֲשֵׂה רֶשֶׁת “you must make for it a copper Grate of network.”		מִכְבָּר. לְשׁוֹן כְּבָרָה, שֶׁקּוֹרִין קרי"בלא בְּלַעַז, כְּמִין לְבוּשׁ עָשׂוּי לוֹ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, עָשׂוּי חֹרִין חֹרִין, כְּמִין רֶשֶׁת; וּמִקְרָא זֶה מְסֹרָס וְכֹה פִּתְרוֹנוֹ: וְעָשִׂיתָ לּוֹ מִכְבַּר נְחֹשֶׁת מַעֲשֵׂה רֶשֶׁת:
5You must place the Grate below the Border of the Altar, extending downward until the middle of the Altar.		הוְנָֽתַתָּ֣ה אֹתָ֗הּ תַּ֛חַת כַּרְכֹּ֥ב הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ מִלְּמָ֑טָּה וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה הָרֶ֔שֶׁת עַ֖ד חֲצִ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ:
כַּרְכֹּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ - is the surrounding border. Anything that surrounds an object is called כַּרְכֹּב, as we have learned in Chapter HaKol Shochatin: 14 “These are in the category of unfinished wooden vessels: Anything one intends to smooth down…or to adorn with grooves (וּלְכַרְכֵּב).” The meaning is that just like rounded grooves made on the side boards of boxes and wooden benches, the Altar also had a grooved border made around it, its width taking up one cubit of the wall’s height, for decorative purposes. It was situated at the six-cubit point of its height, according to the opinion that its height was double its length. How, then, do I explain: “and three cubits high”? 15 From the edge of the Border upwards. However, in contrast to the Altar of the Temple, the copper Altar of the Tabernacle did not have a surrounding ledge for the priests to walk on; rather, they walked on its top inside the area defined by its protrusions. And so we have learned in Zevachim: 16 What is meant by כַּרְכֹּב in reference to the Altar of the Temple? It refers to the area between one protrusion and the next, which was one cubit wide, extending within that area another cubit all around, where the priests would walk. These two cubits on all sides are called כַּרְכֹּב. The Talmud there asks: Is it not written: “below the Border of the Altar,” from which we may infer that the Border is along its wall, for the Grate forming a “garment” is below it? And the response is: There were two entities named כַּרְכֹּב – one being a decorative Border and one being an area for the priests to walk on to ensure that they not slip off the Altar. The one along the wall of the Altar was for decoration, and beneath it they attached the Grate, whose width reached until half the height of the Altar. The Grate was thus one cubit wide, and it marked half the height of the Altar, which was necessary in order to differentiate between blood applied above and blood applied below. Instead of the Grate they made for the Altar of the permanent Temple a red line to fulfill that function at its midpoint. As for the ramp by which they ascended the Altar, although it is not mentioned explicitly in this passage, we have already learned in the passage: “You must make for Me (lit.) an Altar of earth” that “You must not ascend My Altar on steps,” 17 i.e., do not make steps on its ramp, but a smooth ramp, from which we learn that it had a ramp. So is stated in Mechilta. 18 “An Altar of earth” refers to the copper Altar, so called because they filled its hollow with earth wherever they encamped. The ramp was situated south of the Altar, separated from the Altar by a minute amount, and its lower end reached one cubit away from the crocheted nettings on the south side of the Courtyard, according to the opinion that the Altar was ten cubits high. And according to the opinion that the statement “three cubits high” is to be taken literally, the length of the ramp was only ten cubits. So I found in the mishnah of Arba’im VeTesha Midot. And the fact that it was separated from the Altar by a minute amount is derived in Tractate Zevachim 19 from Scripture.		כַּרְכֹּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. סוֹבֵב; כָּל דָּבָר הַמַּקִּיף סָבִיב בְּעִגּוּל קָרוּי כַּרְכֹּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בְּהַכֹּל שׁוֹחֲטִין אֵלּוּ הֵן גָּלְמֵי כְלֵי עֵץ כָּל שֶׁעָתִיד לָשׁוּף וּלְכַרְכֵּב, וְהוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹשִׂים חֲרִיצִין עֲגֻלִּין בְּקַרְשֵׁי דָּפְנֵי הַתֵּבוֹת וְסַפְסָלֵי הָעֵץ, אַף לַמִּזְבֵּחַ עָשָׂה חָרִיץ סְבִיבוֹ, וְהָיָה רָחְבּוֹ אַמָּה בְדָפְנוֹ לְנוֹי וְהוּא לְסוֹף שָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת שֶׁל גָּבְהוֹ כְּדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר גָּבְהוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאָרְכּוֹ, הָא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ? מִשְּׂפַת סוֹבֵב וּלְמַעְלָה, אֲבָל סוֹבֵב לְהִלּוּךְ הַכֹּהֲנִים לֹא הָיָה לְמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, אֶלָּא עַל רֹאשׁוֹ לִפְנִים מִקַּרְנוֹתָיו, וְכֵן שָׁנִינוּ בִזְבָחִים: אֵי זֶהוּ כַּרְכּוֹב? בֵּין קֶרֶן לְקֶרֶן; וְהָיָה רֹחַב אַמָּה, וְלִפְנִים מֵהֶן אַמָּה שֶׁל הִלּוּךְ רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים, שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת הַלָּלוּ קְרוּיִים כַּרְכּוֹב; וְדִקְדַּקְנוּ שָׁם וְהָכְתִיב תַּחַת כַּרְכֹּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִלְּמָטָּה? לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהַכַּרְכּוֹב בְּדָפְנוֹ הוּא וּלְבוּשׁ הַמִּכְבָּר תַּחְתָּיו? וְתֵרֵץ הַמְתָרֵץ תְּרֵי הֲווֹ, חַד לְנוֹי וְחַד לַכֹּהֲנִים דְּלֹא יִשְׂתָּרְגוּ, זֶה שֶׁבַּדֹּפֶן לְנוֹי הָיָה, וּמִתַּחְתָּיו הִלְבִּישׁוֹ הַמִּכְבָּר וְהִגִּיעַ רָחְבוֹ עַד חֲצִי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְהוּא הָיָה סִימָן לַחֲצִי גָּבְהוֹ, לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין דָּמִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לְדָמִים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים; וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ עָשׂוּ לְמִזְבַּח בֵּית עוֹלָמִים דֻּגְמַת חוּט הַסִּקְרָא בְאֶמְצָעוֹ, וְכֶבֶשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹלִין בּוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא פֵרְשׁוֹ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, כְּבָר שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּפָרָשַׁת מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לִּי וְלֹא תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת – לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ מַעֲלוֹת בְּכֶבֶשׁ שֶׁלּוֹ, אֶלָּא כֶּבֶשׁ חָלָק, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ כֶּבֶשׁ; כָּךְ שָׁנִינוּ בַּמְּכִילְתָּא. וּמִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה הוּא מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, שֶׁהָיוּ מְמַלְּאִין חֲלָלוֹ אֲדָמָה בִמְקוֹם חֲנִיָּתָן, וְהַכֶּבֶשׁ הָיָה בִּדְרוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, מֻבְדָּל מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מְלֹא חוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה, וְרַגְלָיו מַגִּיעִין עַד אַמָּה סָמוּךְ לְקַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם, כְּדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ, וּלְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן – שָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ – לֹא הָיָה אֹרֶךְ הַכֶּבֶשׁ אֶלָּא עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, כָּךְ מָצָאתִי בְּמִשְׁנַת אַרְבָּעִים וְתֵשַׁע מִדּוֹת, וְזֶה שֶׁהוּא מֻבְדָּל מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מְלֹא הַחוּט, בְּמַסֶּכֶת זְבָחִים (דף ס"ב) לְמָדוּהוּ מִן הַמִּקְרָא:
6You must make poles for the Altar, poles of acacia wood, and you must overlay them with copper.		ווְעָשִׂ֤יתָ בַדִּים֙ לַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ בַּדֵּ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם נְחֽשֶׁת:
7Its poles must be inserted through the rings, so that the poles will be on both sides of the Altar when it is carried.		זוְהוּבָ֥א אֶת־בַּדָּ֖יו בַּטַּבָּעֹ֑ת וְהָי֣וּ הַבַּדִּ֗ים עַל־שְׁתֵּ֛י צַלְעֹ֥ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ בִּשְׂאֵ֥ת אֹתֽוֹ:
בַּטַּבָּעֹת - Through the rings - i.e., through the four rings that were made on the Grate.		בַּטַּבָּעֹת. בְּאַרְבַּע טַבָּעוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לַמִּכְבָּר:
8You must make it a hollow structure, of panels. As He showed you on the mountain, so must they make it.”		חנְב֥וּב לֻחֹ֖ת תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹת֑וֹ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶרְאָ֥ה אֹֽתְךָ֛ בָּהָ֖ר כֵּ֥ן יַֽעֲשֽׂוּ:
נְבוּב לֻחֹת - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: חֲלִיל לוּחִין, i.e., panels of acacia wood on all sides with a hollow in the middle, but it should not be made entirely of one piece of wood that is five cubits by five cubits thick, as a block.		נְבוּב לֻחֹת. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ חֲלִיל לוּחִין, לֻחֹת עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים מִכָּל צַד וְהֶחָלָל בְאֶמְצַע, וְלֹא יְהֵא כֻּלּוֹ עֵץ אֶחָד שֶׁיְּהֵא עָבְיוֹ חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת עַל חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת כְּמִין סַדָּן:

Footnotes

1 Kings 21:13.

Chulin 25a.

Zevachim 62a.

Exodus 20:21, 23.

Parashat Bachodesh, sec. 11.

19.

Zevachim 62b.

Seventh Portion

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):

Footnotes

Maftir Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 27

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.” 1		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):

Footnotes

Isaiah 33:20.

Haftarah

Melachim I (I Kings) Chapter 5

26And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they both made a league together.		כווַיהֹוָ֗ה נָתַ֚ן חָכְמָה֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־ל֑וֹ וַיְהִ֣י שָׁלֹ֗ם בֵּ֚ין חִירָם֙ וּבֵ֣ין שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ בְרִ֖ית שְׁנֵיהֶֽם:
27And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.		כזוַיַּ֨עַל הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה מַ֖ס מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י הַמַּ֔ס שְׁלשִׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ:
And the levy was thirty thousand men. which amounted to the wages of thirty thousand men.		וַיְהִי הַמַּס. עוֹלֶה לְשָׂכָר שֶׁל שְׁלשִׁים אֶלֶף אִישׁ.
28And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month alternately, a month they were in Lebanon, (and) two months at home, and Adoniram (was) over the levy.		כחוַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֣ם לְבָנ֗וֹנָה עֲשֶֹ֨רֶת אֲלָפִ֚ים בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ חֲלִיפ֔וֹת חֹדֶשׁ יִהְי֣וּ בַלְּבָנ֔וֹן שְׁנַ֥יִם חֳדָשִׁ֖ים בְּבֵית֑וֹ וַאֲדֹנִירָ֖ם עַל־הַמָּֽס:
Ten thousand a month alternately. When the thousand men were in Lebanon in Tishrei and the twenty thousand men were at home, in Marcheshvan the second ten thousand would alternate and go out to Lebanon and these would return to their homes. And in the month of Kislev the third group of ten thousand go out, and they would go out to Lebanon, and these second ones would return to their homes. And in the month of Teveth the first ones go out and return to Lebanon, and thus they return again and again. So it is found that each group of ten thousand amongst them would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home.		חֲלִיפוֹת. כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּסַיֵּם וְאוֹמֵר: חֹדֶשׁ יִהְיוּ בַלְּבָנוֹן, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ בְּתִשְׁרֵי בַּלְּבָנוֹן, וְהָעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ בְּבֵיתוֹ, בְּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן מִתְחַלְּפִים עֲשֶׂרֶת הָאֲלָפִים הַשְּׁנִיִּים וְיוֹצְאִים לִלְבָנוֹן, וְאֵלּוּ חוֹזְרִים לְבֵיתָם, וּבְכִסְלֵו יוֹצְאִים עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים הַשְּׁלִישִׁים וְיוֹצְאִים לִלְבָנוֹן, וְאֵלּוּ חוֹזְרִים לְבֵיתָם, וּבְטֵבֵת יוֹצְאִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְחוֹזְרִים לִלְבָנוֹן, וְכֵן חוֹזְרִים חָלִילָה, נִמְצְאוּ כָּל עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים שֶׁבָּהֶם, חֹדֶשׁ בַּלְּבָנוֹן, וּשְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים בְּבֵיתָם.
And Adoniram was over the levy. to collect the levy.		עַל הַמַּס. לִגְבּוֹתוֹ.
29And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains.		כטוַיְהִ֧י לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה שִׁבְעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף נֹשֵֹ֣א סַבָּ֑ל וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף חֹצֵ֥ב בָּהָֽר:
Seventy thousand that bore burdens. to bring the stones from the mountains to the city, and the eighty thousand men were the ones who hewed them in the mountains. There is altogether one hundred fifty thousand men. And they were all proselytes who were drawn and attracted to the Jewish people, that converted because of Solomon’s greatness and hospitality. And it is likewise written in Chronicles II (2: 16) “And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel… and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand. And he set seventy thousand…”		שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף נֹשֵׂא סַבָּל. לְהָבִיא הָאֲבָנִים מִן הָהָר לָעִיר, וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף הַחוֹצְבִים אוֹתָם בָּהָר, הֲרֵי מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף, וְכֻלָּם גֵּרִים גְּרוּרִים הָיוּ, שֶׁנִּתְגַּיְּרוּ מֵחֲמַת גְּדֻלַּת שְׁלֹמֹה וְשֻׁלְחָנוֹ, וְכֵן כָּתוּב בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים: וַיִּסְפֹּר שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת כָּל הַגֵּרִים וַיִּמְצָאֵם מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וַיַּעַשׂ מֵהֶם שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף וְגוֹ'.
30Besides Solomon's chief officers that were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.		ללְ֠בַד מִשָּׂרֵ֨י הַנִּצָּבִ֚ים לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה שְׁל֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וּשְׁל֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת הָרֹדִ֣ים בָּעָ֔ם הָעֹשִֹ֖ים בַּמְּלָאכָֽה:
The chief officers. These were the oppressors and overseers over those who did the work.		מִשָּׂרֵי הַנִּצָּבִים. נוֹגְשִׂים וּנְצִיבִים עַל עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה.
Three thousand and three hundred. And in Chronicles II (2:1) it says three thousand and six hundred. It is, therefore, my opinion that the three thousand three hundred men were in charge of one hundred fifty thousand men, so that each one was in charge of forty five and some odd men, and the three hundred men who were added in Chronicles were in charge of all of them, so that each of these three hundred men was in charge of five hundred and some odd men. And you shall know the evidence in support of my opinion that there are two other passages on this subject, and they contradict one another. For it says on this topic in this book of Kings I (9:23) “These were the chief officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty,” and in the book of Chronicles II (8:10) it says “two hundred and fifty.” There are, therefore, altogether, four verses contradicting one another. But we may explain it thus. Those that are mentioned in the latter verses in I Kings 9:23 and in Chronicles II (8:10), were in charge of all of them. And it is a fact that Solomon had employed these proselytes to be bearers of burdens and to hew stones in the mountains. And, in addition, he had the remaining workers for the store cities which he also built, who were native born Jews. Because these passages are stated there in Chronicles II which discusses the store-cities. And to sum it up then, in the book of Kings he counted the proselyte officers in two separate totals. First, he counted the three thousand three hundred men, the officers who were in charge of forty-five men each, separately. And in (9:23) he combined the three hundred superior officers, who were in charge of these three thousand three hundred men, with the two hundred and fifty men who were in charge of the builders of the store-cities, and totaled together five hundred and fifty officers. And, on the other hand, in Chronicles II he counted all the proselyte officers, the major and minor ones, together, three thousand six hundred men, and they were all proselytes. And the officers in charge of the workers in the store-cities, who were Jews, totaling two hundred and fifty men, he counted separately.		שְׁלשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת. וּבְדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים הוּא אוֹמֵר: וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, אוֹמֵר אֲנִי, שְׁלשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת הָיוּ מְמֻנִּים עַל מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מְמֻנֶּה עַל אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה וְיוֹתֵר, וְהַשְּׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת שֶׁנּוֹסָפִים בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים, הָיוּ מְמֻנִּים עַל כֻּלָּם, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מְמֻנֶּה עַל חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וְיוֹתֵר. וְתֵדַע, שֶׁהֲרֵי יֵשׁ עוֹד שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים בְּדָבָר זֶה, וּמַכְחִישִׁין זֶה אֶת זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ בְּסֵפֶר זֶה: אֵלֶּה שָׂרֵי הַנִּצָּבִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה חֲמִשִּׁים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת, וּבְדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים הוּא אוֹמֵר: מָאתַיִם וַחֲמִשִּׁים, הֲרֵי אַרְבַּע מִקְרָאוֹת מַכְחִישִׁין זֶה אֶת זֶה. אֲבָל יֵשׁ לָנוּ לְפָרֵשׁ, שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָאוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנִים מְמֻנִּים עַל כֻּלָּן, וְלִשְׁלֹמֹה הָיוּ אֵלּוּ הַגֵּרִים לִהְיוֹת לְנוֹשֵׂא סַבָּל וְלַחֲצֹב אֲבָנִים בָּהָר, וְיִהְיוּ לוֹ שְׁאָר עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה לְעָרֵי הַמִּסְכְּנוֹת, שֶׁהֵם אֶזְרָחִיִּים, שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַכְּתוּבִים אֲמוּרִים שָׁם. וּבְסֵפֶר מְלָכִים מָנָה אֶת הַנְּצִיבִים הַגֵּרִים שְׁנֵי מִנְיָנִים, שָׂרֵי הָאַרְבָּעִים וְהַחֲמִשָּׁה לְבַדָּם, וְהַשְּׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת הַחֲשׁוּבִים צֵרֵף עִם מָאתַיִם וַחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁהָיוּ מְמֻנִּים עַל עוֹשֵׂי עָרֵי הַמִּסְכְּנוֹת, וּמָנָה חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׂרִים, וּבְדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים מָנָה כָּל נְצִיבֵי הַגֵּרִים לְעַצְמָם, הַגְּדוֹלִים עִם הַקְּטַנִּים שְׁלשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, וְכֻלָּן גֵּרִים, וּנְצִיבֵי עָרֵי הַמִּסְכְּנוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָאתַיִם וַחֲמִשִּׁים, מָנָה לְעַצְמָן.
Who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work. Who bore rule over the people that did the work.		הָרֹדִים בָּעָם הָעֹשִׂים בַּמְּלָאכָה. הַנּוֹגְשִׂים אֶת הָעָם עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה.
31And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, heavy stones, to lay the foundation of the house (with) hewn stone.		לאוַיְצַ֣ו הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ וַיַּסִּעוּ֩ אֲבָנִ֨ים גְּדֹל֜וֹת אֲבָנִ֧ים יְקָר֛וֹת לְיַסֵּ֥ד הַבָּ֖יִת אַבְנֵ֥י גָזִֽית:
And they quarried. the stones from the mountains. This is an expression of uprooting.		וַיַּסִּעוּ. מִן הָהָר, לְשׁוֹן עֲקִירָה.
Great stones, heavy stones. Heb. יקרות, heavy.		אֲבָנִים יְקָרוֹת. כְּבֵדוֹת.
Hewn stone. They were carved and chiseled [precisely to the required measurement]. And if you ask it has already been stated (6:7) “There was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.” How then were the stones cut to a specific size? The explanation is, that although no tool of iron was heard in the house, while it was in building, but he would chisel the stones while still on the outside, and then bring them in and build from the inside. Thus is this explained in the Tractate Sota (48b).		אַבְנֵי גָזִית. נִפְסָלוֹת וּמְסֻתָּתוֹת. וְאִם תֹּאמַר וַהֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר: וּמַקָּבוֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן לֹא נִשְׁמַע בַּבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ, פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁכְּלִי בַּרְזֶל לֹא נִשְׁמַע בַּבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה מְסַתֵּת מִבַּחוּץ, וּמַכְנִיס וּבוֹנֶה מִבִּפְנִים (סוטה מח ב).
32And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did hew (them), and they prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.		לבוַֽיִּפְסְל֞וּ בֹּנֵ֧י שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּבֹנֵ֥י חִיר֖וֹם וְהַגִּבְלִ֑ים וַיָּכִ֛ינוּ הָעֵצִ֥ים וְהָאֲבָנִ֖ים לִבְנ֥וֹת הַבָּֽיִת:
And they did hew them. in the mountains.		וַיִּפְסְלוּ. בֶּהָרִים.
And the Gebalites. a nation whose name was Gebal. And they were skilled in the art of chiseling stones and building. As it is stated in reference to the wise men of Tyre (Ezek. 27:9) “The elders of Cebal and the wise men thereof, were in you your calkers.”		וְהַגִּבְלִים. אֻמָּה שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ גְּבָל, וּבְקִיאִים לְסַתֵּת אֲבָנִים וְלִבְנוֹת, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּצוֹר: זִקְנֵי גְבַל וַחֲכָמֶיהָ הָיוּ בָךְ מַחֲזִיקֵי בִּדְקֵךְ.
And they prepared. An expression of designation.		וַיָּכִינוּ. לְשׁוֹן הַזְמָנָה.

Melachim I (I Kings) Chapter 6

1And it was in the four hundred and eightieth year after the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month Ziv, which (is) the second month of Solomon's reign over Israel, that he did (begin to) build the house of the Lord.		אוַיְהִ֣י בִשְׁמוֹנִ֣ים שָׁנָ֣ה וְאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵא֣וֹת שָׁנָ֡ה לְצֵ֣את בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל מֵאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם֩ בַּשָּׁנָ֨ה הָרְבִיעִ֜ית בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ זִ֗ו הוּא הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י לִמְלֹ֥ךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּ֥בֶן הַבַּ֖יִת לַיהֹוָֽה:
In the month of Ziv. This is Iyar. The word Ziv means bloom. [It is called Ziv] because [in that month] there is the bloom of the trees. And Targum Jonathan translated this similarly ‘the bloom of the buds.’		בְּחֹדֶשׁ זִו. הוּא אִיָּר, דְּאִית בֵּהּ זִיוָא לְאִילָנָא, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: זִיו נִיצָנַיָּא.
Which is the second month. [Iyar is considered the second month] when numbering the months, since Nissan is the beginning of the year in [the numbering of] the months.		הוּא הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי. לְמִנְיַן הֶחֳדָשִׁים, שֶׁהֲרֵי נִיסָן רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לֶחֳדָשִׁים.
Of Solomon’s reign. “the fourth year.” [It was] the fourth [year] of Solomon’s reign. And so does he also state in Chronicles II (3:2) “And he began to build in the second month in the fourth year of his reign.”		לִמְלֹךְ שְׁלֹמֹה. מוּסַב עַל הַשָּׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית, רְבִיעִית לְמַלְכוּת שְׁלֹמֹה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים: וַיָּחֶל לִבְנוֹת בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ.
2And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof (was) sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.		בוְהַבַּ֗יִת אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּנָ֜ה הַמֶּ֚לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה שִׁשִּֽׁים־אַמָּ֥ה אָרְכּ֖וֹ וְעֶשְׂרִ֣ים רָחְבּ֑וֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קוֹמָתֽוֹ:
Sixty cubits. [This included] the Temple [proper] and the Holy of Holies together.		שִׁשִּׁים אַמָּה. הַהֵיכָל וְהַדְּבִיר יַחַד.
3And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits (was) the length thereof, before the breadth of the house, (and) ten cubits (was) the breadth thereof before the house.		גוְהָאוּלָ֗ם עַל־פְּנֵי֙ הֵיכַ֣ל הַבַּ֔יִת עֶשְׂרִ֚ים אַמָּה֙ אָרְכּ֔וֹ עַל־פְּנֵ֖י רֹ֣חַב הַבָּ֑יִת עֶ֧שֶׂר בָּאַמָּ֛ה רָחְבּ֖וֹ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַבָּֽיִת:
And the porch before. before the Temple, in it’s entranceway.		וְהָאוּלָם עַל פְּנֵי. לִפְנֵי הַהֵיכָל בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ.
The length thereof before the breadth of the house. The length of the porch was along the width of the Temple [and extended] from the north to the south. All larger [measurements] are called the length, and the lesser [measurements] are called the width. Since in the Temple proper the measurement from the east to the west was greater, that was called the length, and in the porch that the measurement from the north to the south was the larger, therein was called the length from the north to the south, and from the east to the west therein was called the width.		אָרְכּוֹ עַל פְּנֵי רֹחַב הַבָּיִת. אֹרֶךְ הָאוּלָם לְרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל הַהֵיכָל מִן הַצָּפוֹן לַדָּרוֹם. כָּל מִדָּה הַיְתֵרָה קְרוּיָה אֹרֶךְ, וְהַפְּחוּתָה קְרוּיָה רֹחַב, לְפִי שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל מִדַּת מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב יְתֵרָה, קְרוּיָה אֹרֶךְ, וּבָאוּלָם שֶׁמִּדַּת מִצָּפוֹן לַדָּרוֹם יְתֵרָה בּוֹ, קְרוּיָה אֹרֶךְ מִן הַצָּפוֹן לַדָּרוֹם, וּמִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב קְרוּיָה בּוֹ רֹחַב.
Before the house. [The porch was] in front of the house [of the Temple], on the eastern side [and was] on the outside.		עַל פְּנֵי הַבָּיִת. לִפְנֵי הַבַּיִת, לְצַד מִזְרָח לְצַד חוּץ.
4And he made for the house windows broad without, and narrow within.		דוַיַּ֣עַשׂ לַבָּ֔יִת חַלּוֹנֵ֖י שְׁקֻפִ֥ים אֲטֻמִֽים:
Broad without and narrow within. Our Sages explained שְּׁקוּפִים as an expression of looking and an opening and an observation. These windows were constructed so that they were open on the outside and closed (אֲטוּמִים) on the inside. [The opening was wider on the outside] and narrow on the inside. This was not in the usual manner of all other windows which are made [expressly] for illumination.		שְׁקֻפִים אֲטֻמִים. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ: שְׁקוּפִים לְשׁוֹן רְאִיָּה וּפְתִיחָה וְהַשְׁקָפָה, פְּתוּחִים מִבַּחוּץ וַאֲטוּמִים מִבִּפְנִים, קְצָרִים מִבִּפְנִים, שֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ שְׁאָר חַלּוֹנוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת הָעֲשׂוּיוֹת לְמָאוֹר, לְהַרְאוֹת שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְאוֹרָה.
5And against the wall of the house he built a chamber round about, (against) the walls of the house round about, (both) of the temple and of the sanctuary, and he made chambers round about.		הוַיִּבֶן֩ עַל־קִ֨יר הַבַּ֚יִת יָצִ֙יעַ֙ (כתיב יָצִ֙ועַ֙) סָבִ֔יב אֶת־קִיר֚וֹת הַבַּ֙יִת֙ סָבִ֔יב לַֽהֵיכָ֖ל וְלַדְּבִ֑יר וַיַּ֥עַשׂ צְלָע֖וֹת סָבִֽיב:
A chamber. Appentis in French, a projecting gallery. This chamber had three names, יָצִיעַ a wing or extension of the building תָּא, a compartment, צֶלָע a side chamber. Thus is this explained in Baba Bathra 61a.		יָצִיעַ. אפנטי"ץ בְּלַעַ"ז (יָצִיעַ), וּשְׁלשָׁה שֵׁמוֹת יֵשׁ לָהּ, יָצִיעַ, תָּא, צֶלַע כַּךְ מְפוֹרָשׁ בְּבָּבָא בַּתְרָא.
Against the walls of the house round about. That is to say against the Temple and the house of the Holy of Holies, which is [synonymous with] the דְבִיר, he made chambers on the outside at the south, and at the west and the north. And the end of the sentence is an explanation of the beginning. And he built “on” the wall of the house, meaning “near” the wall of the house, a chamber round about. How did he make it? Against the walls of the house, that is, the Temple and the Holy of Holies, he made chambers.		אֶת קִירוֹת הַבַּיִת סָבִיב. כְּלוֹמַר כְּנֶגֶד הַהֵיכָל וּבֵית קָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים הוּא הַדְּבִיר, עָשָׂה צְלָעוֹת מִבַּחוּץ, לְדָרוֹם וּלְמַעֲרָב וּלְצָפוֹן, וְסוֹף הַמִּקְרָא הוּא פֵּרוּשׁ לְרֹאשׁוֹ, וַיִּבֶן עַל קִיר הַבַּיִת, סָמוּךְ לְקִיר הַבַּיִת, יָצִיעַ סָבִיב, כֵּיצַד עָשָׂה? אֶת קִירוֹת הַבַּיִת לַהֵיכָל וְלַדְּבִיר, עָשָׂה צְלָעוֹת.
He made. Heb. ויעש, like עשה, “he made.” And likewise, “He was (ויהי) my salvation” (Exodus 15:2), like, “He was (היה) my salvation.”		וַיַּעַשׂ. כְּמוֹ עָשָׂה, וְכֵן: וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה, כְּמוֹ הָיָה לִי לִישׁוּעָה.
6The nethermost chamber (was) five cubits broad, and the middle (was) six cubits broad, and the third (was) seven cubits broad, for he made rebatements in (the wall of) the house round about on the outside, that (the beams) should not have hold in the walls of the house.		והַיָּצִ֨יעַ (כתיב הַיָּצִ֨ועַ) הַתַּחְתֹּנָ֜ה חָמֵ֧שׁ בָּאַמָּ֣ה רָחְבָּ֗הּ וְהַתִּֽיכֹנָה֙ שֵׁ֚שׁ בָּֽאַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וְהַ֨שְּׁלִישִׁ֔ית שֶׁ֥בַע בָּאַמָּ֖ה רָחְבָּ֑הּ כִּ֡י מִגְרָעוֹת֩ נָתַ֨ן לַבַּ֚יִת סָבִיב֙ ח֔וּצָה לְבִלְתִּ֖י אֲחֹ֥ז בְּקִֽירוֹת־הַבָּֽיִת:
The nethermost chamber. On each side [of the Temple] the chambers were [built in] three [tiers], one on the other. And the measurement of its length is not stated here, [only its width]. And in the Tractate Midoth (4:3) we learned [as follows]: There were thirty-eight chambers [in all], fifteen in the north, five on top of five, and five [more] on top of them, and the same [number] in the south. And eight [more were] in the west, three on top of three and two [more] on top of them. The nethermost [chamber] was five [cubits wide] and the middle ones were six [cubits], and the top ones seven. Why [was this difference]? For he made rebatements in [the wall] of the house round about on the outside. The height of the chamber was five cubits, and as the height of the wall of the Temple [proper] reached five cubits he reduced its thickness and recessed it one cubit inward [on the outside], and on that recess he placed the ends of the beams of the roof at the top of the chamber which served as the floor of the middle one. And as the wall reached ten [cubits] he again recessed it one cubit [in order] to place the ends of the beams of the roof of the middle chamber which served as the floor of the upper chamber. We [thus] find the middle one is broader than the lower one by one cubit, and the upper one is broader than the middle one by one cubit.		הַיָּצִיעַ הַתַּחְתֹּנָה. בְּכָל רוּחַ וְרוּחַ הָיוּ הַתָּאִים שְׁלשָׁה זֶה עַל זֶה, וּמִדַּת אָרְכּוֹ לֹא נֶאֶמְרָה כָּאן, וּבְמַסֶּכֶת מִדּוֹת שָׁנִינוּ: שְׁלשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה תָּאִים הָיוּ, חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בַּצָּפוֹן, חֲמִשָּׁה עַל גַּבֵּי חֲמִשָּׁה, וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן, וְכֵן בַּדָּרוֹם, וּשְׁמוֹנָה בַּמַּעֲרָב, שְׁלשָׁה עַל גַּבֵּי שְׁלשָׁה, וּשְׁנַיִם עַל גַּבֵּיהֶם, הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה חָמֵשׁ, וְהָאֶמְצָעוֹת שֵׁשׁ, וְהָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁבַע, לָמָּה? כִּי מִגְרָעוֹת נָתַן לַבַּיִת סָבִיב חוּצָה, קוֹמַת הַתָּא חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּכְשֶׁעוֹלֶה כֹּתֶל הַהֵיכָל חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, גּוֹרֵעַ אֶת עָבְיוֹ, וְכִנֵּס בּוֹ אַמָּה לְפָנִים, וְהִנִּיחַ עַל אוֹתָהּ כְּנִיסָה רָאשֵׁי קוֹרוֹת גַּג עֲלִיַּת הַתָּא, שֶׁהִיא קַרְקָעִית לְאֶמְצָעִית, וּכְשֶׁעוֹלֶה עֶשֶׂר, כִּנֵס אַמָּה, לְהַנִּיחַ רָאשֵׁי קוֹרוֹת עֲלִיַּת הָאֶמְצָעִית, שֶׁהִיא קַרְקַע הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, נִמְצֵאת אֶמְצָעִית רְחָבָה מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה אַמָּה, וְהָעֶלְיוֹנָה רְחָבָה מִן הַתִּיכוֹנָה אַמָּה.
That the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house. In order not to join the ends of the beams to the walls through perforations in the walls of the house, since this causes the deterioration of the wall and is [also] not beautiful, architecturally.		לְבִלְתִּי אֲחֹז בְּקִירוֹת הַבָּיִת. שֶׁלֹּא לְדַבֵּק רָאשֵׁי הַקּוֹרוֹת דֶּרֶךְ נְקָבִים בְּקִירוֹת הַבַּיִת, שֶׁקִּלְקוּל הַחוֹמָה הוּא, וְאֵינוֹ דֶּרֶךְ נוֹי.
7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe (nor) any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.		זוְהַבַּ֙יִת֙ בְּהִבָּ֣נֹת֔וֹ אֶ֥בֶן שְׁלֵמָ֖ה מַסָּ֣ע נִבְנָ֑ה וּמַקָּב֚וֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן֙ כָּל־כְּלִ֣י בַרְזֶ֔ל לֹֽא־נִשְׁמַ֥ע בַּבַּ֖יִת בְּהִבָּנֹתֽוֹ:
When it was in building, of stone finished at the quarry. as it was removed from the mountain, through the worm שָּׁמִיר [which cuts through stones]. Exactly as it came from there, they set it into the wall of the structure, and they did not chisel it further with any metal tools. And the hewn stones which are mentioned above [in 5:31, indicating that the stones were cut to some degree], is a controversy discussed in the Tractate Sota (48b).		בְּהִבָּנֹתוֹ אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה מַסָּע. כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִסִּיעוּהָ מִן הָהָר עַל יְדֵי הַשָּׁמִיר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִיא בָּאָה מִשָּׁם, נְתָנוּהָ בְּחוֹמַת הַבִּנְיָן, וְלֹא סִתְּתוּהָ בִּכְלֵי בַרְזֶל, וְאַבְנֵי גָזִית הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, מַחֲלֹקֶת הִיא בְּסוֹטָה (מח ב).
And hammers. Delutta, a chisel, in the Russian language.		וּמַקָּבוֹת. דלוט"א בִּלְשׁוֹן רוּסְיָא (פַּטִּישׁ).
8The door of the lowest chamber (was) in the right side of the house, and with winding stairs they went up into the middle (chamber), and from the middle into the third.		חפֶּ֗תַח הַצֵּלָע֙ הַתִּ֣יכֹנָ֔ה אֶל־כֶּ֥תֶף הַבַּ֖יִת הַיְמָנִ֑ית וּבְלוּלִּ֗ים יַֽעֲלוּ֙ עַל־הַתִּ֣יכֹנָ֔ה וּמִן־הַתִּֽיכֹנָ֖ה אֶל־הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁים:
The door of the lowest chamber was in the right side of the house. Jonathan rendered this word תִּיכוֹנָה as “the lowest,” not תִּיכוֹנָה [which is] between the upper and lower ones [as is usually translated]. Because the five chambers on the southern side had one opening to the outside which was in the lowest story. And this [second usage of the word תִּיכוֹנָה in this same verse] “and with winding stairs they went up into the middle (תִּיכוֹנָה) chamber,” Jonathan rendered תִּיכוֹנָה; “the middle” because these chambers were not opened to the outside. There were three openings to each [of the chambers]. Thus is this taught in the Tractate Midos (4: 3), “One was to the chamber on the right and one was to the chamber on the left and one to the chamber above.” And the prophet teaches us here that [only] one of the lower [chambers] on the southern side had an opening to the outside and [only] through that opening can we enter all of the chambers on all sides. And the “middle chamber” of the verse, הַצֵלָע הַתִּיכוֹנָה, is not the middle one between the upper and the lower, but the middle one of the five chambers on the southern side which had an opening to the outside in the lowest story. And this is the meaning of “and with winding stairs they went up” עַל הַתִּיכוֹנָה “into the middle chamber” which was above it, signifying that צֵלָע הַתִּיכוֹנָה was below.		פֶּתַח הַצֵּלָע הַתִּיכֹנָה אֶל כֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַיְמָנִית. יוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם תִּיכוֹנָה זוֹ כְּמוֹ תַּחְתּוֹנָה, לֹא תִּיכוֹנָה בֵּין עֶלְיוֹנָה לַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, שֶׁבְּחָמֵשׁ תָּאִים שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם הָיָה לָהּ פֶּתַח אֶל הַחוּץ בַּשּׁוּרָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, וְזֶה (הַתַּרְגּוּם) ּובְלוּלִים יַעֲלוּ עַל הַתִּיכוֹנָה הַתִּיכֹנָה תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: מְצִיעָתָא, כִּי הַתָּאִים הַלָּלוּ לֹא הָיוּ פְּתוּחִים אֶל הַחוּץ. שְׁלשָׁה פְּתָחִים הָיוּ לְכָל אֶחָד, כָּךְ הִיא שְׁנוּיָה בְּמַסֶּכֶת מִדּוֹת (שָׁם), אֶחָד לַתָּא מִן הַיָּמִין, וְאֶחָד לַתָּא מִן הַשְּׂמֹאל, וְאֶחָד לַתָּא שֶׁעַל גַּבָּיו. וְלִמֵּד כָּאן, שֶׁאֶחָד מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁבְּכֹתֶל דְּרוֹמִי, הָיָה לוֹ פֶּתַח אֶל הַחוּץ, וְדֶרֶךְ אוֹתוֹ פֶּתַח נִכְנָסִים לְכֻלָּם, 'וְצֵלָע הַתִּיכוֹנָה' דִּקְרָא, לֹא תִּיכוֹנָה בֵּין עֶלְיוֹנָה לַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, אֶלָּא תִּיכוֹנָה שֶׁבְּחָמֵשׁ תָּאִים שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם הָיָה לָהּ פֶּתַח אֶל הַחוּץ בַּשּׁוּרָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, וְזֶהוּ תַּרְגּוּם 'וּבְלוּלִּים יַעֲלוּ עַל הַתִּיכוֹנָה', שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנָּה, מַשְׁמָע דְהַצֶּלַע הַתִּיכוֹנָה לְמַטָּה.
With winding stairs. Jonathan rendered the word לוּל, a winding staircase, and that is called in our language vis (o.f.) and in German Vindelstein, and the commonly used name is schvindel stieg, and that is a structure of stone pillars made in the form of stairs, and he who goes on them is likened to one spiraling around a column and ascending on it several cubits high without inclining the steps as [would be necessary] by an ordinary ladder because its spiral serves as its incline.		בְּלוּלִּים. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: מְסִבָּתָא, וְהוּא שֶׁקּוֹרִין בִּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ וויי"ן בְּלַעַ"ז וּבִלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז ווינד"ל שטיי"ן, וְשָׁם הַמֻּרְגָּל שווינד"ל שטי"ג (מַדְרֵגוֹת לוּלְיָנִיּוֹת), וְהוּא בִּנְיַן עַמּוּד אֲבָנִים עָשׂוּי מַעֲלוֹת מַעֲלוֹת, וְהַהוֹלֵךְ בָּהֶן דּוֹמֶה כְּמַקִּיף סְבִיבוֹת עַמּוּד, וְעוֹלִין בּוֹ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אַמּוֹת גָּבוֹהַּ, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לְשֶׁפַע כִּשְׁאָר סֻלָּם, כִּי הִקִּיפוֹ הוּא שִׁפּוּעַ.
into the third. Heb. שְּׁלִישִׁים, like שְּׁלִישִׁיִּים.		אֶל הַשְּׁלִשִׁים. כְּמוֹ אֶל הַשְּׁלִישִׁים.
9And he built the house, and finished it, and he covered the house with panelling and joined planks of cedar.		טוַיִּ֥בֶן אֶת־הַבַּ֖יִת וַיְכַלֵּ֑הוּ וַיִּסְפֹּ֚ן אֶת־הַבַּ֙יִת֙ גֵּבִ֔ים וּשְׂדֵרֹ֖ת בָּאֲרָזִֽים:
And he covered. An expression of covering of the ceiling.		וַיִּסְפֹּן. לְשׁוֹן כִּסּוּי תִּקְרָה.
With panelling and joined planks of cedar. [There were] two ceilings. [The] one made for beauty was below, and [the] one of planks of cedar was above. That of panelling was the lower one. And Jonathan rendered גֵּבִים as הַנְתּוּכִין, but I do not know what they are. And I did hear in the name of Rabbi Menachem… that they are boards woven beautifully in the form of a design, and it is called in our language (o.f.) celed and in German it [is called] gehimmelt and that is an expression of [something] heavenly [in appearance or in height] as the highest part of the beam. And I say they are hollowed bricks, and they are like half a round reed, which are used as coverings for houses [in German, dekziegel].		גֵּבִים וּשְׂדֵרֹת בָּאֲרָזִים. שְׁתֵּי תִּקְרָאוֹת, אַחַת עֲשׂוּיָה לְנוֹי מִלְּמַטָּה, וְאַחַת שֶׁל לוּחֵי אֲרָזִים מִלְּמַעְלָה, שֶׁל גֵּבִים הִיא הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה. וְתִרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: בְּהַנְתּוּכִין, וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה הֵן, וְשָׁמַעְתִּי מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מְנַחֵם זַצַ"ל, שֶׁהֵם נְסָרִים אֲרוּגִים נָאִים כְּמִין צוּרָה, וְקוֹרִין לוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ צילי"ד (תִקְרָה) (וּבִלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז גהימל"ט), וְהִיא לְשׁוֹן 'שָׁמַיִם ', 'שְׁמֵי קוֹרָה'. וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר, שֶׁהֵם לְבֵנִים חֲלוּלִים, וְהֵם כַּחֲצִי קָנֶה עָגֹל, שֶׁעוֹשִׂין לְכִסּוּי בָּתִּים (בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז דעק ציגל — רְעַפִים).
panelling. In Aramaic, vaulted canes.		גֵּבִים. לָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי: גּוּבְתָּא דְּקַנְיָא, וְהֵם הָיוּ (לְמַעְלָה), וְהַשְּׂדֵרוֹת (לְמַטָּה).
joined planks. Planks of cedar were laid over the panels, to provide a footing for when they would go to oversee the maintenance of the house [Temple]. Similarly, Jonathan renders, “and above them [the panels] were rows of joined planks made of cedars beams.” The word רכפת [in the Targum] denotes adjacency [as the planks were adjoining to each other]. Elsewhere (II Sam. 22:12) it says, “thick clouds of the sky” for which the Targum renders: “a cluster of light clouds” [which gave the appearance of thick clouds].		וּשְׂדֵרֹת. לוּחֵי אֲרָזִים סְדוּרִים לְמַעְלָה מִן הַגֵּבִים, לִדְרִיסַת הָרֶגֶל, כְּשֶׁעוֹלִין לִרְאוֹת בְּבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת. וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: וּשְׂדֵרוֹת בָּאֲרָזִים: וְעֵילָּא מִנְּהוֹן (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר, מִן הַגֵּבִים) סִידְרָא דְרִכְפַּת רֵישֵׁי שִׁרְיָתָא אַרְזַיָּא, וְרִכְפַּת לְשׁוֹן תְּכִיפַת, וַחֲבֵרוֹ: עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים, תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: מֵרִכְפַּת עֲנָנִין קְלִילִין.
10And he built the chambers against all the house, (each) five cubits high; and he covered the house with timber of cedar.		יוַיִּ֚בֶן אֶת־הַיָּצִ֙יעַ֙ (כתיב הַיָּצִ֙ועַ֙) עַל־כָּל־הַבַּ֔יִת חָמֵ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת קֽוֹמָת֑וֹ וַיֶּאֱחֹ֥ז אֶת־הַבַּ֖יִת בַּעֲצֵ֥י אֲרָזִֽים:
Five cubits high. [was the height] of each chamber. Therefore their [total] height of the three stories was fifteen cubits besides the thickness of the ceiling.		חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ. שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, הֲרֵי גָּבְהָן חָמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמּוֹת, לְבַד עֳבִי הַתִּקְרָה.
And he covered the house. That was the upper covering of the roof, and the covering mentioned above (6:9) that was the ceiling of the upper story.		וַיֶּאֱחֹז אֶת הַבַּיִת. הוּא כִּסּוּי הַגַּג הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְהַסִּפּוּן הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, הוּא תִּקְרַת הָעֲלִיָּה.
11And the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying,		יאוַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר:
12(Concerning) this house which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, and execute My ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father.		יבהַבַּ֨יִת הַזֶּ֜ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה בֹנֶ֗ה אִם־תֵּלֵ֚ךְ בְּחֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֣י תַּֽעֲשֶֹ֔ה וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֥ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְו‍ֹתַ֖י לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּהֶ֑ם וַהֲקִמֹתִ֚י אֶת־דְּבָרִי֙ אִתָּ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־דָּוִ֥ד אָבִֽיךָ:
13And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people, Israel.		יגוְשָׁ֣כַנְתִּ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֥א אֶעֱזֹ֖ב אֶת־עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:

Translation of Chumash and Rashi courtesy Chabad House Publications’ forthcoming English Chumash with an annotated translation of Rashi based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, published by Kehot Publications Society. Translated and adapted by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky, Editor-in-Chief. Rabbi Chaim N. Cunin, Director and General Editor.

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