Exodus · Chapter 27

You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits in length and five cubits in width — the altar shall be square — and three cubits in height.

ועשית את המזבח וגו׳ ושלש אמות קמתו AND THOU SHALT MAKE AN ALTAR etc. AND THE HEIGHT THEREOF SHALL BE THREE CUBITS — These words should be understood as they are written (i. e. to mean exactly what they say — that its height was three cubits); this is the opinion of R. Jehudah. R. José, however, says: it is stated here, “[the altar shall be] square” and it is stated with reference to the inner (the golden) altar, (Exodus 30:2) “square [shall it be].” How was it there (in the case of the latter)? Its height was twice its length (“a cubit the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, . . . and two cubits the height thereof”)! So, also, here: the height shall be twice its length, i. e. ten cubits. And if you ask, how, then, do I explain the words and three cubits the height thereof?” I reply that this gives the measurement from the edge of the surround (סובב) upwards (whilst 10 cubits was the actual height from the ground to the top of the altar) (cf. Zevachim 60a; Rashi on v. 5).

"And you shall make." Every shape whose length equals its width is called a square — and this altar is square in cubits, for squares come in five shapes. Now if we say there is no need for a ramp, as our early authorities maintained because the height is only three cubits — what will those who reject the ramp say about the altar that Solomon made, whose height was ten cubits, given that the height of a man is no more than four cubits? The meaning of "square": because the length equals the width.

ועשית את המזבח, "You shall make the altar, etc." The Torah speaks of המזבח, instead of saying merely מזבח. Perhaps this is because the Torah refers here to what has already been mentioned in 25,9 when the Torah described that G'd had shown Moses a blueprint of both the Tabernacle and its furnishings including the altar. When adding that the altar was to be made of acacia wood, the Torah elaborated that whereas G'd had shown Moses a picture of the completed altar, i.e. a structure covered with copper, He now revealed that the altar was not to be of solid copper but of acacia wood which would be overlaid with copper.

ועשית את המזבח עצי שטים, “You are to construct the altar of acacia wood.” This was the altar for the regular offerings, better known as מזבח העולה. It was positioned in the courtyard of the Tabernacle and most of the sacrifices were offered up on it. It was overlaid with copper and was square, symbolizing the fourth leg of the מרכבה, the Divine entourage. It represented the fourth letter in the Holy name of the Lord, the tetragrammaton. This is the reason the Torah wrote the words רבוע יהיה, as the fact that it was square was already evident from the measurements given as five cubits by five cubits. You should know that the overall height of this altar was ten cubits (not three as written in our verse, compare Zevachim 59). If the Torah wrote that its height was three cubits, this is a reference to the area on which the actual offerings were presented (from the סובב, “ledge” upwards to the corners). Proof that the overall height from its foundations was ten cubits is offered in Bamidbar Rabbah 6,3 where the Midrash examines the words רבוע יהיה, “it shall be square.” The words are considered superfluous. Therefore the Midrash considers them as providing a lesson comparable to another similar expression used in connection with the altar of the incense (30,2). There the Torah writes that its width and length was to be 1 cubit each and its height was to be 2 cubits. There too the Torah adds the words רבוע יהיה, “it shall be square.” We are entitled to conclude (thanks to the two expressions “it shall be square,”) that just as the altar for incense was twice as high as it was wide and long, so the copper altar should be proportioned similarly. Seeing it was five cubits wide and long, it would have an overall height of ten cubits. In view of this we remain with the problem that in our chapter the Torah described the height of the copper altar as being three cubits. Is this not a contradiction? Answer: the three cubits measured by the Torah in connection with the copper altar begin from the ledge which ran around it on which the priest would stand. Furthermore, it is worth studying what the Talmud (Sukkah 45) tells us about the willow branches which would be placed around this altar on the festival of Tabernacles. According to the description in the Talmud the tops of these willow branches would be right next to the top of the altar, bending down a little towards its top. These willow branches are described as having a length of eleven cubits. They were of that length in order to be able to exceed the height of the altar by a little, i.e. by one cubit. In Zevachim 59 our sages explained that the altar which Moses erected was 10 cubits high as it has been compared to the altar in the Tabernacle according to what is written (Numbers 4,26) “and the lace-hangings of the Courtyard and the Screen of the entrance of the gate of the Courtyard which were around the Tabernacle and the Altar, etc.” Just as the Tabernacle itself was ten cubits high so the altar was ten cubits high also. There is also a clear verse in connection with the altar erected by Solomon for his Temple which describes its height as being ten cubits (Chronicles II 4,1). [In that instance the height of the altar was half that of its width and length rather than double. Ed.] A Midrashic approach (based on Tanchuma Terumah 11): when the Torah wrote: “you shall make an altar of shittim wood and overlay it with copper,” what was this altar to atone for? For the effrontery characterized by a “copper-hard forehead.” We have a verse in Isaiah 48,4 where this simile is used for stiff-necked behavior. The prophet writes: ”because I know how stubborn you are; your neck is like an iron sinew, and your forehead bronze.” It is also worth noting that the letters in the word מזבח, “altar,” may be understood as an acrostic of the first letters in the words מחילה, זכות, ברכה, חיים respectively. The word שטים may also be understood as an acrostic of the first letters of the words שלום, טובה, ישועה, מחילה respectively. The measurements of five by five cubits for the length and width of the altar corresponded to the two Tablets of the covenant on each of which five of G’d’s directives had been engraved. The height described by the Torah, i.e. three cubits, is an allusion to the three redeemers of the Jewish people, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Thus far the Midrash.

"And you shall make the altar of acacia wood." In the Midrash Tanchuma (10), it concludes: "They committed folly [שטות] and angered Me with the [golden] calf, so let the acacia [שטים] wood come and atone for their folly." This is because a spirit of folly [שטות] enters every sinner (Sotah 3a). For this reason, Solomon refers to the wicked as fools, and therefore it says regarding the altar, "hollow with boards shall you make it," because anyone who is without knowledge and understanding is called a hollow man [נבוב], as it is said (Job 11:12), Let the hollow man gain understanding - Rashi explains there that anyone who is empty and hollow without knowledge and understanding needs to acquire a heart to return in repentance. And its height shall be three cubits - like the height of an average person. And five cubits in length and five cubits in width - making ten, corresponding to the ten things that come from a father and mother: flesh, blood, sinews, etc., as enumerated in Tractate Niddah (31a). And through these comes all sin and iniquity, and this is [also indicated by] the half-shekel of ten gerahs. And you shall make its horns - to atone for the sinner who is compared to a ram with horns that gores upward, as it is written (Psalms 75:5-6), And to the wicked, "Do not lift up the horn; do not lift up your horn on high", as explained above in Parshat Vayera in the verse And behold, a ram caught afterwards. And you shall overlay it with copper - Rashi explains, to atone for brazenness, as it is said [with reference to brazenness] (Isaiah 48:4), and your forehead is copper. This agrees with our explanation, since every horn is on the forehead. “And you shall make for it a grate of netting of copper.” Because the evil inclination spreads a net to capture a person in its trap, and the net of the altar removes him from the net of his evil inclination. We find that there were miracles with the altar, for it was saved from fire, as the fire burned on it day and night yet the fire did not burn it nor melt its copper. It was saved from water, as the rains did not extinguish the fire of the arranged wood. It was saved from wind, as the wind did not overpower the column of smoke. The altar was hollow and filled with earth, or it was an altar of stones upon which no iron tool was raised. All this alludes to a person, that through the altar, a person is saved and does not receive damage in all four elements within him. As it is written: We went through fire and through water, yet You brought us out to abundance. I will enter Your house with burnt offerings (Psalms 66:12–13). For just as the altar of burnt offerings is saved from fire and water, so too will a person be saved from them through it. And likewise, the altar saves him from all four death penalties of the court: from stoning with stones he is saved through the stone altar (Deuteronomy 27:5); from burning with fire he is saved through the fire of the altar which burns on it (Leviticus 6:5); from execution by sword he is saved through the altar, about which it is said (Deuteronomy 27:5), Do not raise an iron tool on them; from strangulation he is saved, in the way that our Sages of blessed memory said (Ketubot 30b), “Even though the four death penalties of the court have been abolished, nevertheless the judgment of the four death penalties has not been abolished. One who is liable to strangulation either drowns in a river, etc.” It follows that just as the altar is saved from the flood of rainwater, so too the sinner — to the flood of many waters, they will not reach him (Psalms 32:6).

ועשית את המזבח, the copper altar located in the courtyard in front of the Tabernacle.

'ועשית את המזבח וגו, “you are to construct the altar, etc.;” the word מזבח here may be understood as an acrostic of the words: מחילה, זכות, ברכה, חיים, “forgiveness, merit, blessing, life.” חמש אמות, “five cubits (long).” This alluded to the Tablets, five of which commandments were engraved on one Tablet. The width of the altar, also five cubits, was to allude to the second of the Tablets; its height of three cubits was to allude to the three redeemers, i.e. Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Some commentators see in the measurement of three cubits for its height a reference to how much it rose above what has been described as רשת, a brass network, which was part of the altar’s walls. (Talmud, tractate Z‘vachim, folio 60). This “network” of copper, halfway up the sides of the copper altar may be viewed as if it were some kind of garment, something decorative. Its upper edge was five cubits from the ground. The section known as karkov, ledge extended from the upper end of the network to the surface of the altar which had four cube shaped corner posts each one cubit high and wide. The “roof” of this altar was five cubits square (external measurements, i.e. approximately three meters) The usable surface therefore was diminished by 60 centimeters at each corner where the corner posts, known as “horns” were positioned. The area comprising one cube square in the center of the roof of this altar was where the maaracha, the firewood for burning the sacrificial animals was kept. Even though the Torah does not spell out the details of the ramp leading to the top of the altar, it is understood that there was such a ramp, as it was forbidden to ascend the altar by means of steps. (Exodus 20,23) This ramp was at the south side of the altar rising northward. The Talmud in tractate Z’vachim, folio 62 explains why it was impossible for that ramp to have been positioned elsewhere.

You shall make its horns upon its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with copper.

ממנו תהיין קרנתיו ITS HORNS SHALL BE OF THE SAME — i. e. he shall not make them separately and afterwards attach them to it (to the altar). וצפית אתו נחשת AND THOU SHALT OVERLAY IT WITH COPPER — to atone for sins committed with effrontery (more lit., with impudence of forehead, the Hebrew expression for effrontery being, “having a copper forehead,”) as it is said, (Isaiah 48:4) “[Because I know that thou art obstinate] and that thy forehead is copper” (cf. our English expression “brazen-faced”) (Midrash Tanchuma, Terumah 11).

"The corners" — these are the angles.

קרנותיו, a feature of all altars, as were the shovels and the basins for the blood as receptacles.

ממנו תהיין קרנותיו, integral parts of the structure, not something superimposed.

And thou shalt make its horns upon its four corners: the, horns shall be of it, they shall rise upward, and thou shalt cover it with brass.

You shall make its pots for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its fire-pans; all its vessels you shall make of copper.

סירתיו — a kind of pot. לדשנו means TO REMOVE ITS ASHES in them. That is exactly as Onkelos translated it: למספי קטמה, to remove the ashes into them. For although in its primary sense דַּשֵּׁן would mean to cover with ashes, it has also the meaning of removing the ashes, for there are in the Hebrew language certain expressions with the peculiarity that the same word changes in meaning so as to be used to denote both “construction” and “destruction,” (having a positive and a negative meaning). Examples are: (Psalms 80:10) “and didst cause it to take deep root (ותשרש)”; (Job 5:3) “I have seen the foolish taking root (משריש),” whilst we have its opposite (negative) meaning in, (Job 31:12) “and thou wouldst root out (תשרש) all my increase.” Similar to it is, (Isaiah 17:6) “in the utmost fruitful branches (בסעיפיה),” and its opposite, (Isaiah 10:33) “The Lord of hosts shall מסעף”, i. e. shall lop off the branches thereof. Similar to it is also (Jeremiah 50:17) “And this last person עִצְּמוֹ” — “has broken his bones” although the primary meaning of עצם is to be strongboned. Similar to it is, (1 Kings 21:13) “and stoned him with stones (ויסקלהו)” i. e. heaped up stones above him, and its opposite is, (Isaiah 62:10) “סקלו the stones” — i. e. remove its stones; and so, too, (Isaiah 5:2) “And he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof (ויסקלהו).” Thus here, also, לדשנו means to remove its ashes. In 0. F. à discendrer. ויעיו AND ITS SHOVELS — as the Targum renders it, מגרפות, shovels by which the ashes were removed. They had the form of the lid of a pot, of thin metal, but having a handle. In old French vedil. ומזרקתיו AND ITS BOWLS, in which to receive the blood of the sacrifices. ומזלגתיו AND ITS FLESHHOOKS — These had the form of bent hooks; they stuck them forcibly into the flesh so that they penetrated it, and with them they turned the flesh over upon the coals of the fire-place in order that it might become the more quickly consumed. In old French these are called crochets and in the language of our Sages צנוריות (Yoma 12a). ומחתתיו AND ITS FIRE-PANS — These had a cavity to hold things so that the coals might be taken in them from the altar in order to carry them on to the inner altar for the incense. And because of their use for raking the coals into them (חתיה) they were called מחתות. This word is of the same root and meaning as the verb in, (Isaiah 30:14) “לחתות fire from the fire-place,” which has the meaning of drawing fire from its place. Similar is, (Proverbs 6:27) “Can a man rake (היחתה) fire into his bosom?” לכל כליו means ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF [THOU SHALT MAKE OF COPPER] (i. e. it does not mean: “thou shalt make things of copper, for (i. e. to serve as) all its vessels” but the ל is redundant; cf. Rashi on Exodus 14:28).

"The meaning of 'to remove its fat-ash' (לְדַשְּׁנוֹ)": to remove the ash from it. The word in "may He grant you (יְדַשְּׁנֶה) Selah" (Ps. 20:4) means 'may He make from it fat-ash,' the sense being that the offering be burned upon the altar and be accepted — and so it 'becomes ash.' But "it enriches the bone" (Prov. 15:30) is from the same Pi'el conjugation, yet derived from a different root — namely from "from Asher whose bread is fat (שְׁמֵנָה)" (Gen. 49:20), meaning to fatten. "Its shovels (וְיָעָיו)": like "and a hailstorm will sweep it away (וְיָעָה בָרָד)" (Isa. 28:17). "The lamed of 'for all its utensils'": it is a superfluous lamed, as in "from the day that the house of Hashem was founded (לְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּד בֵּית ה')" (Hag. 2:18).

ויעיו; shovels used to scoop up the ashes of the remains of the sacrifices offered on the altar. The ashes in turn would be placed inside the pots mentioned at the beginning of the verse. ומזרקותיו, to catch the blood which is to be sprinkled on the altar. ומזלגותיו, these forks were used by the priests to handle parts of the limbs of sacrificial animals on the altar and to turn them over and move them so that would burn up within the time limit assigned for this. (4) AND THEIR FIRE PANS. With which to rake coals, as it is written (Isa. 30:14), "to scoop coals from a brazier," and (Prov. 6:27), "can a man rake embers into his bosom."

You shall make for it a grating, a work of copper netting, and on the netting you shall make four copper rings at its four sides.

מכבר A GRATE — מכבר is an expression connected with כברה, a sieve which is called in old French crible. A kind of covering was made for the altar, constructed with many holes just like a net. The word of this verse are transposed, and its explanation is as follows: And thou shalt make for it a grate of copper, of network.

"Grating (מִכְבָּר)": like כְּבָרָה [a sieve] (cf. Amos 9). "And copper (וְנֹחֶשֶׁת)": it is in construct, as though written 'a copper grating, like the work of a net.'

מכבר, a netting; compare Amos 9,9 כאשר יגוע בכברה ולא יפול צרור ארץ, “as one shakes in a sieve and not a pebble falls to the ground.”

ועשית על הרשת, “you will construct on that network, etc.;” these rings were meant to enable the Levites to insert the staves into by which the altar would be transported, carried by the Levites. Rabbi Yechiel, pointing to a statement in the Talmud, tractate Shabbat, folio 92, raised the problem that according to the Talmud, anyone carrying a load at a level of higher than ten handbreadths (on the Sabbath) should be guilty of having committed a violation seeing that the sons of Kehat who carried the Holy Ark on their shoulders, certainly carried it more than ten handbreadths above ground level. The Talmud there proves that the rings through which the staves for carrying the Tabernacle’s furnishings were carried were attached at two thirds of the height of the respective holy vessel. The height of the Levites supposedly was eighteen handbreadths including their respective heads. It follows that anything they carried on their shoulders was already much higher than that. [Rabbi Yechiel did not refer to the Levites being guilty of carrying something in the desert, seeing that the Israelites, of course, did not travel in the desert on the Sabbath. What he questioned was that the public domain is never considered as being more than ten handbreadths above ground level, so that anyone carrying a load on the Sabbath at a level higher than ten handbreadths cannot be culpable for violating the Sabbath. Seeing that the Levites carried loads at a higher level than that, and the desert where the Israelites were was certainly considered a public domain, how could our sages have restricted the concept of “public domain” to as little as ten handbreadths above ground level. Ed.] In light of all the above, how could the Talmud have derived the limitation of the height of the concept “public domain” by using the altar as its example? The Levites’ shoulders were fifteen handbreadths high, and the part of the altar that stuck out beyond their heads was way beyond ten handbreadths above ground. We would have to say that the Talmud’s statement is to be taken as proof that the rings fastened to the network were at a level lower than two thirds of the altar and that only the upper third was above the rings, or at least no more than half its height. If so, the rule that the public domain does not extend beyond a height of then handbreadths can be used for the Sabbath, the level of the network of the altar serving as proof.

You shall place it beneath the ledge of the altar, downward, so that the netting extends to the midpoint of the altar.

כרכב המזבח THE COMPASS OF THE ALTAR — כרכב is a surround. Anything which encompasses an object all the way round is called כרכב, just as we read in the Talmudical section beginning with the words הכל שוחטין (Chullin 25a): The following come under the description of unfinished wooden vessels — all such as have still to be polished and to be rounded off (ולכרכב; i. e. making a rim by hollowing out the centre). This is similar to the practice of making rounded grooves in the boards that form the sides of chests and wooden chairs. For the altar too he made a hollowing round about — its width was a cubit — in its wall for ornamentation. It was made at the end of three cubits of its height (measuring from the top of the altar). This is according to the view of him who says (cf. v. 1): its (the altar's) height was twice its length. And if you ask how, then, can I explain the statement, “and the height thereof shall be three cubits” I reply, that this gives the measurement from the edge of the surround upwards. This surround served only as an ornamentation, but a surround for the priests to walk upon when officiating the copper altar had only on its top within its horns (running from one horn to the other). Thus we read in Treatise Zevachim 62a: What is the כרכב? The sunken space between one horn of the altar and the other, this being a cubit in width, and, from that space inward (towards the centre of the altar) a space of another cubit upon which the priests could walk right round the altar, thus making a surround two cubits in width. These two cubits were called כרכב. The criticism is there made to this definition: But is it not written, “[and thou shalt put it (the grate)] under the compass of the altar beneath” — which statement teaches us that the כרכב was on the side of the altar and not on its top since the covering formed by the grate was beneath it? Whereupon the Talmud replies (lit., the replier replies), that in fact there were two surrounds, one for ornamentation (that below) and another (on the top) for the priests that they should not slip off when walking round. The one on the side of the altar was intended for ornamentation, and beneath it they put the grate as a covering and its width reached to the middle of its (the altar’s) height, measuring this from the ground. It also served to mark the middle of its height separating the two halves of the altars side upon which were put respectively the sacrifical blood which had to be sprinkled above (on the upper part; this was the blood of a חטאת) and the blood which had to be sprinkled below (that of עולה ,שלמים and אשם). Corresponding to this there was made for the altar in the “Eternal House” (the Temple at Jerusalem) a sign consisting of a red line (Zevachim 53a; Mishnah Middot 3:1). As to the ascent (כבש — the inclined plane) upon which they went up to the top of the altar, it is true that Scripture does not expressly mention it in this section but we have it already implied in the sta...

"The word כַּרְכֹּב": it has no parallel anywhere else in Scripture.

כרכב המזבח, ledges which are common to all vessels made of wood, as our sages confirm in Chulin 25 “these are wooden vessels in their original unfinished state that are not susceptible to ritual impurity; any such vessel or instrument that is not fit for intended for scraping the scales off fish, etc.”

כרכוב המזבח, “the ledge of the altar.” Rashi comments that we have learned this from the Talmud in Zevachim, folio 62, where the question is posed: “which was the Carcov?” The answer given is that it was a ledge protruding one cubit from the wall of the altar above the mesh, running from one corner of the altar to the next and that there was a space 1 cubit wide underneath it where the priests would walk. Every corner of the altar was surrounded by this walkway one cubit high and one cubit wide, and these are what are called: “the corners of the altar.” On the other hand, the four corners of the altar on top of its platform were cubes one cubit high. The space between them, according to Rashi, was called Carcov.

כרכב. A narrow projection running about halfway up the wall of the altar. It enabled the priests to walk there and reach the upper parts of the altar. It was immediately above the netting. This expression is also used in the Talmud when discussing the ritual rulings pertaining to the sacrificial service. (Chulin 25) עד חצי המזבח, in order to make a separation between the blood which had to end up on the top of that altar, and that which would be absorbed by the netting surrounding the altar at the top of the lower half of the altar. For the sake of easy recall remember that the blood of bird offerings that were known as עולת העוף had to reach the top of the altar, whereas the blood of offerings known as חטאת העוף, sin offerings consisting of a bird, had to be sprinkled or smeared against the lower half of the altar at the netting. All these details have been spelled out in Zevachim 53.

You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with copper.

ועשית בדים למזבח, בדי עצי שטים , “you are to construct staves for the altar, staves made of shittim wood.” It would have seemed more appropriate for the Torah to write: ועשית בדים למזבח עצי שטים, without repeating the word בדים once more. Alternately, the Torah could have written: ועשית למזבח בדי עצי שטים, which would have been the shortest way to express the same instruction, just as the Torah did in connection with the ark where the Torah wrote: ועשית בדי עצי שטים. Why this peculiar wording then? It was to allude to the fact that these staves were to be extremely long-lasting (compare Kings I 8,8). There was a miracle involved in all this as our sages (Tanchuma Terumah 17) have mentioned that G’d said that “in the future these staves would be 487 years ‘long’”. The idea was that from the time of the original construction of the Tabernacle until the dedication of Solomon’s Temple 487 years later no other staves would be used to transport the altar.

Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.

בטבעת [AND THE BARS SHALL BE BROUGHT] INTO THE RINGS — into the four rings made for the grate (v. 4).

Hollow, of planks, you shall make it; as He showed you on the mountain, so shall they make it.

נבוב לחת HOLLOW WITH TABLETS — Render it as the Targum does, חליל לוחין, hollow as regards boards (לוחין is what is termed an accusative of respect): boards of shittim-wood on all sides (cf. v. 1) and a hollow space in the middle; it shall not be in its entirety a single block of wood, the thickness of which in two directions should be five cubits by five cubits — like the trunk of a tree, which has been hollowed out.

"The word נְבוּב לֻחֹת": as it is rendered in the Aramaic translation [Targum], and similarly "and a hollow (נָבוּב) man will get understanding" (Job 11:12) — meaning empty, without heart, in the manner of those who say 'a head without a brain.' Note that the laver is not mentioned here because it was not made from the donation of all Israel, but only from the donation of the women alone; therefore it is mentioned together with the passage about the spices, since those too were not brought by all Israel but only by the princes alone.

נבוב לוחות, similar to a box which has no rim around its base and no cover. כאשר הראה אותך בהר, that they were to fill the hollow inside with earth at the times they would be encamped. The fire [reserve of the wooden pile some of which was kept constantly burning. Ed.] which was to be kept going on the altar as described in Leviticus 6,6, would be based on the earth.

נבוב לוחות, “make it hollow with boards;” it was to be hollow underneath in order for it to be lighter when carrying it. These hollowed out boards were inside of the mesh on which blood would be sprinkled, occupying the lower half of the altar. When the Israelites were encamped they would fill the hollow space with earth and offer the sacrifices on top of that earth. When they would move again, the accumulated earth would fall between the boards enclosing that hollowed space and the mesh, which looked like a sieve. Each time the came to rest they would fill that hollow space up with earth again.

נבוב לוחות תעשה אותו, “you shall construct it hollow, of boards.” It was square. as the Torah had written: “it shall be square” (verse 1). The wooden boards surrounded its four sides, the inside being hollow. This is in accordance with the translation by Onkelos, חליל לוחין. The expression נבוב is found in Job 11,12 ואיש נבוב ילבב, where it means “a hollow man will get understanding.” [The author meant that as opposed to G’d man is hollow, lacks understanding at birth and has to acquire it as he grows older. Ed.] The hollow part inside the altar would be filled with earth every time the Israelites made camp in order to enable them to offer sacrifices upon it. In this way the instruction of Exodus 20,21: “you shall construct an earthen altar for Me” was fulfilled. A great miracle occurred on a regular basis on this altar. Although the fire on the altar burned around the clock, neither the wooden boards nor the copper overlay burned or melted. This was also one of the miracles mentioned in Avot 5,5 that even when it used to rain the fire on the altar where the wood was stacked would not be extinguished by the rain. It (the altar during the period when the Temples were standing) was standing in the area called עזרה, an enclosure without a roof, corresponding to the courtyard mentioned in connection with the Tabernacle. In Tanchuma Terumah 11 we find the following comment:. Moses was afraid that the fire might burn the wood of the altar. G’d reassured him, saying: “why are you afraid Moses? Who ordered fire to burn? You should learn from your own experience. When you came up to the mountain and you entered the ערפל, and you walked between rows of fire you did not get burned. Moreover, you entered My domain, and I Myself Am consuming fire (Deut. 4,24) and you remained unscathed. Similarly, the altar’s boards and covering will not be burned either.” If someone were to say that the copper overlay over the boards of the altar was so thick that no miracle was required to protect it form melting, Rabbi Nechemyah said that it was no thicker than the coin called a דינר. Rabbi Pinchas, son of Bar Chama, said that the altar constructed by Moses (Betzalel) was more beloved by G’d than that constructed for Solomon’s Temple even though Solomon’s altar was much larger, seeing that we read in Kings I 3,4 that Solomon’s altar could accommodate 1.000 burnt offerings (presumably at one time).

נבוב לוחות, hollow. We find a similar expression in Job 11,12 איש נבוב לוחות, “a hollow man, etc.” Whenever the Israelites made camp they would fill the inside of this altar with earth. Only after that would they use it to offer their sacrifices.

You shall make the courtyard of the Tabernacle: on the south side, hangings for the courtyard of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits in length for one side.

קלעים HANGINGS — made like the sails of ships, full of holes, of plaited work and not weaver’s work. The rendering in the Targum, סרדין, is the same as the rendering of מִכְבָּר, which it renders by the singular סרדא; this is because they, both the hangings and the grate, are riddled with holes like a sieve. לפאה האחת FOR ONE SIDE — the entire side (not only the corner; cf. Rashi on Exodus 26:18) is called פאה.

"And you shall make." We find it written "eastward (קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה)" (below, ch. 38), and we know that the eastern reference points are three: one corresponding to the point at the head of the constellation Capricorn, which is the furthest extent of the sun's southward course; a second corresponding to the equatorial line, which is the beginning of Aries and Libra; and a third corresponding to the head of Cancer, which is the furthest extent of the sun's northward course. Likewise, נֶגְבָּה תֵימָנָה means 'south.' "And southward (תֵימָנָה)": from the root of יָמִין [right], like 'north and south (צָפוֹן וְיָמִין) — You created them' (Ps. 89:13).

מאה באמה ועמודיו עשרים, the space between one pillar and the next including one of the pillars was 5 cubits. However, there were no 20 pillars either along the northern wall or along the southern wall of this courtyard at such intervals but the ones linking up with the east wall and the west wall had to be adjoining the ones running at 90 degree angles from them. [the careful reader will perceive that it is impossible for all the pillars to have been placed five cubits apart from both their partners on the other side, as they would then have covered a total distance of more that the 300 cubits making up the total length of the four “walls.” Ed.] וחשוקיהם, sort of bracelets attached to the pillars for decorative purposes.

ועשית את חצר המשכן לפאת נגב תימנה, “You are to construct the courtyard of the Tabernacle on the southern side, etc.” When explaining the length of the courtyard it was necessary for the Torah to mention the south side first to inform us that the hangings were 100 cubits long. The hangings opposite it to the north were of the same length. Later on, when the Torah describes the erection of the Tabernacle it also mentions the south side first followed by the north side opposite it (compare 26,18 and 26,20 respectively). Here the Torah explains that the dimensions of the courtyard were 100 by 50 cubits. The outer fifty cubits of these 100 cubits length formed the courtyard in front of the Tabernacle, whereas the inner (western) 50 cubits of that enclosure commenced at the level of the entrance of the Tabernacle so that it extended 20 cubits behind it. The width of the Tabernacle, i.e. the ten cubits were in the centre of the 50 cubits of the width of the courtyard so that there were 20 cubits of courtyard (width) on either side of the Tabernacle. (actually only 19 after allowing for the thickness of the beams forming the walls of the Tabernacle). At any rate, from the description provided in the text it is clear that it was the second half of the courtyard which “surrounded” the Tabernacle. In view of all this, it is easy to understand why the Torah first mentioned the south and the north to give us a clearer view of the length of the courtyard. When the Torah wanted to tell us the width of the courtyard it had to mention the fact that it extended in a western-easterly direction seeing that the entrance of the Tabernacle was in the middle of it. The unusual fact that the westerly direction is mentioned first is accounted for by the fact that three sides including the western side of the Tabernacle were surrounded by the hangings of the courtyard whereas the eastern end which was at least partially open was of a different character. Only the first 15 cubits on either side were an extension of the hangings of the long sides. The entrance gate to the courtyard was 20 cubits wide. When the Torah mentions all four sides of the courtyard and their hangings, it makes sense that seeing the eastern side was incomplete it should have been mentioned last, although generally speaking the Torah mentions east before west. The sequence followed by the Torah here is that first the two longest sides are mentioned followed by the western side which was still made up of an uninterrupted length of 50 cubits of these hangings, whereas the eastern side which had much shorter hangings on either the northern or the southern side was mentioned last. Whenever the Torah lists the directions, the sequence is: east, west, north, south. One of the reasons why south is sometimes mentioned last is the fact that the south is relatively uninhabited due to its being very hot. The principle of listing the four major directions in a certain order is taken from Job 23, 8-9. We read there: “But if I go East- He is not there; West- I still do not perceive Him; North- since He is concealed I do not see Him; South-He is hidden and I cannot see Him.” Job mentioned south last for the aforementioned reason. In our verses here the fact that it was less likely to find whoever one is looking for in the sparsely inhabited south is irrelevant. We are assumed to be facing east unless the Torah mentions otherwise. [The encampments of the Israelites around the Tabernacle in Numbers on the other hand follows a circular pattern beginning with east, followed by south, followed by west ending with north. Ed.]. Someone facing east has the south on his right. Seeing that in our instance it did not make sense to begin with the east seeing that the east was a broken sequence of hangings, the Torah mentioned south first. Once it had mentioned south, the opposite, i.e. north, follows next. This was logically followed by west as east had to be last. The true sequence of the directions in our terrestrial world differs from the sequence in the celestial regions. In the celestial regions the sequence is: south-north-west-east, whereas in our terrestrial world the customary sequence is east-west-north-south. I have already mentioned the subject of the sequence of this matter in connection with 26,28. The hangings discussed in our verses were sort of netting providing a kind of wall around the courtyard.

קלעים. According to Menachem these are curtains of sorts. They constituted a second division, separation between domains of different levels of sanctity. This word also occurs in this sense in Kings I 6,32 וקלע עליהם מקלעות כרובים, where it describes carvings of figurines in wood. Also in verse 18 of the same chapter in Kings we have the line מקלעת פקעים where it also means “carvings of gourds and calyxes.” I believe that the Torah tells us that the hanging curtains forming the outer wall of the courtyard also had figurines woven into their texture.

Its pillars shall be twenty and their sockets twenty, of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.

ועמדיו עשרים AND TWENTY COLUMNS THEREOF — There was a space of five cubits between one column and the other ואדניהם AND THE SOCKETS of the columns SHALL BE OF COPPER (i. e. the word נחשת is to be connected only with the preceding word ואדניהם, not with ועמדיו at the beginning of the verse). The sockets rested on the ground and the columns were inserted in them. There was made a kind of rail which is called pals in old French, six handbreadths by three, and a copper ring was fixed in its centre. They folded the upper edge of the curtaining round it (round each rail) by cords at the places where the curtaining came opposite each column and they hung the rail by its ring on the hook which was on the column and which was made like the letter ו — one of its ends being bent upward and the other end being driven into the column, like those hooks which are made to fix doors upon them, and which are called in old French gonds. Thus the width of curtain was hanging down and this width formed the height of the walls of the court. ווי העמדים are the hooks already mentioned. וחשקיהם AND THEIR FILLETS — The columns were encircled with silver threads. I do not know, however, whether this was done over their whole surface or at the top only or round the middle only, but I do know that חשוק denotes “tied on”, for we find in the account of the concubine of Gibeah (Judges 19:10): “there were with him a couple of asses saddled (חבושים lit., bound)” which latter word the Targum renders by חשוקים.

"The word חֲשֻׁקֵיהֶם": their fastenings, for the hooks (וָוִים) cleave to the pillars — just as "his soul cleaved (וַתִּדְבַּק נַפְשׁוֹ)" (Gen. 34:3) corresponds in meaning to "his soul desired (חָשְׁקָה נַפְשׁוֹ)."

ועמודיו עשרים, “and its pillars shall be twenty 20.”Our author wonders why Rashi does not mention howmany pillars there were in the courtyard. [I suppose the author refers to the Torah not mentioning the number of pillars in the eastern section of the courtyard, as the Torah gave us the numbers for the other three sides. Ed.]

ועמודיו עשרים, “and its pillars twenty.” The Torah fails to mention the raw material these pillars were made of. Presumably, we are to deduce this by comparing them to other pillars, such as the ones at the entrance to the Sanctuary, and the pillars that supported the dividing curtain. These were all made from acacia wood, expressly stated. (26,32) Also the fact that these pillars were overlaid with silver is not mentioned here, although it is mentioned in Parshat Vayakhel, (36,36)

וחשוקיהם מוקפים כסף. The raw material that the bands consisted of matched that of the hooks, i.e. silver.

And likewise on the north side in length: hangings one hundred cubits in length, and its pillars twenty and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.

וכן לפאת צפון וגו׳, “and likewise on the northern side;” the word: עמדו in this verse is spelled without the customary letter י before the letter ו.

The width of the courtyard on the west side: hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten.

"And the width." The width here is half the length. The commentators said that the Tabernacle was placed at a distance of fifty cubits on the western side, and its width was therefore fifty — and this is the meaning of 'width fifty by fifty.' In my view, the meaning is that because of the great length, the corners stand upright, for its width on each side is fifty; and there is no reason to interpret 'fifty by fifty' as referring to the side of the courtyard, for the length is not double the width as is the usual proportion.

עמודיהם עשרה. One such pillar which had been placed five cubits apart from the next one; the hooks were attached to them so as to hold up the curtains.

The width of the courtyard on the east side, toward the sunrise, fifty cubits.

לפאת קדמה מזרחה ON THE EAST SIDE EASTWARDS — The last two words are the same as פני המזרח. The word הדם is synonymous with פנים, the face (the front side of any thing), and אחור is the same term as אֲחוֹרַיִם, the buttocks, the back-side. The East is therefore called קדם because it is the front part of the world; correspondingly, the West is called אחור, the back part of the world just as you speak of (Deuteronomy 11:24) הים האחרון the Hinder Sea, which the Targum renders by “the Western Sea.” חמשים אמה FIFTY CUBITS — These fifty cubits were not all filled in with curtaining, because the entrance was there; there were only fifteen cubits of curtaining at the side of the entrance in the one direction, similarly on the other side thereof. Thus there was left the width of the open space at the entrance consisting of 20 cubits between (between the two lengths of curtaining to the right and left of the entrance). This is what is meant by: (v. 16) “and for the gate of the enclosure a veil of twenty cubits” — a veil serving as a screen for the entrance, twenty cubits long, equal to the breadth of the entrance.

And fifteen cubits of hangings on one flank, their pillars three and their sockets three.

עמדיהם שלשה THEIR COLUMNS THREE — There were five cubits space between one column and another column: between the column at the end of the southern row, standing at the southeast corner, to the first column which was one of the three in the east there were five cubits; from that to the second, five cubits, and from the second to the third, five cubits. It was similar at the other side of the entrance. And four columns for the screen are mentioned here, so that you have ten columns for the east corresponding to the ten columns in the west side (v. 12).

וחמש עשרה אמה קלעים לכתף, in the easterly direction of the courtyards, an area that was 50 cubits wide. Allowing for the width of the Tabernacle of 20 cubits, this left 15 cubits of empty space on either side between the structure and the curtains enclosing the courtyard. It follows that a width of 50 cubits was enclosed in the sense that outsiders could not look beyond these curtains. [according to several opinions (both in Eyruvin 2 and in Zevachim) the measurement given here for the height of the curtains, i.e. 5 cubits, refers only to the height over and above the height of the copper altar, which itself was 10 cubits, so that the overall height of these curtains was 15 cubits. Ed.]

And on the second flank, fifteen cubits of hangings, their pillars three and their sockets three.

And for the gate of the courtyard, a screen of twenty cubits of blue, and purple, and crimson dye, and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer; their pillars four and their sockets four.

עמודיהם ארבעה, “the number of their pillars to be four.” In the open space of the entrance to the courtyard in the east, there were only three pillars. However, when speaking of the total number of pillars on the 50 cubits of the eastern side of it there were a total of 11 pillars. When you deduct one pillar each for the north eastern corner or the south eastern corner, whichever you prefer, you are left with ten open spaces for that side, each separated by an open space one cubit wide between each of these pillars. This system continued all the way around the Tabernacle. Eventually, you were left with four empty air spaces and four pillars for the twenty cubits width of the entrance to the courtyard.

All the pillars of the courtyard round about shall be banded with silver; their hooks of silver and their sockets of copper.

כל עמודי החצר סביב וגו׳ ALL THE COLUMNS ROUND ABOUT THE ENCLOSURE etc. — Because Scripture expressly mentioned hooks and fillets and copper sockets in connection only with the north and the south, and with regard to the east and the west there is no mention of hooks and fillets and copper sockets (cf. vv. 14, 15, where there is indeed mention of sockets but it is not stated that they should be of copper), therefore Scripture now comes and gives directions that the sockets of all the pillars that are round about should be of copper.

כל עמודי החצר סביב מחושקים כסף, “all the pillars of the courtyard were to be banded with silver. Seeing that these pillars had not been plated with silver as the pillars inside the Tabernacle, they had to be fitted with silver bands (as around wooden caskets for beer or whisky) so that their wood would not crack during sandstorms.

The length of the courtyard shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty by fifty, and the height five cubits, of fine twisted linen; and their sockets of copper.

ארך החצר THE LENGTH OF THE ENCLOSURE — i. e. its north and south sides which run from east to west, SHALL BE A HUNDRED CUBITS. ורחב חמשים בחמשים AND THE BREADTH FIFTY EVERYWHERE — The part of the enclosure in the east side was a square of fifty by fifty cubits, for the Tabernacle was thirty cubits long and 10 cubits wide. Its entrance was placed in the east at the end of the outer fifty cubits of the length of the enclosure; consequently it (the Tabernacle) was entirely within the inner (the western) fifty cubits and its length finished up at the end of another thirty cubits (thus using up eighty cubits in the middle of the length of the enclosure); it followed therefore that it had a space of twenty cubits behind, between the hangings of the enclosure in the west and the curtains of the back of the Tabernacle. The breadth of the Tabernacle was using up ten cubits in the middle of the breadth of the enclosure; thus it had a space of twenty cubits on the north and on the south between the hangings of the enclosure and the curtains of the Tabernacle and there was a similar space in the west, as shown above, whilst fifty by fifty was the court in front of it (cf. Eruvin 23b). וקמה חמש אמות AND THE HEIGHT FIVE CUBITS — The height of the partitions of the enclosure was five cubits and this was formed by the breadth of the curtaining. ואדניהם נחשת AND THEIR SOCKETS OF COPPER — This statement is intended to include the sockets of the screen — that you should not say: sockets of copper are prescribed only for the columns of the curtaining (v. 17), but the sockets of the screen which are not stated to be of copper (v. 16) may be of another material; this, it appears to me, is the reason why Scripture repeats these words after having used them in v. 17.

חמש אמות, "five cubits high, etc." Please refer to what I have written about this in connection with 25,9 on the words וכן תעשו.

ורוחב חמשים בחמשים, “and the width to be fifty cubits throughout;” not literally 50, but 50 cubits from the north to the south, and 49 cubits from the east to the west side of the Tabernacle. The length of the Tabernacle was 30 cubits on the inside, i.e. 32 cubits on the outside. Likewise the width of the Tabernacle which was 10 cubits on the inside, was 12 cubits wide on the outside. The Tabernacle was erected with its length running parallel to the length of the hangings serving as the walls of the courtyard. Seeing that it was positioned in the center of the width of the courtyard and the hangings and their supporting pillars took up at least half a cubic each, there could not have been more than 49 cubits of open airspace for the width left even for the sections not occupied by the Tabernacle itself inside of it. The western section, after deducting the space occupied by the Tabernacle, would not have been more than 19 cubits of open space by 50 cubits, whereas if the space on either side of the Tabernacle was measured from east to west it would have been 100 cubits by 19 cubits of unimpeded space, on either side of the Tabernacle. וקומה חמש אמות שש משזר ואדניהם נחושת, “and its height five cubits of fine twisted linen and their sockets to be of copper.” According to the plain meaning of the text, this phrase has to be understood as follows: the height of the walls of cloth of the courtyard, the “dividers” from less sacred ground around it, are to be five cubits high; this is in addition to the height of the copper sockets of the pillars. In other words, the total height of this mechitzah, “hanging divider,” was to be six cubits. This is based on the assumption that sockets were usually one cubit in height. In the Talmud, tractate Zevachim folio 59, we are told about the width of these hangings, that they were 15 cubits high. How do we reconcile these two statements? The Talmud answers that the height of five cubits mentioned in the Torah refers to how much higher these hangings were than the highest point of the altar which was 10 cubits high. This would in agreement of the opinion of Rabbi Yossi, who said that the height of the altar was twice its width. (verse 1 in our chapter.)

ורוחב חמישים בחמישים, how so? The overall length of the courtyard was 100 cubits stretching from east to west, both to the north and the south of the Tabernacle itself. The courtyard was 50 cubits wide when viewed from north to south. The Tabernacle itself was 30 cubits long and 10 cubits wide. Moses erected the Tabernacle not in the center of the courtyard but in the western half of the courtyard, so that the approach to the Tabernacle beginning with the easterly entrance to the courtyard occupied an area of 50 cubits square. The Tabernacle itself was surrounded on the other three sides by 20 cubits of free space, i.e. both to the north, the south and to the west, seeing that it was only 30 cubits long.

וקומה חמש אמות, “and it height five cubits” (15 handbreadths). In other words the height of the hangings was five cubits (30 handbreadths). If you accept the opinion of the scholar (Talmud, tractate Z’vachim folio 60) who claims that the altar was ten cubits (60 handbreadths) high, the priests performing the service in the Temple Compound on the copper altar were visible to anyone beyond these hangings. [What were the hangings needed for then? Ed] We would have to answer that the height given by the Torah for these hangings was not measured from the ground up, but from the ledge of the altar, so that overall it was fifteen cubits high. Rabbi Yitzchok, son of Avraham posed a different question: If, as according to the plain meaning of our text, the hangings were only five cubits high, even the entrance gate to Solomon’s Temple was five cubits higher than these hangings, and what purpose would they serve? He concluded therefore that whereas the hangings to the south and north of the entrance gate were indeed fifteen cubits high, i.e. five cubits higher that the hangings on the other sides of the Tabernacle. In other words, their total height was twenty cubits. The entrance gate was also twenty cubits high.

All the vessels of the Tabernacle for all its service, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard, shall be of copper.

לכל כלי המשכן ALL THE VESSELS OF THE TABERNACLE that were necessary for erecting it and for taking it down as, for instance, hammers to drive in the pegs and the columns. יתדת PEGS — a kind of copper nail made for the curtains of the אהל (the second layer of curtain over the top) and for the hangings of the enclosure, fastened to these by cords all the way round them on their lower edge in order that the wind should not lift them up. I do not know for certain whether they were stuck in the ground or whether they were merely tied to the edges and hung down, their weight loading the edges of the curtains that they should not move about in the wind. But I would say that their name (i. e. the name given here to these pieces of metal) shows that they were stuck in the ground, and for that reason they are here called יתדת. The following verse supports me in my opinion: (Isaiah 33:20) “A tent that shall not be taken down; its stakes (יתדותיו) shall never be plucked up.”.

"For all (לְכֹל)": the meaning is 'for all the utensils of the Tabernacle' — all the utensils that serve the needs of the Tabernacle — and the pegs of the Tent and the pegs of the Courtyard are of copper, and so too the mallets.

לכל כלי המשכן לכל עבודתו, the vessels, tools needed to perform all the service connected with the Tabernacle.

וכל יתדותיו, “and all its pegs,” at the time when the Tabernacle had first been erected, the carpets which formed its roof were fastened to the surrounding earth by tentpegs, the other end of which had been fastened to the edges of these carpets. The carpets had to be stretched taut so that they would not fall into the hollow airspace of the Tabernacle due to their weight. Although this has not been spelled out, we may use as support for our assumption what we read in Isaiah 33,20: אהל בל יצען ובל יסע יתדותיו לנצח, “a tent not to be transported whose pegs shall never be pulled up.

יתידותיו, which were tied to the curtains forming the wall of the courtyard. These pegs were driven into the ground so that the curtains would not be in constant motion, fluttering at their base due to the prevailing winds.

And you shall command the children of Israel that they take for you pure pressed olive oil for lighting, to keep the lamps burning continually.

ואתה תצוה ... זך CLEAR — without lees; and this was effected not by straining the oil but as we learn in Treatise Menachoth 86a “He lets it (the olive) ripen on the top of the olive-tree etc.” כתית BEATEN — he pounds the olives in a mortar and must not grind them in a mill, so that there may be no lees; and after he has thus extracted the first drop of oil he may bring them into the mill and grind them. The second oil (that obtained by grinding) is unfitted for use in the candelabrum but is permissible for the meal-offerings (which had to be mingled with oil) since it is said here, “Beaten for the light”, and hence it is not essential that it should be beaten for the meal-offerings (Menachot 86a; cf. Rashi on Exodus 29:40). להעלות נר תמיד TO CAUSE THE LIGHT TO BURN (lit., to ascend) CONTINUALLY — he must enkindle it until the flame ascends by itself (Shabbat 21a). תמיד CONTINUALLY — doing something every night, as is described here, may be termed תמיד, continually, just as you speak of (Numbers 27:6) “The continual (תמיד) burnt-offering”, although this was sacrificed only from day to day. So, too, in the case of the meal-offering made in a flat pan it is said, (Leviticus 6:13) that it should be brought continually (תמיד) and yet it was only brought thus: “Half of it in the morning, and half of it at evening”. However, the expression תמיד which is used in connection with the show-bread (Exodus 25:30) denotes the whole period without a break from Sabbath to Sabbath).

Scripture states here, and thou shalt command [and does not say, “command the children of Israel”], because He always said with reference to the Tabernacle and thou shalt make, which means by your command [i.e., “you Moses command them to do it”]. Therefore He said here “and you yourself command them that they bring to you the oil for the light.” [It says that they bring and not “that they make”] because they had no way of making the oil in the wilderness; [therefore they were told] to bring it if they had it in reserve. Actually it were the princes that brought it. The meaning of the word eilecha (unto thee) — [that they bring ‘unto thee’ pure olive oil] is that they were to bring it to Moses and he would see if it was pure and beaten properly. A similar intent is present in the verse, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee [pure olive oil beaten for the light]. The meaning of the expression of the children of Israel, is that they bring you the oil from the children of Israel, from whoever has it in his possession, just as He said, of every man whose heart maketh him willing. Similarly He said, And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, meaning that you yourself are to call them and give them the tidings of this distinction. And thou shalt make them holy garments means by commanding the wise men who wrought the work as was done with all the work of this pattern. Likewise, And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted means that Moses himself is to speak to them, for he will recognize their qualifications and know which is the work that ought to be given over to each of them. Now because He said, And bring thou near; And thou shalt make, it was necessary that He explain, And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted […that they make Aaron’s garments], for it was by the command of Moses that they were to make the garments, as was the case with the rest of the work of which it is said, See, I have called by name Bezalel etc. TO CAUSE A LAMP TO BURN ‘TAMID’ (CONTINUALLY). “Doing something each and every night is called tamid (continually), just as you say, olath tamid (a continual burnt-offering) and yet it was brought only from day to day. Similarly in the case of the meal-offering made on the griddle [brought every day by the High Priest] it is said tamid, and yet it was brought only half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening. However, the word tamid used in connection with the showbread signifies [the whole period without interruption] from Sabbath to Sabbath.” Thus is Rashi’s language. But the Midrash [interpretation] of our Rabbis is not so. Instead they taught in the Sifre as follows: “The seven lamps shall give light. I might think that they are to burn always; Scripture therefore says, from evening to morning. I might then think that they are to burn from evening to morning and then he is to extinguish them; Scripture therefore says, the seven lamps shall give lig...

To know truth, if your heart desires — / look at every body in its glorious dwelling; / and the Urim and Tummim — their secret I will reveal, / in secret, in order, in 'And you shall command.' "And you shall command (וְאַתָּה תְצַוֶּה)." I will first explain the connection of this passage to what precedes it. Having completed the account of all the sacred vessels — the Parokhet, the Tabernacle, the Tent, the covering, the altar of burnt-offering, the courtyard, and the screen — Scripture now begins to explain who the ministers of the Tabernacle are, and what their service itself involves with none but they in attendance. It begins with the requirement to kindle the lamps with olive oil, not with any foreign oil. These ministers must be distinguished and set apart by their lineage and by their garments; and Scripture mentions one after the other. After that it mentions that they are obligated to be instructed during the seven days of investiture, in which Moses would instruct them and accustom them. After that they would serve and offer the daily burnt-offerings upon the altar of burnt-offering — not upon the golden altar, upon which they would only burn incense and make atonement on its horns once a year. The meaning of "and you shall command": this is a permanent commandment upon the community to supply olive oil continually so as to kindle a perpetual light. Do not be perplexed by the oil that the princes brought, for that was the anointing oil; the oil for the light is the community's obligation. There is a custom in places where olives grow to select the clear olive — meaning the berries that have no rot, or whose flesh has not been partially eaten — and from these to make oil for the food of kings. It is for this reason that Scripture mentions "pure" before "beaten": "Pure, beaten" — for the light, for the sake of the illumination at night. "To kindle (לְהַעֲלוֹת)": to light the lamps; whereas regarding Solomon's menorah it is written "to light them according to the ordinance" (2 Chr. 4:20). The meaning of "continually (תָּמִיד)": every night. There is a use of the word תָּמִיד that is stronger than this one: "it shall be upon his forehead continually (תָּמִיד)" (below 28:38) — meaning that whenever the turban is placed upon his head, the sacred diadem must be placed upon it as well.

ואתה תצוה, If, prior to this admonition, the Torah introduced its instructions with the words ועשית, “you will do, etc.,” the meaning had been that Moses was not to do this personally, but that he was to delegate the tasks in question. The formulation ואתה, however, means: “and you personally.” He, personally, was to issue instructions to the Israelites concerning providing the oil for the Menorah. He, personally, was to assemble Aaron and his sons and to address all the חכמי לב, “wise-hearted people.” (28,1 and 28,3) ויקחו אליך, as the need would arise in the future, after the Tabernacle had been completed. The people should not think that donating oil for the Menorah now was the only time that this commandment would be actual. It would have to be replaced from time to time as the supply kept would become depleted on an ongoing basis.

ואתה תצוה, "And you shall command, etc." We need to explore why the Torah had to write the words "and you," seeing G'd had been speaking to Moses continuously; He had not spoken to anyone since He commenced chapter 25. Moreover, why did the Torah write תצוה instead of merely צו (as in Leviticus 6,2). Why did G'd employ an imperative altogether? Our sages in Torat Kohanim at the end of Parshat Emor have written a number of commentaries about this, such as that the word צו is employed when performance of the commandment involves a financial outlay by the person who is to fulfil the commandment. Perhaps another reason is the very fact that lighting lamps in a Sanctuary which is supposed to be the source of our enlightenment seemed quite inappropriate. The Torah had to tell Moses that such considerations not withstanding, Aaron was to light the lamps on the Lampstand. This commandment was not given to Israel by G'd, for the reason I have just mentioned, but Moses himself (in his own name) should proceed to instruct the Israelites as a sign that they should honour the Lampstand by providing the oil to light its lamps. By saying to Moses ואתה, G'd hinted that the directive was to appear as if it had emanated from Moses rather than from G'd. By telling Moses to "command" the Israelites rather than merely to "speak" to them as was the norm, this served to make the matter more urgent in their eyes. Had G'd used the normal form of address the Israelites would not have felt especially urgent about this directive. G'd meant for Moses to add his own exhortation to that of G'd. The expression תצוה rather than צו was meant to make the directive appear as having emanated from Moses rather than from G'd Himself. G'd mentioned to Moses that although the directive was phrased as תצוה, and not as תדבר, and this was to convey the impression that it emanated from him, this was no reason to treat it more lightly than if it had appeared to emanate from G'd Himself. Using the root צו rather than the root דבר was meant to ensure that the people would relate to this commandment with urgency, eagerly. The combination of the use of the root צו on the one hand and the future tense as expressed by תצוה rather than the imperative צו, were meant to achieve that the donations for the oil should be motivated by the desire of the donors to honour the Tabernacle, i.e. to honour G'd. At the same time the fact that the directive appeared to emanate from Moses rather than from G'd was not to result in it being considered as an unimportant command. Perhaps the words: "and they shall take to you (pure olive oil)," are an expression of the nature of this commandment, i.e. that the people should feel they bring it to Moses, personally, not to Moses in his capacity as G'd's representative. Furthermore, seeing that when G'd had commanded all matters concerning construction of the Tabernacle He had always used direct speech, i.e. He told Moses: "you shall do, etc.," and had thereby involv...

.ואתה תצוה “and you are to command;” after G-d had completed giving Moses the instructions about all the work pertaining to the Tabernacle, He informed him how to ensure that it would be illuminated inside, [seeing that it did not have any windows. Ed.] This is similar to how He had proceeded when He created the universe. He created the sun and moon only after the earth had already produced vegetation on the third day. (Compare Genesis 1,111,14.) The commandment mentioned here became effective only in Numbers 8,1. How are we therefore to understand our verse here? G-d instructed Moses that when the time is ripe, after the Tabernacle has been constructed, the people should supply him with the appropriate kind of oil for lighting the lamps on the candlestick. תצוה את בני ישראל, “you are to command the Children of Israel;” we note that G-d used a different word for instructing Moses here as the command would not have to be carried out immediately but only some time in the future, seeing that it was still seven months before the Tabernacle would become operational. ויקחו אליך, “they will bring to you;” in order that you will be able to see inside the Tabernacle when you enter it and when you wish to leave it. The point G-d is making is that it is not He for Whom the lamps of the candlestick have to be lit. The best proof for this is that the candlestick stood in the Sanctuary, not in the Holy of Holies from which it was separated by a heavy curtain, the latter being in absolute darkness. Not only that, but at the beginning of the chapters dealing with the Tabernacle, G-d had said: “they shall donate a contribution for Me,” whereas here this contribution was to be for Moses. שמן זית כתית, “clear oil of beaten olives.” Seeing that in Exodus 25,2, the Torah had described that oil as simply “for illumination,” without specifying details, this had to be stated now that activities inside the Tabernacle which had no windows are discussed. Rashi adds that this oil was to be completely free from any residues. According to the author, Rashi also discusses the collection of individual grains of olives being permissible for profane use as long as they had not ripened. [My sources claim that they have been unable to find such a Rashi. He also claims that the olives on the top of the tree are the first ones to ripen. Ed.]

שמן וקטרת ישמח לב ומתק רעהו מעצת נפש, “Oil and incense gladden the heart; the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel” (Proverbs 27,9). In this verse Solomon warns man to have pity on the stranger who has been exiled from his birthplace and from his homeland. Seeing that the Torah has already warned us on numerous occasions not to take unfair advantage of aliens neither with words nor with money, as is written in (Exodus 22,20 as well as 23,9), Solomon adds some additional dimension to this legislation. When meeting people who have been uprooted from their homeland and families we owe such people that we 1) provide them with the physical requirements such as food, clothing and lodging, as well as 2) to help their mental state by treating them in a friendly manner. Solomon uses the verse preceding the one we have quoted to compare wandering birds to wandering, homeless strangers. A person who had to leave his home environment is compared to a bird which had to leave its nest. The simile of “oil and incense” used by Solomon in Proverbs refers to the physical sustenance we have to give to strangers, while the simile of “sweetness of a friend” represents the friendly attitude we are to display towards the stranger. This is to be augmented by friendly encouraging words on our part. One should not merely flatter the stranger by paying lip-service to these warnings but to be genuinely concerned about the stranger integrating in his new home. The words “better than one’s own counsel,” reflect Solomon’s comparison between physical sustenance and words of encouragement. He considers the latter as even more important than the former. Our sages in Ketuvot 111 state that he who “shows the white of his teeth” i.e. smiles at him, has done a better service (to the stranger) than the one who fed him milk to drink. The statement is based on Genesis 49,12: “his teeth are whiter than milk.” The sages play on these words, saying: “do not merely read them as ולבן שנים but as ולבון שנים, ‘and the white colour of teeth.’” This sentiment has been echoed by Isaiah 58,7 who compares fasting with performing loving deeds and says that sharing one’s bread with the hungry impresses the Lord more than the kind of piety such as fasting which is not accompanied by good deeds. In Isaiah’s opinion that verse reflects what Solomon meant by שמן וקטרת, supplying the needy with physical needs and comforts. Isaiah continues in the same chapter verse 10, saying: “and to offer your compassion to the hungry.” He meant that merely offering to alleviate his physical hunger is not enough. This is what Solomon meant when he spoke about מתק רעהו. A Midrashic approach to the words: “oil and incense gladden the heart.” The oil of the Menorah was kindled, i.e. “offered” close to the time of the incense being offered as we know from 30,8: “and Aaron shall burn it at twilight when he lights the lamps, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout the ages.” This is something which gladdens the heart of G’d. Our sages in Tanchuma Nasso 11 elaborate that just as the Torah mentioned G’d‘s joy (satisfaction) after He reviewed His handiwork as described in Psalms 104,31 “may the glory of the Lord endure forever; may He continue to rejoice in His works,” so He would rejoice when the Israelites perform the incense offering and the burning of the oil in the Menorah. Solomon described this joy of G’d in the words: “oil and incense gladden (His) heart.” We have learned repeatedly that the whole construction of the Tabernacle and all that belongs to it was considered by G’d as equivalent to a re-enactment of the work of creation on a minuscule scale. If G’d rejoiced on the occasion of the completion of His universe, He surely also rejoiced when the Tabernacle reflected all His instructions. Just as at the end of creation G’d created man in order to administer the earth on His behalf, so, at the end of the building of the Tabernacle, G’d appointed Aaron as High Priest, to perform all the tasks which were part of the service in the Tabernacle ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of this Sanctuary. Seeing that the Shechinah was constantly residing over the Tabernacle as a result of the incense offering, Solomon referred to oil and incense in the verse we quoted at the opening of our commentary. You are also aware that the reason the incense offering is known as קטרת is that its fragrance attaches itself to the various attributes (character traits) and when these attributes rejoice this elevates the person offering the incense to an even higher spiritual level. Also, this joy increases further through the bounty of G’d which man (the inhabitants of earth) receives. The oil which was being offered at about the same time as the incense was made from olives seeing that the olive is the symbol of what provides light in our world. This is a mystical dimension of Genesis 8,11 that “when the dove returned to the ark it had a leaf of an olive tree in its beak.” This is the reason that only olive oil had to be used to burn in the lamps of the Menorah. ואתה תצוה את בני ישראל ויקחו אליך שמן זית זך כתית למאור להעלות נר תמיד, “As for you, you are to command the Children of Israel that they take for you pure, pressed olive oil for illumination, to kindle the lamp to burn constantly.” The words “they shall take for you,” mean that this instruction even applied immediately. It was necessary to write these words as we might have misunderstood, seeing that at the end of verse 21 this commandment is described as חקת עולם, “an ongoing statute,” not subject to change or relaxation. The Torah mentioned the words “olive oil” to exclude any other kind of oil. The reason the Torah specifies the grade of olive oil, i.e. זית זך, was to let us know it was to be from the first part of the oil extracted from the olives. The word כתית, pressed, was to tell us that the olives were to be squeezed, i.e. crushed, to extract the oil. Any oil which simply oozed out of the olives without their having been crushed first was not acceptable. The word למאור, “for illumination,” indicates that only for illumination did all the aforementioned restrictions apply. The olive oil used in the preparation of certain Minchah-offerings did not have to conform to similarly stringent conditions. The second category of oil, the one which is one grade below that of oil fit for the Tabernacle/Temple was good enough for the offerings. Normally, people who possess two different qualities of oil, use the inferior type for burning in lamps and the superior kind for their food. (Tanchuma Tetzaveh 6). In this instance, the Torah legislates exactly the reverse. A Midrash points out that the numerical value of the word כתית is 830, suggesting the combined number of years that the first and second Temples were standing, i.e. 410 and 420 years respectively, in that order. Strangely, that Midrash alludes only to the existence of two Temples. Why is there no reference to a third Temple? Perhaps the Midrash was concerned only with the Temples whose function was limited in time, whereas the third Temple which will endure indefinitely did not concern the author as the word כתית, another word for “destroyed,” most certainly would not apply to the third Temple. Perhaps the third Temple is alluded to in the word למאור, “as illumination,” seeing that the redemption and what follows have been characterised by the prophet Isaiah 60,1 as אור, light, when he wrote: “Arise, shine, for your light has dawned, etc.” There are more such verses such as Psalms 27,1: “G’d is my light and my salvation,” or Psalms 118,27: “the Lord is G’d and He lights up for me.” These verses are implied assurances that there will be a third Temple and that it will endure. The words להעלות נר, are sort of a headline. The word נר means “lamps” (pl.) just as when Yaakov told Esau that he had acquired שור וחמור (Genesis 32,6) he did not mean that he had acquired only one of each, but that he had made acquisitions of these respective species of domestic animals. We find a similar use of the “singular” אשה, in Judges 21,16, where the words כי נשמדה מבנימין אשה do not mean that “a woman of the tribe of Benjamin had been killed,” but that ”all the women of Benjamin had been destroyed.” Similarly here; the Torah means that there must never be a time when not at least a single light burns in the Tabernacle. Anyone who thinks in terms of the “eternal flame,” errs. An alternative meaning of the word נר תמיד could be that it is indeed a reference to what is known in Talmudic parlance as the נר מערבי, the “western light,” the one lamp out of the seven on the Menorah which was kept burning around the clock and was never allowed to be out except when its wick or its oil were being replaced. It was the light in the centre of the Menorah, hence its name as the “western” light. All the other lamps faced either north or south, only this light pointed straight up. A Midrashic approach (based on Tanchuma Tetzaveh 2): the words להעלות נר תמיד are reminiscent of Job 14,15: “You would call and I would answer You; You would yearn for (the deeds of) Your handiwork;” for it is written (Isaiah 46,4) “I was the Maker, and I will be the Bearer; and I will carry and rescue you.” The meaning of our verse is that Moses is to command the sons of Kehat to carry the furnishings of the Tabernacle on their shoulders as we have read in Numbers 7,9. The service of these Levites reflects a response to what G’d had done for the Jewish people. Similarly, seeing that G’d provides man with food and all his needs, the priests by offering the sacrifices described by G’d as קרבני לחמי, “My offering, My bread,” reflect the appropriate response by man in recognition of what G’d had done for him. Seeing that G’d provides light for the entire universe, it is no more than fair that man, i.e. the High Priest, light the Menorah as an appropriate response. This is what Job meant when he described G’d as: “yearning for your deeds (the deeds of His creatures).” G’d responded: “Do not think that My ‘yearning’ reflects My need for your deeds,” I certainly do not need light supplied by mortal human beings seeing it is I Who supplies light for the entire cosmos. My purpose in commanding these laws is to enable you to elevate yourselves and to acquire merits.” Furthermore, Rabbi Meir is quoted as saying that G’d says: “the lights which Aaron is kindling are very beloved of Me, more so even than the ones which I have set up in heaven.” The reason for this is that at the time when the princes offered their respective offerings at the inauguration of the Tabernacle the tribe of Levi had not been assigned participation in that procedure and Aaron felt quite saddened at this. G’d told him that he would be given the task of doing much more in the Tabernacle than the princes had done. They had offered an offering once, entering the holy precincts; Aaron, on the other hand, would be allowed to perform service in the Tabernacle every single day. This is the meaning of the verse in Psalms 10,17: “You have responded to the yearnings of the humble,” as well as the meaning of the words: “outside the dividing curtain in front of the Testimony he and his sons shall arrange them (the lights).” Thus far the Midrash. This was also an allusion to the lights rekindled by the Hasmoneans in the Temple. If so, this accounts for the words “from evening to morning a permanent statute” in our paragraph applying both in the immediate present and in the distant future.

And you shall command the children of Israel, etc. One must analyze what is meant by And you shall command with two uses of the second person. It should have said “And you command.” Also, the word And you is entirely superfluous, as it should have said “Command the children of Israel,” for this is the language used in the portion of Emor (24:2) regarding these lamps. And what the Ramban wrote, saying that [God] insisted that this not be done through a messenger, etc., nevertheless, this itself is a question [difficult]: why was He particular about this commandment more than all other commandments? And similarly, nearby it says And you shall speak — there too the matter requires explanation. Furthermore, the commentators have asked what this commandment is doing here, as its main place should be after the construction of the Tabernacle and the placement of the Menorah. And Rabbi Isaac Abarbanel explained that the main commandment is in the portion of Emor, and here it says tetzaveh [you shall command], meaning “you will in the future command the children of Israel, etc.” But according to his words, this entire verse is superfluous, for what did He tell him with this that he will eventually command? And what will the rabbi do with the verse And you shall speak that appears nearby? And furthermore, it is difficult: to kindle a lamp continually — it should have said “lamps” since there were seven. And furthermore, they only burned from evening until morning, so why did it say continually? And furthermore, in saying in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is over the Testimony — all this lengthy description of the location seems unnecessary, for it should have said “he shall arrange it on the Menorah,” and we already know where the Menorah is located. And here only one lamp is mentioned, while in the portion of Emor it says he shall arrange the lamps. Additionally, here it says in the Tent of Meeting and afterward outside the curtain, while in the portion of Emor the order is reversed, as it first says outside the curtain, and afterward in the Tent of Meeting. And here it says outside the curtain that is over the Testimony, while there it says outside the curtain of the Testimony. It seems appropriate to resolve all this based on what the Ramban wrote, that when it says to light a continuous lamp, this refers to the western lamp that was always burning, but the other lamps were not continuous except from evening until morning. With this assumption, all the aforementioned questions can be resolved, because He commanded Moses about the Tabernacle and all its vessels, and divided the Tabernacle into three parts, and regarding them all He said, And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them. The curtain separated between the Holy and the Holy of Holies, and Moses wanted each section to have something indicating that the Divine Presence dwells among Israel. In the Holy of Holies were the tablets of testimony, which would faithfully testify that the Divine Presence dwelled there, for the tablets contained miraculous elements — they could be read from both sides, and the letters mem and samech in the tablets stood miraculously in place (Megillah 3a). This was appropriate for anyone who came to that place, as they would see plainly that God’s name was associated with it. However, since the curtain separated the areas and not everyone was permitted to enter there, lest someone who doubts and wishes to deceive might say, “One who wishes to lie distances his witnesses” (Rosh, Shevuot HaDayanin 13). Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, needed to create a continuous miracle in the sanctuary as well through the western lamp, so that everyone could observe it and see from the western lamp that God’s name was there dwelling among them. And if the curtain had not covered the Ark of Testimony, there would have been no need for this miracle. For this possible approach, we can say that this entire passage is not intended to command about the lamps of the menorah except in the portion of Emor, which is the main place for that commandment, whereas here the main commandment is about the western lamp, to reveal to Moses that even though the curtain covers the Ark of the Testimony, nevertheless there will also be in the place of the Holy a constant miracle that publicizes that the Lord dwells there. And you already know that about Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, it is said And he saw the first portion for himself (Deuteronomy 33:21), because he was the first and beginning of all things that exist miraculously, and he was like this lamp from which many lamps are lit and the lamp is not diminished. So was the holy spirit that emanated from him to all the prophets who came after him, for the face of Moses was like the sun (Bava Batra 75a), and from him, the light emanated to all of them. Similarly, this western lamp, whose light was constant in a miraculous way, had light emanated to it from Moses’s light, for he was the intermediary between God’s light and all types of light that existed miraculously. And the sign of this was that at his birth, the entire house was filled with light, to indicate that he would be the first recipient of the supernal light, and through his intermediacy, the light was bestowed upon every place where there is something that exists miraculously. Therefore it is said And you shall command — with two forms of direct address — to say and you, meaning from the essence of your being and the additional light within you, shall command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil, etc. That the oil should be brought to you, meaning to join it with you so that you will emanate your glory upon it, in order to kindle a lamp continually — this is the western lamp that was miraculously continuous. And afterward, he gave a praiseworthy reason why this miracle was necessary, because it is in the Tent of Meeting outside the curtain which is over the Testimony, as the curtain separates between the place that has testimony that the Divine Presence rests among Israel and the ordinary Tent of Meeting. Therefore, Aaron shall arrange it from evening until morning — but was he standing and arranging it all night? Rather, he would put in it oil according to the measure of its companions, which had only enough to burn from evening until morning, and nevertheless, a lamp would continually be alit. And it was not yet explained in which lamp this miracle would persist until it said before the Lord, meaning the western lamp which is adjacent to the Divine Presence in the west, because from the aspect of testimony, this lamp resembles the Ark of the Testimony, and by two witnesses a matter shall be established. And both were through Moses, for even the Torah is called by his name. And it does not mention here all the lamps because this is not their place, but only in the section of Emor, as it is written there, Upon the pure Menorah he shall arrange the lamps. Therefore, it doesn’t say there and you shall command because the main commandment there was regarding all the lamps, and incidentally, it also mentioned this western lamp there, saying to light a continual lamp outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting he shall arrange it. It seems to me that the order of the verse in Parashat Emor is as follows: there should be a pause between the word parochet [curtain] and the word ha’edut [testimony], and this is its interpretation — to kindle a perpetual light outside the curtain — God wanted there to be one perpetual lamp miraculously maintained outside the curtain. Afterwards, it explains what this miracle serves as testimony for, saying the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, for this miracle provides faithful testimony of God even in the Tent of Meeting, where everyone looks and will see from this western lamp the name of God, that He is among them, for Aaron shall arrange it from evening until morning, and it will be before God perpetually. And since it says there Command the children of Israel that they bring to you, this implies that there is something here that relates to all the children of Israel, and there is something that relates only to Moses, as it says to you. Therefore, it needed to explain both. The matter that is specific to you [Moses] and not to them is the miraculous aspect, about which it says to kindle a perpetual light… an eternal statute throughout your generations. Afterwards, it explains what relates to all of Israel, which is what it says: On the pure menorah he shall arrange the lamps before God perpetually, for all the lamps were facing toward this western lamp, therefore it says about all of them before God perpetually. And this interpretation is precious. Another explanation for why this location is specified as “outside the curtain that is over the Testimony.” This is so that people would not mistakenly think that the Holy One, blessed be He, needs the light, since the curtain separates between the menorah and the place of the Divine Presence’s dwelling. Furthermore, the Testimony is there, and it is all light. Rather, certainly the main purpose of this “taking” is for you, for your needs. And in the Yalkut (378), it concludes that this is why the windows of the Temple were wider on the outside and narrower on the inside, to indicate that the sun did not illuminate the Temple, but on the contrary, the Temple illuminated the entire world, as it is said, And the earth shined with His glory (Ezekiel 43:2). And similarly, we explained above in the portion of Vayetzei regarding the verse And he encountered the place and spent the night there, for the sun had set. And perhaps this is why it says for you as a notable point, because even though Moses’ face was like the face of the sun, nevertheless, you need this spiritual light, because the sun does not illuminate the Temple, but rather the Temple illuminates the sun, as from it flows the divine influence to all the heavenly hosts. And there is in this portion a moral lesson for those who err, who give the choicest part of their wealth for material needs, for eating and drinking and other human pleasures, while all that is despised and rejected they give for the purpose of God’s lamp, the soul of man — as Cain did. Rather, one should follow the way of Abel, who brought an offering to God from the firstborn of his flock and from the fattest ones. Similarly, one should give first for illumination, for the purpose of God’s lamp, the soul of man, whose light is eternal, as it is written, to kindle a lamp continually. And the second, one should give for meal-offerings, which were food for the priests. And this hint is sufficient for those who understand.

ואתה תצוה, “and you are to issue instructions, etc.” Moses has not been mentioned by name in this portion, seeing that he had said to G’d that He should erase his name from His Book. (Exodus 32,32) Although Moses had said this conditionally, i.e. if G’d were to kill the Jewish people as punishment for the sin of the golden calf, we have a rule that a curse of a sage, even if uttered only as something conditionally, is taken by G’d at face value. (Zohar Chadash, 60) Other commentators explain the absence of the mention of Moses’ name here as due to the subject matter following being the priestly garments of Aaron, the High Priest. Originally, Moses himself had been slated to be the High Priest. The fact that this honour was now being given to Aaron, might have produced a certain amount of regret on Moses’ part if he had heard his name mentioned as being part of transferring this rank to his brother. To forestall as much as possible any feelings of sorrow on Moses’ part, the Torah referred to him anonymously. After the Torah had completed its instructions about the building of the Tabernacle, it gave directives concerning the illumination that was to be part of the daily service in the Sanctuary. The reason that the Torah mentions the priesthood of Aaron at this juncture, is because he was the one who would attend to lighting the menorah on a regular basis. Seeing that the Torah had already revealed the status of Aaron as the High Priest, it continued by describing the special garments to be worn by the High Priest when he was not inside the Sanctuary. This is also the logical place when the details of the golden altar, the altar on which the incense was offered are described another task performed by Aaron both in the morning and in the afternoon of every day. It was important to inform us that the golden altar did not serve the purpose of sprinkling the blood of sacrificial animals upon it. ואתה תצוה, according to Ibn Ezra, Moses was to issue a directive to the community of the Jewish people at large, to provide top quality olive oil for the lamps on the menorah. The community at large was similarly instructed to donate the funds for the mandatory daily communal offerings, described in the Torah by G’d as קרבני לחמי, ”My offering, My food.” (Numbers 28,2) Nachmanides writes that seeing that in connection with the donations of the materials for the Tabernacle the Torah had constantly added the word: ועשית, “you are to make out of it, etc.,” so here too the idea of determining which oil qualified for lighting the menorah was not left to the good judgment of the community at large, but the Torah writes ויקחו אליך, “they will present it to you,” i.e. you will then examine it if it measures up to the required degree of refinement. One of the reasons the Torah did not leave the refining of this oil up to each individual Israelite, was that they did not possess the tools to refine the oil to that degree. They could only donate what they had taken with them out of Egypt, if it had remained in good condition. In fact, the princes brought the kind of refined olive oil fit for kindling the menorah. The meaning of the words את בני ישראל, [if they did not have such oil, was Moses to command people who did not have it to bring it as a contribution? Ed.] is that Moses himself was to accept from the Israelites whatever grade of olive oil they were willing to donate for the cause. The words are to be understood in the same way as the opening line in Parshat Terumah, מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו, “from every person whose generous heart moves him to donate, etc.” ויקחו אליך, “they shall take it to you,” i.e. for your benefit, seeing you are charged with the task of having the Tabernacle constructed, G’d is at pains to make clear that if the Israelites were not going to provide oil for the menorah, He, being G’d, certainly did not need them to illuminate any space for Him, seeing that He is the source of all illumination. In fact, after the Tabernacle was erected, it was found that the light of the menorah inside the windowless Sanctuary provided illumination also for the surrounding area. להעלות נר תמיד, “to kindle on a permanent basis.” According to Rashi when a light burns all night long, it is considered as burning תמיד, i.e. all the time that there is a need for it. Rashi’s proof is derived from the expression עולת תמיד in Numbers 28,7 which cannot mean that such a burnt offering was being burned up on the altar on an ongoing basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but meant that it was a regular sacrifice, offered on a daily basis, one in the morning and one in the evening. Other commentators understand the word תמיד as meaning that the other lamps on the six arms of the menorah were to be kindled by drawing on the already kindled נר מערבי, the lamp on the central shaft of the menorah. That particular lamp was kept alight around the clock.

ואתה תצוה, whereas in 25,2 Moses had been told by G’d to raise the donations for the building of the Tabernacle with the words ויקחו לי תרומה, and that had referred to a one time contribution, now Moses is instructed of the ongoing obligation to provide oil for the Menorah in the Tabernacle. The syntax has been changed here with the introduction of the word תצוה, “you will command.” Whenever that root occurs the subject matter it addresses is one of ongoing importance, not a commandment to be carried out only once, only because of special circumstances. This principle has been spelled out by Torat Kohanim in Leviticus at the beginning of Parshat Tzav, as well as in Sifrey on Parshat Nasso section 1. זך, free from sediments. The olives are to be crushed in a mortar for if they were to be ground in a mill the result would not be satisfactory.

In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is over the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall arrange it from evening until morning before Hashem — an everlasting statute for their generations, from the children of Israel.

מערב עד בקר FROM EVENING TO MORNING — Give it its due measure of oil so that it may burn from evening to morning. Our Rabbis estimated half a log of oil as sufficient for the nights of Tebeth which are long, and they ordained a similar quantity for every night of the year, and if any were left over on the shorter nights it did not matter (Menachot 89a).

"Which is over the Testimony": an abbreviated expression for 'the ark of the Testimony.' Yefet said that "he shall arrange (יַעֲרֹךְ)" is like "as your valuation (כְּעֶרְכְּךָ הַכֹּהֵן)" (Lev. 27:12) — meaning he shall apportion enough oil so that the lamps burn from evening until morning. Likewise, "the lamps of the arrangement (נֵרוֹת הַמַּעֲרָכָה)" (below 39:37). And it is correct that the meaning of יַעֲרֹךְ derives from the lamps being arranged in a semicircular shape — and I will discuss this further.

מאת בני ישראל. From the children of Israel. We may interpret these words according to the Tossephta Shekalim chapter 2 where we are told that all public offerings which are offered on the first of Nissan should preferably be of money donated for the offerings of the year just beginning; even if they are from money donated during the previous year they are acceptable as long as the money for them has been donated by an individual who has first made it over to the treasurer of the Temple so that it becomes public property. Our verse tells us something similar; the oil donated for the Lampstand becomes public property after the donor has turned it over to Moses as representative of the people.

אשר על העדות, “which is over the Ark.” The word: על, here cannot be translated as “above, or on,” as we have been told that the candlestick stood on the same floor as the Ark, although it was divided from it by the dividing curtain. This is not the only time that the word על is used as meaning: “beside,” compare Leviticus 24,7, and Exodus 40,3, where there are two more such examples, as well as in Genesis 24,30. אהרן ובניו, “Aaron and his sons.” What is meant is: either Aaron or one of his sons.” מערב עד בקר, “from evening until morning.” The sages estimated the amount of oil as being half a log, (275 cubic cm). There was no excess, as during the winter months they adjusted this by using coarser wicks. (Rashi did not feel comfortable with excess oil having to be thrown away, that is why he preferred this solution.)

מערב עד בוקר, “from evening until morning.” This is an instruction to supply sufficient oil to each of the lamps to enable it to keep burning all night long without need for a refill of oil. The amount of oil provided was a constant, i.e. half a log, however allowance was made for the nights being longer in the winter by providing thinner or thicker wicks in accordance with the seasonal factors involved.

מערב עד בוקר, “from evening to the next morning;” according to Rashi, this means that the menorah’s lights are to burn from nightfall to sunrise, the amount of oil in each lamp being calculated according to the length of the night in the month of Kislev. The amount of oil required was half a log, and although there would be oil left over during the summer months, no attention was paid to that. Rabbi Yitzchok son of Avraham, of blessed memory, does not accept this interpretation from Rashi as it would involve wasting holy oil. He therefore suggests that the wicks used in the summer were thicker than those in the winter months so that all the oil would be burned up. This is also why the Talmud, tractate Yuma folio 23, states that the material the wicks were made of was the discarded garments of the priests. [In other words, nothing was wasted if at all possible. Ed.]