Exodus · Chapter 31

And Hashem spoke with Moses, saying:

"And Hashem spoke" — The Gaon asked: why were Bezalel and Oholiab chosen? He answered that Bezalel was of the tribe of Judah, whom Jacob likened to a lion cub, and Oholiab was of the tribe of Dan, whom Moses likewise likened to a lion cub, and the lion is narrow at its hindquarters — and so was the structure of the Tabernacle. But this is a homiletical interpretation, for Bezalel and Oholiab did not build the Temple, and the width of the Tabernacle they made was uniform, so there is no basis for his question. The true reason they were chosen is simply that there was no one in Israel to compare with them.

See, I have distinguished by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

קראתי בשם I HAVE CALLED BY NAME — to accomplish My work — BEZALEL.

SEE, I HAVE CALLED BY NAME BEZALEL THE SON OF URI, THE SON OF HUR. G-d said to Moses, See, I have called by name, and Moses said to Israel, See, the Eternal hath called by name. The reason for this is because Israel in Egypt had been crushed under the work in mortar and in brick, and had acquired no knowledge of how to work with silver and gold, and the cutting of precious stones, and had never seen them at all. It was thus a wonder that there was to be found amongst them such a great wise-hearted man who knew how to work with silver and gold, and in cutting of stones [for setting] and in carving of wood, a craftsman, an embroiderer, and a weaver. For even amongst those who study before the experts, you cannot find one who is proficient in all these crafts. And even those who know them and are used to doing them, if their hands are continually engaged in [work with] lime and mud, lose the ability to do with them such artistic and delicate work. Moreover, he [i.e. Bezalel] was a great Sage in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, to understand the secret of the Tabernacle and all its vessels, why they were commanded and to what they hinted. Therefore G-d said to Moses that when he sees this wonder he should know that I filled him with the spirit of G-d, to know all these things in order that he would make the Tabernacle. For it was His Will to make the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and He created him for His glory, for it is He that called the generations from the beginning, it being similar in meaning to the verse, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee. The same type of expression we find in the verse, See that the Eternal hath given you the Sabbath; therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days. Our Rabbis have on this topic a Midrash: “G-d showed Moses the book of the first man and told him: ‘Each person I have given a role from that moment on, and Bezalel too I have given a role already then, as it is said, See, I have called by name Bezalel.’” This is similar to what I have explained. The Rabbis have also said: “Bezalel knew how to combine the letters with which heaven and earth were created.” The purport of this saying is that the Tabernacle alludes to these matters [heaven and earth], and he knew and understood its secret.

"See" — with a glance of honor. The one called is Bezalel, and the meaning of "I have called him by name" is that there is none like him for building the Tabernacle. On the level of plain meaning, Caleb son of Jephunneh is not Caleb son of Hezron — this can be demonstrated by conclusive proofs, and the discerning will understand.

ראה קראתי בשם, try and understand that I did not appoint Betzalel for this task arbitrarily, as it is of the essence that someone who is very senior also in spiritual matters must carry out such a sacred task as fashioning the parts of the Tabernacle. Such a person must not only have in mind the desire to technically execute first class artisanship, but he must constantly be conscious of performing a Divine commandment.

ראה קראתי בשם בצלאל, "See, I have called by name Betzalel, etc." Perhaps the extra word בשם is intended to draw our attention not only to Betzalel's name but also to that of his father and grandfather and how those names reflected Betzalel's impact on his contemporaries. The name בצל־אל suggests that he was the man through whom a shelter was provided for G'd on earth. בן אורי suggests that Betzalel's father looked upon G'd as the source of his inspiration and enlightenment. בן חור is a reference to freedom, בן חורים. Betzalel helped free the Israelites from the remaining stigma of the golden calf by helping Israel to regain its good graces. Our sages in Shemot Rabbah 51,4 in connection with the words משכן העדות in Exodus 38,21 point out that the reason for that designation of the Tabernacle was that its existence was testimony, עדות, that G'd had forgiven the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf. This very thought was also anchored in Betzalel's name and the name of his forebears. The allusions we just referred to would justify the conjunctive letter ו in front of the words ו־אמלא אותו רוח אלוקים בחכמה,"and I will fill him with a spirit of wisdom." This may also be the reason that the Torah speaks of בחכמה, instead of simply חכמה when describing G'd's input as additional to Betzalel's natural talents and virtues. Alternatively, the word בחכמה may reflect a statement of our sages in Berachot 55 based on Daniel 2,21 that G'd adds additional wisdom to people aleady possessed of a measure of wisdom. Accordingly, the words ואמלא…בחכמה, mean: "and I will add wisdom to Betzalel who already possesses wisdom."

בצלאל בו אורי בן חור, “Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur;” Betzalel’s ancestry is given for 3 generations, whereas that of his assistant Oholiov is only traced to his father. The reason is that Betzalel’s grandfather had become a martyr during the episode of the golden calf, when he tried to prevent the people from dancing around the golden calf. Seeing that the building of the Tabernacle was primarily in order to facilitate atonement for the sin of the golden calf, it is appropriate that the Torah mentions Chur’s name in this connection.

ראה קראתי בשם בצלאל, “See I have called by name Betzalel, etc.” When Moses informs the Israelites of G’d having appointed Betzalel as chief architect for the construction of the Tabernacle and all that was connected with it, he repeats this formula i.e. ראו קרא ה' בשם בצלאל. This had to be mentioned as it was quite impossible to find amongst the Israelites who had been bricklayers of a primitive kind anyone who could possibly excel in the disciplines required to master the task of constructing such a portable Sanctuary. Even if by chance there had been the odd individual who had some expertise in one of the many arts and crafts needed for this project prior to becoming enslaved, he would long ago have forgotten it. When the Torah lists the various disciplines in which experts were required for this work this teaches us that only someone divinely inspired could possibly have mastered all these arts. It is not surprising therefore that our sages have said (Berachot 55) that Betzalel knew how to employ the letters of the alphabet and to arrange them in a way G’d had arranged them when He used them to create the universe. In our paragraph the Torah writes that G’d had filled Betzalel with “a divine spirit, with wisdom, with insight, and knowledge etc., etc.” Solomon used similar language when describing how G’d created the universe (Proverbs 3,19-20) “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, He established the heavens with understanding; by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds drop down the dew.” The words: “see here how I have called Betzalel by name,” mean that the Israelites should marvel that already at the time of creation G’d had made provision for a man of the wisdom of Betzalel to be on earth, to be part of the Jewish people, at a time when his talents would be required. The literal meaning of his name is that “he was in the shade or shadow of the Lord.” The word בשם has a dual meaning, telling us also that He had been an intimate of G’d just as G’d would say to Moses (33,17) ואדעך בשם, “I have known you by name,” i.e. “I have given you a glimpse of part of My Holy Name (essence).” Not only Betzalel, but most certainly all the prophets, had all experienced emanations from this great and Holy name of Hashem. This is the meaning of the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 40,2) in which G’d is reputed to have shown Moses “the book of Adam the original man,” a book in which there was a list of all the kings, the leaders both temporal and spiritual, the prophets, etc., who would make their mark between the time of Adam, and that of the resurrection. G’d explained to Moses that already at that time He had arranged that each one of these prominent people would be able to carry out the contribution he had to make to mankind when he would appear on earth. He showed him that the name of Betzalel had long ago appeared in that book. The background to the Midrash is the word ראה in our verse, a word which appears superfluous. The very expression בצל אל was an indication that the name of this soul had long ago been engraved in the list of those to receive this kind of emanation. When his soul was assigned a body, he sat “in the shade of the Lord,” learning how to construct the Holy Ark which is another word for “the shadow of the written Torah.” The Ark together with the kapporet and the cherubs had been a task awaiting Betzalel ever since the six days of creation. Another illuminating Midrash (Tanchuma Pekudey 3) focuses on the difference between the word ראה, “see” (sing.) in our verse and the word ראו, “see” (pl.) in 35:30. According to that Midrash the former word was addressed to the celestial beings whereas the latter word was addressed to the creatures on earth. The fact that we make such distinctions we know already from Proverbs 3,4: -ומצא חן ושכל טוב בעיני אלו-הים ואדם, “and you will find favor in high esteem in the sight of G’d and man.” You should know that at the time Betzalel undertook this project he was 13 years of age. Our sages in Sanhedrin 69 figured this out seeing Betzalel was the son of Uri, who in turn was the son of Chur, and Chur had been born for Calev after his first wife Azuvah had died and he had married Efrat as we know from Chronicles I 2,1. Calev himself, by his own testimony in Joshua 14,7 had only been 40 years of age at the time he was chosen to be one of the 12 spies who were to find out details about the land of Canaan and its inhabitants during the second year of the Israelites’ wanderings (Numbers 14). Seeing that Betzalel was Calev’s great-grandson he could not have been older than 13 years at this time. Even allowing for this we must assume that Calev, Uri, and Chur all fathered a son at eight years of age in order for Betzalel to have been 13 years old at this time. According to the Midrash (Tanchuma Ki Tissa 13): G’d showed Moses “the book of Adam the original man,” and explained to him that already at the time of creation He had arranged that each one of the prominent people destined to be born would carry out the contribution he had to make to mankind when he would appear on earth. He showed him that the name of Betzalel had long ago appeared in that book. That is the meaning of our verse ראה קראתי בשם בצלאל “See I have called by name Betzalel, etc.”

“Behold, I have called by name Bezalel.” See through the divine spirit that is upon you that Bezalel is suitable for this work, and you shall perceive through the divine spirit that is upon you. And from the fact that it says by name, we learn that his name testifies about him, for he was “in the shadow of God” [which is what “Bezalel” means in Hebrew: “b’tzel El”]. Therefore, Moses said upon the completion of the Tabernacle’s construction, He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, in the shadow of the Almighty will he lodge, because those who did the work were in the shadow of God. This is what is concluded with the words, They shall make according to all that I have commanded you. It does not say that they shall make according to all that you will command them, but rather they shall make according to all that I command you, which certainly means that they were in the shadow of God. Rashi also explained this in Parshat Pekudei on the verse And Bezalel son of Uri made according to all that God commanded Moses. And I wonder why Rashi did not explain this on the verse They shall make according to all that I have commanded you.

ראה קראתי בשם בצלאל, “See, I have called by name, Betzalel.” Moses repeats this description of Betzalel’s qualifications when he says to them in This was necessary, as it was a miracle that a people who had been forced to perform basic slave labour for hundreds of years should have produced among themselves artisans capable of performing highly skilled work such as was envisioned for the making of the priestly garments, and for the furnishings of the Tabernacle. Betzalel, personally, had been endowed by G’d not only with the wisdom to carry out the physical work required, but he had been endowed with the spiritual insights necessary to comprehend the mystical aspects of the Tabernacle and everything connected with it. He was fully aware of the significance of both the materials used, the measurements G’d had commanded, and the manner in which the entire project represented a re-enactment of מעשה בראשית, the way in which G’d had created the universe. Our sages, in attempting to give us an inkling of all this, stated that G’d had shown Betzalel the book of Adam, the first human being. They meant that just as Adam, initially, had been on intimate terms with his Creator, so Betzalel had been endowed with something parallel, as much as this is possible in the present imperfect world. Some commentators interpret the word: “ראה” as meaning “I want you to know that in My eyes this man appears to be good.” Seeing that this is so, I want you, Moses, to relate to him in a similar manner.

בצלאל בן אורי בן חור, “Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur;” the reason why the Torah mentions also the grandfather of Betzalel, whereas in the case of his assistant, Oholiov, it mentions only his father, (verse 6) is that Chur had died a martyr’s death in opposing the Israelites‘ dancing around the golden calf. The major function of the Tabernacle was to atone for that sin. This is why his name is mentioned here in connection with the Tabernacle.

And I have filled him with a spirit from before Hashem, in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge, and in every kind of work.

חכמה WISDOM is what a person hears from others and learns (makes his own). תבונה UNDERSTANDING is understanding a matter by one’s own intelligence deducing it from the things one has already learned. דעת means holy inspiration.

"And I have filled him" — like "and Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom" (Deut. 34:9), and it is written "and the spirit of Hashem shall rest upon him" (Isa. 11:2), and the verse explains what that spirit of Hashem is — "a spirit of wisdom and understanding" (ibid.). Wisdom (חָכְמָה) consists of the forms stored in the posterior chamber of the brain. The word תְּבוּנָה, like בִּינָה, derives from the root בֵּין, and it is the faculty that stands between the faculty of knowledge (דַּעַת) and the faculty of wisdom, corresponding to the middle ventricle of the brain — for wisdom corresponds to the posterior ventricle, and knowledge, connected to the anterior ventricles of the brain via the senses, is at the forehead. In Arabic, knowledge is called al-takhyīl, understanding al-fikra, and wisdom al-ḥikma. Bezalel was full of all wisdom — in calculation, measurements, proportions, celestial science, natural science, and the mystery of the soul — and he surpassed all the men of his generation, for he knew every craft; for many who are wise of heart do not master even a single craft. That is why it is written "and in all manner of workmanship" with the conjunction vav.

To teach craftsmanship: to work in gold and in silver and in copper;

לחשב מחשבה lit., TO DEVISE DEVICES — this refers to the weaving of an artist’s work.

and in the craft of setting precious stone, and in woodworking, to make every kind of work.

ובחרשת denotes artisanship generally, as (Isaiah 40:20) “a clever artisan (חרש חכם)”. Onkelos, however, more closely defines the term each time it occurs in this verse and varies the definition he gives of them: the first he renders by אמנות and the second by נגרות, because the lapidary is called in Aramaic אמן, whilst the worker in wood is called נגר, and he therefore uses the abstract forms of these nouns to specify the particular kind of artisanship here intended. למלאת TO SET IN — i. e. to put it into its setting, so as to fill it in (למלאת) by making the setting according to the size of the bottom of the stones and its thickness.

And I, behold, I have given with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of every wise-hearted person I have placed wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

ובלב כל חכם לב וגו׳ AND IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THAT ARE WISE HEARTED [I HAVE GIVEN WISDOM] — and there are still other wise-hearted men among you (beside Bezalel and Oholiab) and all these in whom I have given wisdom shall make all that I have commanded thee.

"With him" — his equal in the crafts, though not in the wisdom of the craftsman's art. The meaning of "and in all manner of workmanship" is thus "to devise designs." "And in the heart of every wise-hearted person" — to do the work; for this too is found in human nature, that a person brings forth from his mind profound things in the craft of design even without having studied that wisdom. The verse now proceeds to enumerate everything they are to make.

ואני הנני נתתי אתו את אהליאב בן אחיתמך למטה דן, “As for Me, here I have given him as an assistant Oholiav son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan.” We read in the name of Rabbi Chanina in Shemot Rabbah 40,4 that no tribe was more exalted than Yehudah and none was less regarded than the tribe of Dan, seeing he was descended from one of the maidservants of Yaakov. G’d decided that Betzalel and a descendant of Dan should partner each other so that neither Betzalel nor his tribe should become haughty. All human beings are equal before G’d. The fact that the Tabernacle was built by these two architects was an important object lesson teaching this parity between the tribes in their social standing. Interestingly enough, when Solomon built the Temple this pattern was repeated seeing that the principal participants in constructing it were Solomon of the tribe of Yehudah, and Chirom the son of a mother from the tribe of Dan (compare Chronicles II 2,13).

ובלב כל חכם לב, who came forward to carry out this work G’d had already equipped him with the required talent to carry out the work.

the Tent of Meeting, and the Ark of the Testimony, and the ark-cover that is upon it, and all the vessels of the Tabernacle;

ואת הארן לעדת AND THE ARK FOR THE TESTIMONY — for the purpose of the Tablets of the testimony (not, “the ark to serve as the testimony”; the ל denotes “for” in the sense of “for the use of”, and the term עדת is an abbreviation of לחות העדות).

"The" — it begins with the tent, which encompasses everything; and it mentions the Ark and the cover on account of their supreme importance. "And all the furnishings of the tent" — the curtain (parokhet), the screen, the planks, and the bars; and it mentions the Table in the order I have described.

The tabernacle of ordinance, and the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat which is over it; and all the vessels of the tabernacle;.

and the table and its vessels, and the pure menorah and all its vessels, and the altar of the incense of spices;

הטהרה THE (PURE [CANDELABRUM] — It is called טהרה because the term זהב טהר, pure gold, is used of it (cf. Exodus 25:31) (not טהרה in contrast to טמאה).

ואת המנורה הטהורה, “and the candlestick, the pure one;” none of the other furnishings of the Tabernacle have had the adjective; “the pure one” added to it, except the candlestick and the table in Leviticus 24,6. The reason is that neither the table nor the candlestick ever had blood sprinkled on them.

and the altar of the burnt offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its base.

And the service garments, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for serving.

ואת בגדי השרד AND THE GARMENTS OF THE SERVICE — I think — according to the plain sense of the verse — that one cannot say that Scripture is here speaking of (referring to) the priestly garments, because to them refer the next words: “and the garments of holiness for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests”. But these בגדי שרד are identical with the garments of blue purple wool, and red purple wool, and crimson wool which are mentioned in the chapter (Numbers IV.) giving an account of Israel’s encampments: (Numbers 4:12) “and they shall put them in a garment of blue purple”; (Numbers 4:13) “and spread a garment of red purple thereon”; (Numbers 4:8) “and they shall spread upon them a garment of crimson”. And indeed my opinion appears correct, because it is said, (Exodus 39:1) “And of the blue purple, and of the red purple, and of the crimson, they made garments of the service (בגדי שרד) to minister in the holiness”, and linen is not mentioned among them (these materials). Now if Scripture were speaking of the priestly garments it could not have omitted “linen”“, for we do not find in respect of even one of them (of the priestly garments) mention of red purple or crimson without linen. בגדי השרד GARMENTS OF SERVICE — Some explain שרד to mean work and service (cf. שרת to serve), as the Targum renders it: לבושי שמושא, “garments for the service”. There is, however, no other example of it (of שרד) in Scriptures. I, however, think that it is an Aramaic expression, like the Targum of קלעים, hangings, which Onkelos renders by שרדין, and of מכבר, “grate”, which he renders by שרדא, both words denoting net-work, and they are called “garments of שרד, net-work”, because they were woven not in the ordinary way but with the needle (a kind of crochet-work), made with many holes; “lacies” in old French; English, net or mesh-work.

AND THE GARMENTS OF ‘HA’SROD.’ I do not know why He did not command the making of these garments at the beginning, as He did concerning all the [rest of the] work of the Tabernacle and the garments of Aaron and his sons, for it would have been proper that He say to Moses, “and thou shalt make cloth of blue-purple to cover with it the ark, and a red-purple cloth to cover with it the altar, and a cloth of scarlet to cover with it the table,” and now when charging Moses about those who were to make these things, He should have included these garments with the rest of the work. Perhaps there was no insistence on how they were to be made, and they could have made these garments of srod of one kind alone, but they made them of blue-purple, red-purple and scarlet. They did not want to make them of linen, as that is not distinguished, as are those other colors. After they made them, G-d willed that the blue-purple cloth be for the ark, the red-purple for the altar, and the scarlet for the table. Therefore, it was sufficient to command them in brief [here] when He gave the command about those who were to do all the work, for these garments of ‘ha’srod’ were to be made according to their understanding. Now it is not befitting that a garment made to cover [the sacred vessels] should have many holes in it, as Rashi has said. Rather, the word ha’srod is of the term sarid (a lone survivor), because all these garments were of one kind, as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said. All this I have written in accordance with the line of thought of Rashi. Yet all this availeth me nothing. For what meaning is there in the Holy One, blessed be He, saying to Moses that they should make “garments of kela,” or “garments of s’ridah,” without explaining to him how many of them there should be, two or a hundred, how long and wide they should be, and why they should be made altogether, since the matter cannot be understood at all from this communication [stated here]? Moreover, why are they mentioned always before the garments of Aaron? Besides, what is the meaning of the phrase, the garments of ‘ha’srod’, for ministering in the holy place, for this seems to refer to the sacrificial rites in the holy place, just as He says, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place. Similarly, even he who cometh into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place does not refer to outer work, or the carrying of the holy vessels. Furthermore, it is written, and they will make all that I commanded thee: the Tent of Meeting etc., and the garments of ‘ha’srod’ etc., and the incense of sweet spices; according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do. But He had not commanded him before about the garments of ‘ha’srod’ at all!What appears from the words of our Rabbis is that the garments of ‘ha’srod’ are the actual garments of the priesthood. This is mentioned in Tractate Yoma. If that is so, it is correct that we translate the garments of ‘ha’srod’ as “the garments of uniq...

"And the service garments" — the garments of transport, with which the Ark, the Table, the Altar, and the Menorah were covered during travel. This is spelled out explicitly: "of blue, purple, and crimson" (below, 39:1), each item separately, as written in the portion of Numbers (4): first it speaks of the service garments, and then it says "and they made the holy garments" (ibid.), and afterward specifies them. The word שְׂרָד shares the root of פָּלִיט and שָׂרִיד, meaning a remnant or survivor (Jer. 44:14).

ואת בגדי השרד, “and the service vestments.” The word שרד is reminiscent of פליט ושריד in Jeremiah 44,14, where it refers to remnants of escapees after the destruction of the Temple. Here too, the expression is referring to excess materials used for weaving of the carpets forming the inner ceiling of the Tabernacle, and the priestly garments, as well as the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle and the dividing curtain between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. From these remnants the covers for the furnishings of the Tabernacle while it was in transit were constructed. These covers were alluded to by the same expression in Exodus 39,41.

ואת בגדי השרד, “and the vestments of service.” The meaning corresponds to the translation by Onkelos: לבושי שמושא, “garments for performing their tasks.” These “garments” were used to cover the furnishings of the Tabernacle (the Ark, the table, the menorah, the golden altar) when the Tabernacle and its components traveled with the people. The different furnishings were covered by “cloths,” or (“garments”) of different combinations of wool in different colors as has been detailed in the Book of Numbers 4,13, 4,6 et al. It is surprising that the Torah speaks of the respective function of these various covers without having first told us that they existed and that they were to be made of certain materials and of certain combinations of colours. Actually, these sacred covers or garments which are referred to here with the letter ה in front indicating that we are familiar with them already, were not previously mentioned anywhere. How is it that they are referred to here as if they were already familiar to us? Nachmanides writes that he does not know why we do not find anywhere in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle or its furnishings any directive that such coverings were to be made. Who would dare to quarrel with Nachmanides? (The author uses a more oblique reference used by Solomon in Kohelet 2,12 “who is able to wear the king’ boots” improve on G’d’s work?) Still, with all due respect to Nachmanides it seems to me that according to the plain meaning of the text we already have a hint of the existence of the בגדי השרד at the beginning of Parshat Tetzaveh (28,2) where the Torah commences to tell Moses ועשית בגדי קדש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת, “you are to make the sacred vestments for your brother Aaron for glory and for splendour.” This is followed by ועשו את בגדי אהרון, “they shall make the vestments of Aaron.” This suggests that the appearance, number, as well as the materials used for these vestments were something already known. This is why in verse 4 the Torah could apply the definitive article ה at the beginning of the word הבגדים in the phrase ואלה הבגדים אשר יעשו, “and these are the garments they are to make.” At the end of verse 4 the Torah repeats once more ועשו בגדי קדש לאהרון אחיך, “they are to make sacred vestments for your brother Aaron.” In that instance the Torah was careful not to describe these vestments as the ones mentioned previously otherwise it should have written את בגדי הקדש, “the (previously mentioned) sacred vestments,” just as the Torah wrote in verse 3 את בגדי אהרן. It appears therefore that at the end of verse 4 the Torah speaks of different sacred vestments than the ones mentioned previously. This was an allusion to the בגדי השרד in our verse which are presumed as a known quantity. This leaves us with the question why the בגדי השרד whose function was merely to act as covers for holy furnishings when same were not in their regular place in the Tabernacle have been described and introduced as בגדי קדש, “sacred vestments” equal in rank to the priestly vestments? These covers were given such a distinguished title because they did for the holy furnishings what the sacred vestments did for the priests when the priests wore them. They drew attention to the fact that what was underneath them must be holy, just as when people see men wearing priestly garments they assume that the people wearing them are holy. [I have paraphrased this. Ed.] Our sages (Rashi) say that these בגדי שרד were made in the shape of hanging curtains, drapes, like the קלעים, a word which Onkelos translated as סרדין, “nets.” This is the reason the Torah uses the word שרד to describe the material woven out of the components stipulated by the Torah. A Midrashic approach (based on Yuma 72): we learn from the words ואת בגדי השרד that had it not been for them not a single Israelite would have survived the journey through the desert, [as without the sacrifices which atoned for their sins they would have perished (Rashi)]. It happened once in the days of Alexander the Great that the High Priest Shimon the Just went out to welcome him (when he was about to conquer Jerusalem). As soon as the mighty king saw him he descended from his chariot and prostrated himself in front of the High Priest. When Alexander’s attendants asked him about the meaning of their king’s strange behavior he told them that he had seen the image of the High Priest in a dream every time before he went into battle and that this angel-like figure had assured him that he would be victorious in battle. [In the Talmud the word שריד is used to describe that not a single Jew would have “survived, escaped alive.” The meaning of בגדי שרד then would be “garments assuring survival of the Jews.” Ed.] Another meaning of the expression בגדי שרד, also mentioned on that folio in Yuma, is that they used to knit the garments (all the priests’ garments) in such a fashion that there was no need to stitch anything afterwards in order for there to be no loose ends, etc. [At any rate according to the Talmud the expression בגדי שרד applied equally to the garments worn by the priests, not just to the covers of the holy vessels inside the Tabernacle. Ed.]. According to Targum Yerushalmi the words בגדי שרד simply mean: “woven garments.” A Kabbalistic approach: it is possible that the letter ה in the word השרד is an allusion to the final letter ה in the tetragrammaton. It would be logical for this to be so, seeing that they were covers for the holy vessels. Holy vessels, by definition, are hidden, concealed under these covers and eventually become revealed when the covers are removed. The final letter ה also “conceals” the three basic letters of the tetragrammaton i.e. י-ה-ו, allowing it to be revealed when the occasion demands it.

ואת בגדי השרד, “and the knit vestments, etc.” According to Rashi the vestments mentioned here were the covers in which the furnishings of the Tabernacle were wrapped while the Israelites were en route from one encampment to the next. The literal meaning of the word שרד appears to be that the fabric of these vestments was very porous, like knitwear. According to Nachmanides this is not the issue, but the word שרד indicates that only one single kind of yarn was used in the construction of these covers, as opposed to the ceremonial garments of the High Priest which consisted of a variety of yarns all used in the making of a single garment. At any rate, I have an additional and basic difficulty with Rashi’s commentary. It appears unlikely that G’d would instruct Moses to have vestments made without telling him how many, what size, and what materials these were to be made of. Furthermore, what is astounding, if Rashi were correct, is that such auxiliary vestments would be mentioned ahead of the ceremonial garments of Aaron, or even before the garments of the ordinary priests. Moreover, the expression לשרת בקודש used in 35,19 is totally incomprehensible; what “service” would these vestments possibly perform if their purpose were just to serve as covers for the Tabernacle’s furnishings? Also what is the meaning of the words in verse 6 ועשו את כל אשר צויתיך, “they are to do in accordance with all that I commanded you,” and what follows are a list of things including the בגדי השרד?” Seeing the making of the בגדי השרד had not been commanded to Moses as yet how could they have been included in what is described in verses 7-11? From the words of our sages it would appear that the vestments referred to as בגדי השרד are none other than the priestly garments, and the reason that they are here referred to by the description בגדי השרד, is that the wearer be uniquely distinguished among his people. The word שריד appears in a similar context as referring to the unique phenomenon of someone escaping the general slaughter of Israel’s enemies in Joshua 8,22, and again in the sense of someone unique in Jeremiah The message here is that only one single individual in his generation may be clothed in these garments, i.e. the High Priest Aaron, and after his death the High Priest who replaces him. This may also be the reason why these garments are referred to for all times as בגדי אהרן, Aaron’s garments, not plain “the High Priest’s garments.” The term בגדי אהרן reflects the unique honour bestowed upon Aaron for whom these garments were designed and fashioned. It is not for nothing that the Torah refers to these garments as being לכבוד ולתפארת, “as marks of honour and glory.” This is also why in our literature the term בגדי השרד is equated with בגדי מלכות, “Royal garments,” garments reflecting the glory and authority of the king. As such they become automatically בגדי הקודש, the garments reflecting the sacred duties performed by their wearer. No one else is allowed to wear them. [we know of the unique image of the wearer of these garments when Haman desired to be dressed in the king’s clothes as a mark of the king’s regard for him. Esther, 6, 7-10. Ed.] When we are told in Parshat Pekudey that these garments were woven from blue wool, purple coloured wool, and red wool; it is noticeable that on that occasion no mention is made of the material שש, i.e. fine linen; the reason is that linen, even the finest linen, was considered as inferior to the three kinds of dyed wool mentioned. (compare Exodus) Possibly, there had been no excess donations of these three kinds of woolen threads. Seeing that in our verse the mention of the purpose of these garments to perform holy service in them has been omitted, the Torah may instead have referred to them as בגדי השרד as an alternate way of informing us of the distinction of these garments.

בגדי השרד, hanging protective curtains which would be draped over the furnishings of the Tabernacle, such as the Table, The Ark, and the Menorah, as detailed in Parshat Bamidbar. (Numbers 4,6; 4,13; 4,8) These fabrics had been plaited prior to their serving as protective covers.

ואת בגדי השרד, “and the service garments;” according to Rashi these were not priestly garments, but garments woven alternately of blue wool and red wool, i.e. תכלת וארגמן as described in the portion dealing with the journeys of the Israelites (Numbers 4,7-9). This sounds quite unlikely, as these garments are referred to throughout the Talmud as priestly vestments.

And the anointing oil, and the incense of spices for the sanctuary — according to all that I have commanded you, they shall make.

ואת קטרת הסמים לקדש AND INCENSE OF AROMATICS FOR THE SANCTUARY — i. e. for the purpose of letting it (the incense) rise in smoke in the היכל which is the “קדש” (that part of the Tabernacle or Temple in front of the קדש קדשים.

"To sanctify" — they are for the need of the sacred.

לקדש, "for the holy place, etc." Seeing that none of the materials used for the Tabrnacle and the priests have been forbidden to be used for profane purposes with the exception of the oil for anointing and the incense, the Torah had to underline that these two had to be made on a holy site as they themselves were for use exclusively for consecrated people or holy structures.

ואת קטורת הסמים לקדש, “and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place;” i.e. for use in the holy places.

And Hashem said to Moses, saying:

"And He said" — every instance of לֵאמֹר paired with וַיְדַבֵּר means "to say to him"; but this one means "to say to Israel."

ויאמר ה׳ אל משה, G'd said to Moses, etc. We have to examine why the Torah changed here to using the word ויאמר when describing G'd as speaking to Moses whereas all the time He was described as וידבר, speaking in a stern voice. I have seen a comment by our sages in the Mechilta according to which the term ויאמר ה׳ indicates that G'd did not speak to Moses through an intermediary, i.e. angel, but directly. If so, we must still analyse what change had occurred since 31,1 where G'd was still reported as speaking through an intermediary, i.e. וידבר ה׳ אל משה לאמר. Not only that, but why did the author of the Mechilta wait until here to give us this information? This should have been explained when we find that G'd was speaking to Moses as וידבר ה׳ the first time this occurs. [The author suggests an answer based on a variant text of the Mechilta not at my disposal. Ed.]

And you, speak to the children of Israel, saying: Nevertheless, My Sabbath days you shall keep, for it is a sign between My Word and you throughout your generations, to know that I am Hashem who sanctifies you.

ואתה דבר אל בני ישראל SPEAK THOU ALSO UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — AND thou, although I have given thee charge to command them concerning the work of the Tabernacle let it not appear a light thing to thee to set the Sabbath aside on account of that work. אך את שבתתי תשמרו BUT NEVERTHELESS MY SABBATHS SHALL YE KEEP — Even though you be anxious and alert to do the work promptly the Sabbath nevertheless you must not set aside on its account. The words אך and רק wherever they occur in Scripture have limitative force (Rosh Hashanah 17b; cf. Rashi on Rosh Hashanah 17b on אכין ורקין). Here Scripture intends by the word אך to except the Sabbath from the days on which the work of the Tabernacle may be done. כי אות היא ביני וביניכם FOR IT IS A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU — There is a mark of distinction in the relation that exists between us, viz., the fact that I have chosen you by letting you inherit for rest that day on which “I” rested. לדעת TO KNOW — (not, “for you to know”, but) for the nations of the world to know through it, כי אני ה' מקדשכם THAT I AM THE LORD THAT DOTH SANCTIFY YOU.

ACH’ (BUT) YE SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS. “Even though you may be anxious to do the work promptly, do not set aside the Sabbath on its account. All [Scriptural expressions containing] the words ach (but) or rak (only), intimate limiting qualifications; [in this case] it is to exclude the Sabbath from [the days on which] the work of the Tabernacle may be done.” This is Rashi’s language. But I have not been able to explain it. For according to the method used by our Rabbis to interpret the words ach (but) and rak (only), it should limit the scope of Sabbath-observance [and permit the work of the Tabernacle on the Sabbath], for the limiting qualifications [of ach and rak] everywhere apply to the subject of the commandment itself [and since the verse here speaks of Sabbath-observance, the word ach should be restricting its application]. Thus if we are to interpret [and apply] the limiting nature of the word ach to the subject of the work of the Tabernacle, it should follow that it is allowed to be done on the Sabbath! Rather, the limiting nature of the word ach here applies to circumcision [on the eighth day of the child], or to the saving of human life, and similar instances, [to tell us] that they set aside the Sabbath. And so the Rabbis said in Tractate Yoma: “And whence do we know that even in a doubt whether life is in danger, the Sabbath may be set aside? Rabbi Abohu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: ‘Ach’ ye shall keep My Sabbaths — [the word ach] has a limiting qualification.” And the reason why the work of the Tabernacle does not override the Sabbath [is not on account of the word ach, but] because He warned [about keeping the Sabbath] here [right next to the subject of the making of the Tabernacle, thus indicating that the Sabbath is not to be set aside on account of it]. And in line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse states as follows: “You shall do the work of the Tent of Meeting, but My Sabbaths you shall keep forever.” And in the Torath Kohanim [the Rabbis have said as follows]: “I might think that the building of the Sanctuary overrides the Sabbath? Scripture therefore says, Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My Sanctuary: I am the Eternal.”Now the reason for the word Shabtothai [in the plural] is because the Sabbaths of the year are many. By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], He commanded here [the keeping of the “Sabbaths”] by zachor and shamor, as I have hinted with reference to their secret, this being the reason for the plural — My Sabbaths. Of the two of them [zachor and shamor] He says, for it is a sign [when He should have said “for they are a sign,” this is in order to indicate] that “it” [the Sabbath] is the sign between Me and you… that ye may know. He states, Ye shall keep the Sabbath, and declares that those that profane it are liable to extinction, for the spirit returneth unto G-d who gave it, but the soul of that one [who profanes the Sabbath] will be cut off from there. He states conce...

"But you" — the force of this is אַך, "however." Since He had commanded them as recorded above, they might have thought to continue doing so on the Sabbath. A wise man among the great sages observed: it is known that one Sabbath is Hashem's Sabbath; if so, what is the meaning of "My Sabbaths" (plural)? He answered: because the world endures six thousand years, the seventh millennium is the Sabbath; also the sabbatical year is a Sabbath — and there are many Sabbaths in every year. Know also that we do not find the word Sabbath mentioned explicitly among the festivals, only written there, and there is controversy over the interpretation of "the day after the Sabbath" — but the truth is the received tradition, which only requires clarification, as I will explain in its place. Yom Kippur is called Sabbath, but only for Israel, not for Hashem. "For it is a sign" — at the end I will explain what the sign is. "Who sanctify you" — that you sanctify the Sabbath, which I sanctified by not performing work on the Sabbath day.

אך את שבתותי תשמורו, even though it was I Who commanded you to build the Tabernacle and to construct all its appurtenances, and it is to serve as a residence for My presence, this commandment does not override the restrictions associated with proper observance of the Sabbath. The reason is that the Sabbath is אות היא ביני וביניכם, a symbol serving as a reminder of our mutual relationship. If you were to ignore this symbol by building a residence for Me on this day, there would be no point in doing so as I would not then take up residence in that Tabernacle.

ואתה תדבר אל בני ישראל, "You too speak to the children of Israel, etc." Why does the Torah use the unusual ואתה in this instance? The letter ו is also unusual, as is the repetitive דבר, seeing the Torah already reported G'd as saying to Moses לאמור? Besides, why was the word לאמור repeated once more in this verse? To whom were the children of Israel supposed to communicate this directive? Even though I have already explained at the beginning of פרשת תרומה that the word דבר is needed and it is not enough to write לאמור, in this instance even the word לאמור has been repeated! Another problem is the word שבתותי in the plural. According to Shabbat 69 the reason for the plural is to decrease the liability of someone who through lack of knowledge of the principle of work-prohibition on the Sabbath has violated a string of Sabbaths. His offence would be considered as being only one offence covering all these Sabbaths and a single sin-offering would suffice to obtain atonement for such a person.. In the Mechilta on our verse the use of the plural is explained as including liability for transgressions of rabbinic commandments commonly known as שבות. Before we offer our own commnetary on the meaning of this verse let us first examine the word אך which introduces this directive. By understanding the significance of that word we will arrive at a clearer understanding of why the Torah wrote the word לאמור twice, as well as the other details we queried at the beginning of this paragraph. Our sages in Shabbat 129 state that it is permitted to violate the Sabbath legislation for the sake of a sick person if the sick person's life would be endangered unless the Sabbath were violated for his sake. Any situation in which a life is at stake overrides the Sabbath prohibitions. This is what the Torah hinted at when it introduced this piece of legislation with the restrictive word אך, "however." The word simply means that situations may arise which override the legislation about to be recorded. The meaning of the plural is that any day which is also described as שבת in the Torah such as the Day of Atonement or the other festivals, falls into the same category when it comes to the principles permitting violation of the Sabbath or even demanding violation of the Sabbath. It also means that for the sake of such sick people one may violate more than one Sabbath if the patient has not recovered in the interval. A further ruling derived from the above wording is the case of a patient who requires eight days' consecutive treatment. One should not delay commencement of such treatment in order to violate only a single Sabbath but one has to commence treatment of the patient at once even if this involves the violation of two Sabbath days (based on Yuma 84). When the Torah emphasis that the Sabbaths belong to G'd, i.e. שבתותי, this may be an allusion to the reason behind the legislation to violate the Sabbath when observing it involves danger to one's life. Inasmuch as it is ...

אך את שבתותי תשמורו , “but you must observe My Sabbath days;” the reason why the Torah repeats this instruction was to tell us that this applies not only during the period when the Tabernacle was being constructed, but for all future generations. This is the origin of which type of work is forbidden to be performed on the Sabbath. Any type of work which was performed during the construction of the Tabernacle, i.e. was required to be performed in the construction of the Tabernacle or service in the Tabernacle, was henceforth forbidden to be performed on the Sabbath. כי אות היא ביני וביניכם, “for it is a sign between you and Me for generations.” By the use of the word: וביניכם, the Torah emphasizes that it is only between G-d and the Jewish people that such a relationship exists. It is only the Jews who use the Sabbath to rest on it as G-d rested on it after having completed creating the universe. When you rest on the Sabbath like I did, then all the world will know that you are My people.

אך את שבתותי תשמרו, “However, My Sabbaths you must observe.” This verse teaches that the construction of the Tabernacle did not supersede the laws of the Sabbath. Our sages in Sifra Kedoshim 3,7 explain that the sequence of the words את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו, “observe My Sabbath days and revere My Sanctuary” (Leviticus 19,13), clearly shows that Sabbath observance takes precedence over the commandment to construct the Sanctuary. This is why the word אך in our verse should be translated as אכן, i.e. ”surely, indeed.” The meter of the verse is: “I have indeed commanded you to proceed with the construction of the Tabernacle; however you must continue to observe the laws of the Sabbath inasmuch as they interfere with construction of the Tabernacle.” Seeing that the word אך always is used to exclude something, (compare Jerusalem Talmud Berachot 9,7 that the words אך, רק are always used to exclude something), it seems to me that also in this instance the use of the word אך conforms to that Talmudic principle. The Torah teaches with the word אך that here too it conforms to the principle mentioned by the Talmud and that certain communal sacrifices which are brought at a certain time as directed by the Torah override the Sabbath legislation. Whenever the rules about such offerings are accompanied by the word במועדו, “at its appointed time,” this means that the offering overrides the restrictions imposed on such work on the Sabbath (compare Pesachim 66 on Numbers 28,2). We have another example of the word אך being used in such a context in Leviticus 23,27 where the Torah writes אך בעשור לחודש השביעי הזה יום הכפורים הוא which is also an exclusion. The Talmud explains that the word אך excludes atonement being granted on the Day of Atonement to people who are unrepentant. Delving still further into the meaning of the restrictive אך, the Talmud reasons that if we took the lesson from the word אך in our verses at face value then even violating the Sabbath in order to save a life would be forbidden; in order for us not to make this mistake, the Talmud points out that the word אך was placed in a position where it restricts the application of the very commandments it promotes (Yuma 85). Sabbath is the first commandment given to Israel before the Torah was given. It is the basis of our faith and is equated with all other commandments combined. The Sabbath affirms our belief that G'd created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Our sages (Shabbat 119) state that Jerusalem was destroyed only on account of desecration of the Sabbath. They derive this from Ezekiel 22,26: ”they have closed their eyes to My Sabbaths so that I became profaned in their midst.” Jeremiah 17,27 warned the Jewish people concerning the observance of the Sabbath telling them that both Jerusalem and the dynasty of the house of David would survive only by merit of Sabbath observance. Failing such observance, the prophet warns that the city would be burned and that the fire would not be extinguished. Concerning the positive value of Sabbath observance, we are told in Shabbat 118 that if the Israelites (all of them) were to observe only two Sabbaths they would be redeemed from exile immediately. They base this on the wording in Isaiah 56,4אשר ישמרו את שבתותי , “who will observe My Sabbath days.” Even as few as two such Sabbaths qualify for the plural used by the prophet in describing the result of such observance as being: “I will give them My house and within My walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, etc.” The passage concludes with the words: “I will bring them to My sacred mount and let them rejoice in My house of prayer.” On the subject of Sabbath observance our sages in Shabbat 118 continue that if someone observes the laws of the Sabbath meticulously he will be forgiven such sins as the type of idolatry committed by the first generation of idolaters, the people at the time of Enosh, seeing that the prophet said אשרי אנוש יעשה זאת...שומר שבת מחללו, “hail to (even someone like Enosh) who does this and makes sure not to desecrate the Sabbath” (Isaiah 56,2). The sages substitute the word מחול לו, for the word מחללו, in the verse, i.e. he who does not desecrate it (מחללו), will be forgiven (מחול לו) for his sins. The plain meaning of the text, i.e. why the Torah here speaks about the Sabbath in the plural, is simply because there are many Sabbath days in the course of a year as distinct from the other festivals which occur only once a year. A Kabbalistic approach: The reason for the plural, i.e. שבתותי is that each Sabbath is in fact 2 Sabbaths, seeing that it consists of the commandment to remember it and the negative commandment not to violate it, i.e. זכור ושמור, respectively. Pay careful attention to how the Torah phrased this paragraph. It says of שבתותי, “My Sabbaths,” אות היא, “it is a sign,” i.e. the Torah speaks of a single day in reality, as otherwise how can several Sabbaths be described as a single אות, sign? The Sabbath as an institution is equated with Israel as an institution, i.e. the concept known as כנסת ישראל. This “institution” in turn is an allusion, or אות, to the שבת הגדול; in other words, every week there is a day which is a sign אות of something spiritual. This day is the regular שבת. Over and beyond that there is the fact that the Sabbath itself (not just as the seventh day of the week) is a concept representing a supreme spiritual domain, such as we are to experience by means of the נשמה יתרה, the additional soul we are given for the duration of that day. This is the “sign” which is not merely an אות, but an אות לעולם an allusion to concealed higher worlds. It is something which reflects a bond (ברית) which exists only between G’d and Israel. When the Torah wrote (Exodus 14,31) וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה, this יד הגדולה was a reference to the כנסת ישראל which was also an אות a “sign, reminder” of Hashem as we read that as a result of the Israelites realizing that they were an incarnation of the כנסת ישראל, they developed true reverence for the Lord, i.e. וייראו את הי-ה-ו-ה. The Torah describes that realization of spiritually higher concepts as something which occurs by means of intermediaries here described as אות, “sign,” or “symbol.” I have already elaborated on these ideas in connection with my commentary on Exodus 20,8. You will find the mystical dimension of the subject explained there.

And you, speak to the children of Israel, saying: However, you shall keep My Sabbaths. Here it added the word and you because the Sabbath day is appropriately attributed primarily and firstly to Moses, as he chose the Sabbath day in Egypt, as is found in the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 1:28) and in the prayer text Moses rejoiced in the gift of his portion, etc. And He said However, you shall keep My Sabbaths — implying two [Sabbaths] — because He mentioned the Tabernacle and all its vessels, and it is stated (Exodus 25:8) And they shall make Me a sanctuary. And above it says, It shall be a holy anointing oil to Me. And in the Yalkut, Parashat Terumah, it concludes that everywhere the expression “to Me” is used, it exists forever and for all eternity. Yet our eyes see that they [the Tabernacle and its vessels] did not endure forever, for the Temple was destroyed, and where is the oil? Therefore, He speaks as if placing a condition: However, you shall keep My Sabbaths, in the way our Sages said (Shabbat 118b): “If Israel would observe two Sabbaths, they would be immediately redeemed,” as it says (Isaiah 56:4), Who keep My Sabbaths, etc. That is why He uses the term However — to say that only and exclusively on this condition will the Tabernacle and the oil endure forever: if you observe two Sabbaths. And it is possible that this is also Rashi’s intention when he explained that this comes to exclude the Sabbath from the work of the Tabernacle. For since the endurance of the Tabernacle depends on the observance of the Sabbath, the Sabbath is certainly greater than the work of the Tabernacle. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the work of the Tabernacle to override the Sabbath. The reason for specifically two Sabbaths is, because the Sabbath has two aspects. The first one is to commemorate the creation of the world, and this is called the Sabbath of Creation. The second one is the future Sabbath, which indicates the World to Come, a day that is entirely Sabbath, and on this the commentators have agreed. It seems to me that we can bring a proof from what is concluded in the Yalkut [Shimoni] in this section: Rabbi Natan says, “From where do you say that whoever observes the Sabbath properly is considered as if he observed all the Sabbaths from the day the Holy One, Blessed be He, created His world until the resurrection of the dead? As it is said, And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, etc.”Any intelligent person would be astonished at this sight: from where did Rabbi Natan learn to say that there is a hint here to the Sabbath of the day when the Holy One, Blessed be He, created His world, and to the Sabbath of the resurrection of the dead? But certainly, he found it difficult to understand why it first says My Sabbaths [plural] and afterward mentions the Sabbath [singular]. Furthermore, the entire passage speaks in second person, You shall keep the Sabbath, but afterward it is stated in third person, And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath. Additionally, the phrase for it is a sign is stated twice. But according to the interpretation that all the first verses until and they shall keep are speaking about the Sabbath of Creation, it follows what was said, But my Sabbaths you shall keep, and afterwards it explains what these two Sabbaths are. It first mentions the Sabbath of Creation: for it is a sign between Me and you — it places the sign before the statement between Me and you because the Sabbath of Creation preceded the commandment to the children of Israel. And it says, to know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you, because it comes to commemorate the renewal of the world, and it is a proof of its Creator. This is the meaning of to know that I am the Lord. And concerning this it says, And you shall keep the Sabbath — referring to the Sabbath of Creation until the end of the matter. And then, from And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, it begins discussing the future Sabbath — the day that is entirely Sabbath, which is hidden and no eye has seen etc. Therefore, the commandment is also stated in hidden language [third person, which is referred to as hidden to express that the object of the speech is not present], saying to make the Sabbath throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant. It mentions the language of “making” because regarding the reward of the World to Come it is said How great is Your goodness that You have stored up for those who fear You, that You have worked for those who take refuge in You (Psalms 31:20). Similarly, it says here, And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath — so that through this observance they will cause the making of the Sabbath, meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, will work and make for them the reward of the day that is entirely Sabbath throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant. This is the covenant of the World to Come. Here, it places “between Me and the children of Israel” first, and only afterwards mentions it is a sign forever, because the commandment preceded the matter which the sign indicates. And from all these precise interpretations, Rabbi Nathan learned to establish these two boundaries, from the day that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, etc.

אך את שבתותי תשמורו, “However, you must observe My Sabbaths;” a reference to the numerous Sabbath days during the year. Rashi, pointing out that the word אך always precedes a restrictive clause, claims that the verse in front of us specifically addresses the subject of interrupting the construction of even such a sacred project as the building of the Tabernacle in order not to desecrate the Sabbath. Nachmanides questions Rashi’s interpretation, saying that on the contrary, the restrictive nature of the words אך and רק, should be interpreted as lifting the normal restrictions on building activity on the Sabbath out of deference to the sacred nature of the task of building a residence for G’d on earth. In all other examples of the words אך and רק where these appear in conjunction with a Torah commandment, the commandment’s applicability is limited as a result. If we were to interpret the appearance of this word here as a limitation on the work of the Tabernacle, the result would be that it may proceed even on the Sabbath. Other examples of such a restrictive clause being applied on account of these words result in circumcision on the eight’s day overriding the laws of the Sabbath; similarly, the commandment to save a life which is in danger overrides any forbidden activity of the Sabbath, if the life to be saved is in danger on the Sabbath. The Talmud Yerushalmi 8,5 in Yuma actually quotes our verse here as the source that saving someone’s life on the Sabbath when it involves violation of Biblical prohibitions on the Sabbath is not only permitted but mandatory. However, Rabbi Yochanan there adds that where the life in danger is so only marginally, violation of the Sabbath is not permitted on account of this. Mention of the Sabbath here must be viewed as the exception to the general rule in which the words אך and רק are applied, and that is why work on the Tabernacle was interrupted for the sake of observing the Sabbath. The plain meaning of our verse is: “keep working on the sacred project of building the Tabernacle but do not allow this project to interfere with observance of the Sabbath in any shape or form in order to complete this work sooner.”

אך את שבתותי, even work of constructing the Tabernacle must not be performed on the Sabbath. כי אות היא, for the reason that you are abstaining from such categories of activities is that you are like Me, i.e. you are My people.

אך את שבתותי שמורו, “but you must observe My Sabbaths;” Moses is to tell the people that although they might have thought that having been commanded to construct a residence for G–d on earth, completing it as soon as possible would override any restrictions that are part of the Sabbath, the Sabbath is not to be desecrated on account of building the Tabernacle.

And you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you; whoever profanes it shall surely be put to death — for whoever performs work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

מות יומת SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH by the judges if there are witnesses testifying to the desecration and if the warning required by law had been given to the culprit immediately before he committed the offence. ונכרתה SHALL BE CUT OFF [FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE] by God, if no such warning had been given (Mekhilta). מחלליה means, whosoever treats it as חול, ordinary, in so far as its sanctity is concerned.

"And you shall keep it" — "perhaps he shall be put to death" is like "and its owner too shall be put to death" (above, 21:29). The proof is: whoever performs work on it — even in secret, or before only one witness — I will cut him off.

ושמרתם את השבת, there is yet another reason why the Sabbath regulations must not be overridden for the sake of completing the Tabernacle sooner; כי קדש היא לכם, מחלליה מות יומת, the Sabbath is not only a holy day for you, i.e. it is not only a positive commandment to observe it, but is also a most important negative commandment, so much so that deliberate violation, desecration of it sanctity, is punishable by death. Seeing that building the Tabernacle is only a positive commandment, it is clear that a positive commandment cannot override something that is both a positive and a negative commandment. כל העושה בה מלאכה ונכרתה הנפש ההיא, another reason for not desecrating the Sabbath in order to carry on with the building of the Tabernacle is the extremely heavy penalty associated with deliberate violation of the laws of the Sabbath. The reason for such a penalty is that anyone violating the concept of the Sabbath prohibitions thereby denies that I, G’d, created the universe out of no preexisting tangible substance. Anyone desecrating the Sabbath deliberately would never benefit from the existence of a building such as the Tabernacle. How could he claim a share in the G’d Who dwells in this Tabernacle? מקרב עמיה, from those members of his people who are destined to live on in the world to come after their bodies are left behind on earth by their souls.

ושמרתם את השבת,"And you shall observe the Sabbath, etc." Why did G'd repeat the need to observe the Sabbath by adding a new rationale, namely that it was holy? Seeing that immediately before this verse the Torah had permitted violation of the Sabbath laws for the sake of sick people, we might have concluded that the holiness of the Sabbath is relative, i.e. that when compared to a sick person the Sabbath is merely secular. As a result people would violate the Sabbath to prepare medications, etc., even when the life of the patient was not in danger. The Torah therefore underlined the holiness of the Sabbath to warn us not to violate its statutes unless there was danger to a patient's life. We can also understand this verse when considering something we learned in Menachot 64. The Talmud discusses a situation in which doctors estimated that the patient urgently needed figs [which had not yet been plucked off the tree; sometimes one stalk supports more than one fig, sometimes not. Ed.]. The question is raised that if two figs can be found each of which grows on a separate stalk, necessitating two separate pluckings, or there is a single stalk on which three figs grow, which is to be plucked? The Talmud answers that it is obvious that it is better to pluck the three figs which require only a single act of plucking, i.e. a single violation of the Sabbath. [I have quoted the Talmud correctly; the author, or at least the version I have at my disposal, quoted the Talmud incorrectly. Ed.] The author quotes a hypothetical situation where the patient needed to eat two figs in order to recover. There could be found either a) two figs growing on one stalk or b) 3 figs growing on one stalk. Would it be permissible to pluck the three figs seeing that they too grow on a single stalk and only a single violation of the Sabbath takes place? The answer the author gives is that one must pluck the two figs rather than the three. Although from the point of view of the prohibited work to be performed there is no difference if one plucks the stalk supporting three figs or the one supporting only two figs, the effect of the action is different. The Torah demands that "you shall observe the Sabbath," and this means that any work not necessary for the patient in question must not be undertaken, כי קדש היא, because of the sacred nature of the Sabbath. The Torah made the decision dependent on the nature of the Sabbath and not on the nature of the work performed. If one were to cut off more figs than needed this would be a desecration of the holiness of the Sabbath. The lesson from our verse is that the Sabbath does not lose its holiness even when it is being violated for the sake of a person whose life may be in danger unless we violated the Sabbath on his account. מחלליה מות יומת. "those who desecrate it shall be executed." It is peculiar that the Torah first speaks about people who desecrate the Sabbath in the plural whereas it speaks of the penalty to be applied to a si...

ושמרתם את השבת, “you must observe the Sabbath;” the reason that this has been repeated is to warn that anyone desecrating the Sabbath purposely and publicly, will be executed. If he does so secretly, he will be cut off from membership in the Jewish people and its eternal future by an act of G-d. Seeing that the penalty has already been spelled out, the warning not to become guilty of this sin and its penalty has to be spelled out also; hence the Torah writes not only: מחלליה מות יומת, but also: כל העושה בו מלאכה מות יומת, “anyone performing forbidden activities on it will be executed.” It does not matter whether such forbidden activity is carried out by day or by night. This is made clear by the repetition of ויום השביעי קודש, “the entire seventh day is holy.”

ושמרתם את השבת, “you shall observe the Sabbath.” After the Torah had already written את שבתותי תשמרו, “observe My Sabbaths,” why was this commandment repeated? It teaches that there is an aspect to Sabbath observance prior to the Sabbath’s commencement just as there is an aspect of Sabbath observance immediately after the sun has already set. We are to add to the sanctity of the Sabbath by commencing to observe it even before sundown and we are to add to its sanctity at the end of the day by waiting until it is completely dark before declaring it over. Our sages in explaining the verse: “the column of cloud would not depart by day nor the column of fire by night,” (Exodus 13,22) explained in Shabbat 23 that the wording implies that the column of fire did not withdraw from its position until the column of cloud had taken up its position, whereas similarly, the column of fire did not depart from its position in the morning until the column of cloud was firmly in its assigned position. [There was no vacuum when neither column was in its place to perform its task for the Israelites. Rashi explains that the entire verse was unnecessary as the previous verse had already spelled out the function of each ”column.” Ed.]. Our sages (Yuma 81) also commented on the verse מערב עד ערב תשבתו שבתכם, “from evening till evening you shall rest on your Sabbath” (Leviticus 23,32), that at first glance we might have thought that this directive applied only to the Day of Atonement (where it was written). However, seeing that both the word תשבתו and the word שבתכם were really not needed to teach us this for the Day of Atonement, the extra words mean that the same rule applies to the festivals generally as well as to every Sabbath day. The extra word שבתכם means that every day of rest you observe shall be earmarked by a slight addition both at its commencement and at its end. מחלליה מות יומת כי כל העושה בה מלאכה ונכרתה הנפש ההיא, “anyone desecrating it shall be put to death; for anyone performing work on it, that soul shall be cut off, etc.” The meaning of the verse is that the penalty for deliberate desecration of the Sabbath is death by a human tribunal, provided there are witnesses who have warned the guilty party. If there were either no witnesses or no warning, the penalty is death at the hands of heaven (based on Rashi).

Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy before Hashem; whoever performs work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

שבת שבתון denotes, reposeful rest and not rest of a casual character. ‘קדש לה HOLINESS TO THE LORD — The observance of its holiness shall be (it shall be kept holy) to the glory of My Name and by My command (because I have commanded it).

"Six" — he adds to explain that the six days are permitted for work. The word יֵעָשֶׂה together with מְלָאכָה may be missing the word כֹּל, or the phrase "any act of work." The meaning is: if one performs work in public, you shall put him to death.

ששת ימים יעשה מלאכה, during the six days of the week which correspond to the days when G’d created the universe you can busy yourselves with working on the construction of the Tabernacle. There is no good reason why this project should override the commandments governing the Sabbath. The only time a commandment overrides such commandments is when the Torah linked the commandment which would override it to a specific time frame, such as the circumcision of a baby on the eighth day after its birth, or the type of sacrificial service in the Tabernacle of which the Torah said that it must be performed every day i.e. including on the Sabbath. Any other commandment that is capable of being performed on a day other than the Sabbath does not override the Sabbath. שבת שבתון; this expression alludes to the fact that there are activities and even conversations and thoughts which, though not specifically outlawed by the text, are nevertheless something that interfere with the proper Sabbath observance. We have been told already in Exodus 23,12 וביום השביעי תשבות, that the cessation of work etc., has as its objective קדש לה', that this day is to be holy for the Lord, i.e. we are to make it holy. This means that on the Sabbath we ignore secular matters altogether and devote ourselves to spiritual pursuits, and even the mundane pursuits such as eating festive meals must be perceived as part of our honouring G’d on the Sabbath. כל העושה מלאכה...יומת. It follows that when someone performs secular tasks on the Sabbath he automatically loses track of the purpose of the Sabbath, hence he deserves to be executed.

ששת ימים יעשה מלאכה, "Six days work shall be done, etc." We neeed to examine why this verse which repeats legislation recorded previously had to be written at all. Besides, why does the Torah write יעשה (passive) instead of תעשה, the active form "you shall perform," as the Torah has written repeatedly? Furthermore, why did the Torah choose to describe the Sabbath as the "seventh day," instead of as "the Sabbath," which was the only way the Torah described this day up until now? Why did the Torah revert to describing the violator as כל העושה מלאכה ביום השבת מות יומת, instead of as כל העושה בו מלאכה, or כל העושה מלאכה ביום השביעי? Perhaps the Torah alluded to something the sages told us in Shabbat 69 concerning someone who travels in the desert and has lost count of which day of the week it is. Such a person is supposed to begin counting six days once he has become aware that he does not know which day it is. He will observe the seventh day as Sabbath. The Talmud allows such a person to do what is essential in order to keep alive even on the day which -according to his count- is Sabbath. To the query that if so, how can he distinguish "his" Sabbath from the other six days of the week, the Talmud answers that such a person must recite Kiddush and havdalah at the beginning and end of "his" Sabbath. Tossaphot add that he must not continue on his way on that day. The reason that the Talmud did not give the answer that the traveller in question must not continue on his way is that this is not a sufficient distinction vis-a-vis the other days. It could also be that according to the view of the Talmud such a person might be permitted to continue walking even on the "Sabbath." According to the view of Tossaphot we can explain our verse thus: "Six days, etc," i.e. a person who finds himself in the desert unaware of which day it is, יעשה מלאכה may have work performed on a daily basis for six consecutive days. He is not required to perform work, as would be implied by the active form Taasseh, but he will do the minimum, whatever is needed to ensure his survival. However, ביום השביעי, "on the seventh day, the day which is Sabbath according to his calculations, שבת שנתון, it is a kind of Sabbath," i.e. a Shabbaton, a day on which one refrains from work just as one refrains from working the land in the seventh year. (compare the expression שבתון in connection with the שנת השמטה in Leviticus 25,4). The way a traveller "rests" is by not continuing his journey, just as a farmer rests by not tilling his land. The Torah adds: קדש לה׳ to indicate that such a traveller is to recite the kiddush and the הבדלה at the appropriate time as if this day would be the "real" Sabbath. According to the view that the only difference between this "subjective" Sabbath and the "real" Sabbath is the recital of kiddush and הבדלה respectively, the words שבת שבתון have to be read in conjunction with the words קדש לה׳. The meaning is that this day has to be sanctified. When the Torah co...

ששת ימים יעשה מלאכה, “during six days work may be performed.” This verse refers to work being performed if you so desire; another verse says ששת ימים תעבוד, “during six days you are to perform the kind of work which is normally felt as something burdensome.” (Exodus 35,2) The reason why the Torah writes both formulations is to tell us that when we observe the Torah, others may perform this kind of labour on our behalf; if we do not observe the Torah, such as “benefiting” by an extra day of work, we will experience all seven days as days when we have to perform demeaning work. The repetition of the instruction was necessary on account of the penalty of מות ימות, “he will be executed,” having been written twice.

And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant.

"And they shall keep" — that they observe the days of the week so as not to forget which day is the Sabbath, and that one arranges one's needs and affairs on the sixth day so that he may keep the Sabbath and not profane it. The meaning of "to make the Sabbath" is like "and he hurried to prepare it" (Gen. 18:7).

ושמרו במי ישראל את השבת, in this life, לעשות את השבת, on a day that is totally Shabbat. [the afterlife. Ed]

ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת, "The children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, etc." Why did the Torah add another "observance?" Besides, why does the Torah use the verb לעשות, "to do," which expresses an activity when the meaning seems to be that the children of Israel are to observe the Sabbath by "abstaining" from a number of activities? Our sages have pursued their own path in explaining this wording. Perhaps the Torah employs the word ושמרו to teach the authorities to surround the basic Sabbath legislation with a סיג, a fence, or a framework, which is designed to prevent a person from not knowing which day is the Sabbath. The words לעשות את השבת would mean some action designed to ensure that we know which day is the Sabbath. It is to avoid situations where one recites kiddush when the day in question is not the real Sabbath such as the example we mentioned when discussing the last verse. Alternatively, the verse addresses itself to someone who had lost track of time in circumstances we have described. Such a person is obligated to establish his own count so that he does not fail to make one day in seven his own personal Sabbath. Even though in this instance the Torah called that seventh day יום השבת, when in reality it is only that person's "seventh day," the Torah wanted to impress on the individual the absolute need to sanctify the seventh day. The first "seventh" day in such a person's count assumes the designation שבת. The meaning of the word ושמרו may also follow the meaning of the word in Genesis 37,11 where Jacob is described as awaiting realisation of Joseph's dream and the word chosen by the Torah is ושמר. In our context the Torah means that the Sabbath should not be considered as a burden because many activities are prohibited on that day, but that it should be eagerly awaited and looked forward to. The words לעשות את השבת are designed to counter the prevailing perception that the Sabbath is a day on which one is passive, rests up and treats it as a day on which to indulge one's laziness. The basic purpose of the Sabbath is not to provide physical rest for the body but to actively fulfil the various commandments associated with the Sabbath. The wording may also allude to what we have learned in Yuma 81 that one must add from the week-day to the Sabbath, i.e. that we do not commence the Sabbath only at sundown but that we light candles, abstain from forbidden activities already some time prior to sundown in order to demonstrate how welcome the Sabbath is for us. This additional time demanded by the rabbis based on this verse includes the exhortation to prepare for the Sabbath not after it has commenced, but one bathes oneself, dresses oneself, etc., all before sunset on Friday. Similarly, one does not conclude the Sabbath the moment the three stars become visible in the sky, but one adds some minutes to demonstrate that one does not wish to get rid of the Sabbath as one would get rid of a burden, i.e. at the first possible opportuni...

ושמרו בני ישראל, “The Children of Israel shall observe, etc,;” they shall have in mind the next Sabbath during the six working days, looking forward to it, and to prepare for it in order not to need to desecrate it when it comes. This expression was mentioned earlier in v. 14; it is repeated here on account of it having to match the expression ברית עולם, “an everlasting covenant.”

לעשות את השבת, “to observe the Sabbath actively.” The plain meaning of this line is: “to provide himself with the necessities required on the Sabbath.” The expression לעשות is found in this context in Genesis 18,7 and 18,8 where the Torah reports Avraham as preparing the luncheon for the three angels who had come to visit him. The basic meaning of the verse is to encourage people to prepare for the Sabbath in time so that they can enjoy the day when it occurs. Our sages (Beitzah 16) understand the exhortation to mean that one is to plan from one Sabbath for the next, and that this is the implied meaning of the prophet (Isaiah 58,13) who said: “you shall call the Sabbath ‘a delight.’” When the prophet employed the word וקראת in that verse, as if one were to “call towards the Sabbath,” he meant we should “invite the Sabbath” as one invites guests to one’s table. A Midrashic approach: anyone observing the Sabbath properly on terrestrial earth is considered as if he had “made” it in the celestial regions. What is meant by this Midrash (Mechilta Ki Tissa) is that keeping the Sabbath is testimony that a person is a true believer in G’d and His Torah. Anyone who ignores the laws of the Sabbath thereby testifies that he is an heretic and does not believe. This is also why the word לעשות was used here instead of the more common לשמור אותה. The Torah wanted to allude to the fact that Sabbath observance is a concept which also exists in the celestial regions.

Between My Word and the children of Israel it is a sign forever, for in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested.

וינפש AND WAS REFRESHED — Take it as the Targum renders it: ונח “and He rested”. Every form of נפש is derived from the noun נֶפֶש, soul; the idea is, that one calms his soul and takes breath when one reposes after the toil of labour. — And He of Whom it is written, (Isaiah 40:28) “[… the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth] fainteth not nor is He weary”, and Whose every action is accomplished by His mere command had the term “repose” written of (ascribed to) Himself in order to make comprehensible to the human ear what it can understand.

"Between Me" — in circumcision it is written both "covenant" and "sign," and so too with the Sabbath. The Gaon said: when a circumcised person is found, those who find him know he is of Israel; and likewise when one does not perform work on the Sabbath, or does not engage in commerce on the Sabbath. In my own view, the meaning of "it is a sign" is: for in six days He made — and therefore one who performs work on the Sabbath denies the act of creation. The Torah spoke in human language so that listeners could understand, saying "and He rested" (וַיִּנָּפַשׁ) — even though Hashem "neither faints nor grows weary" (Isa. 40:28) — for His creations, namely the glorious bodies that are the hosts of heaven, revolve continually day and night forever; and how much more the exalted ones who have no bodies; and how much more the Creator of all, who dwells forever and abides from of old, whose acts involve no motion but are all accomplished by His word.

וביום השביעי שבת, seeing that on that day the creative activity of G’d had been completed, completion spells rest, וינפש, this is why the seventh day is one devoted to the נפש, the spirit, resulting in G’d giving Jews an additional soul for use on that day. This additional soul assists us in concentrating on the spiritual dimension of the day. When man was created, G’d made him in His image, i.e. first and foremost concerned with spiritual concerns. The extra soul granted us on the Sabbath is to help us live up to that vision G’d had of man when He created him. (compare Beytzah 16)

ביני ובין בני ישראל אות היא לעולם, “between Me and the Children of Israel it is an everlasting symbol.” It is possible to understand that the word לעולם in this verse means that the Sabbath is a symbol attesting to the fact that G’d created the world out of nothing. This is why our verse describes how the Sabbath functions as a sign (proof) for the entire world. Cessation of creative activity signals that the person so refraining believes that G’d made the world in six days (without drawing on existing raw materials). The words ביני ובין בני ישראל, “between Me and between the Children of Israel,” teaches that there was a hidden aspect which had been conveyed to the Israelites privately. There is a mystical, hidden aspect to the Sabbath.” When a king issues a command to a son or trusted servant, something not everyone knows about, he is apt to say to his son: “remember the thing that is between me and you.” These are the things which had been agreed upon between father and son without any written protocol having been made of them. This is the reason our sages explained in Beitzah 16 in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that G’d gave the Israelites all the commandments in public with the exception of the Sabbath. He based himself on the words in our verse [the word לעולם, derived from נעלם, “hidden, secret,” is probably the way Rabbi Shimon understood our verse. Ed.]. Seeing that the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments and as such was certainly given to the Jewish people in public at Mount Sinai, what did the Rabbi mean when he spoke of the Sabbath having been given secretly, in private? Moreover, Isaiah 48,16 states specifically that “from the beginning I did not speak to you in secret, etc.” How do we reconcile his words with those of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai? Also, in Psalms 138,4 David exclaims: “All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, for they have heard the words You spoke.” What did Rabbi Shimon have in mind? The sages referred to a hidden, mystical element which is part of the entire complex of the Sabbath laws and concept, not to the actual positive and negative commandments which have all been spelled out in public.”

וביום השביעי שבת וינפש, “but on the seventh day He rested and withdrew into His essence.” Rabbi Yehudah Hachassid said that from this verse we can deduce that the Jew receives an additional soul on the Sabbath. When you read the respective last letters in the last four words of the verse backwards, you get the word שתים, “two.” The Talmud relates an interesting conversation between Rabbi Akiva and Turnusrufus, the wicked Roman governor during part of his life when the latter met him once on the Sabbath. Upon seeing him, the governor asked Rabbi Akiva what was so special on that particular day, to which Rabbi Akiva replied: “how are you different from anyone else?” Turnusrufus wanted to know what kind of an answer this was to his question. The Lord had singled him out to be more honoured than other human beings. Rabbi Akiva told him that the same Lord had singled out the Sabbath to be more honoured than any other day He had created. Turnusrufus then wanted to know why that same G–d performs all manner of work on the Sabbath, such as letting the wind blow, the rain fall, etc., whereas He denied the Jews to work on the Sabbath and to travel on the Sabbath? Rabbi Akiva replied that he was aware that the governor was familiar with the Torah G–d had given the Jews, so that he could ask him, why if two Jews share the same courtyard in front of their houses, what is the reason for the law whereby if each of the homeowners does not enter into an arrangement whereby he foregoes his legal claim to the courtyard, neither of them can move his chattels in that courtyard on the Sabbath, whereas when they each waive their claim, they can both use that courtyard freely? How come, he continued, that if a Jew has a palace owned exclusively by himself, and surrounded by a courtyard as large as the city of Damascus, he is free to move all his chattels all over that courtyard on the Sabbath? Similarly, the Lord Who owns both heaven and earth exclusively, is free to let the wind blow and to let the rain fall without thereby violating the laws of His Sabbath. He added, that if proof were needed for what he had told the Roman governor, let him reflect on the fact that that same Creator observed the Sabbath by not having given the Jews in the desert their heavenly bread, manna on that day, but giving them a double portion on the Sabbath eve, so that they would not go hungry on that day. (Tanchuma, section 33 on this portion)

And He gave to Moses, when He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the Testimony — tablets of stone, written by the finger of Hashem.

ויתן אל משה וגו׳ AND HE GAVE UNTO MOSES etc. — There is no “earlier” or “later” (no chronological order) in the events related in the Torah: in fact the incident of the golden calf (related in ch. 32) happened a considerable time before the command regarding the work of the Tabernacle was given (ch. 25 and the following chapters). For on the seventeenth of Tammuz were the Tablets broken (when the people were worshipping the calf) and on the Day of Atonement God became reconciled with Israel (after Moses had prayed 80 days for forgivenness; so that it is very unlikely that the command for the building of the Tabernacle should have been given before that day) and on the next day, the eleventh of Tishri (cf. Rashi on Exodus 33:11, at end of comment on ושב אל המחנה), they began to bring their contributions for the Tabernacle which was set up on the first of Nisan. (From the seventeenth of Tammuz until the eleventh of Tishri are almost three months — ימים רבים) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 31). ככלתו WHEN HE FINISHED [SPEAKING] — The word ככלתו is written defectively (without a ו after the ל) to intimate that the Torah was handed over to Moses as a gift (note the word ויתן), complete in every respect, even as the bride (the word ככלתו is taken to be connected with “כלה”, bride) is handed over to the bridegroom completely equipped with all she requires — for in a period brief as this which Moses spent on the mountain, he must have been unable to learn in its entirety every law to be derived from it. Another explanation why the word is written defective is: just as a bride (כלה) bedecks herself with 24 ornaments — those which are mentioned in the book of Isaiah (ch. 3) — so a scholar (תלמיד חכם) ought to be thoroughly versed in the contents of the 24 books of Scripture (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 16). לדבר אתו TO SPEAK WITH HIM the statutes and the judgments contained in the section beginning with ואלה המשפטים (ch. Exodus 21 ff.). לדבר אתו TO SPEAK “WITH” HIM — The use of the word אתו “with him” teaches us that Moses first heard the laws from the mouth of the Almighty and that then they both again repeated each Halacha together (Exodus Rabbah 41:5). לחת TABLETS — The word is written defectively לחת (without a ו between ח and ת), thus intimating that they were both alike in every respect (Exodus Rabbah 41:6).

AND HE GAVE UNTO MOSES. This is connected with the end-part of the verse, where the word “G-d” is mentioned, thus meaning: “and G-d gave unto Moses.” Just as Scripture mentioned concerning G-d’s communicating with Moses, And G-d spoke all these words, and with reference to the work of the Tablets of Law and the writing thereon it says, And the Tablets were the work of G-d, and the writing was the writing of G-d, so also it says concerning the giving, and G-d gave to Moses.

"And He gave him" — Empty-headed people wonder what Moses did on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. They do not realize that if Moses had spent that number of years — doubled and redoubled — in the presence of Hashem, he could barely have known one part in a thousand of Hashem's deeds and ways and the secret of all the commandments He commanded him. For they think that deeds are the main thing — but they are not; rather, it is the heart together with the deed. The heart and the tongue train a person, as it is written: 'it is in your mouth and in your heart to do it' (Deut. 30:14). And our sages said: the Merciful One desires the heart. The root of all the commandments is that one should come to love Hashem with all his soul and cleave to Him — and this cannot be complete unless he knows Hashem's work in the upper and lower worlds and understands His ways. So the prophet said: 'Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me' (Jer. 9:23); then it will become clear to him 'that Hashem exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth' (ibid.). And a person cannot know Hashem unless he knows his own spirit, soul, and body — for anyone who does not know the nature of his soul, what is the worth of his wisdom? Now Moses, who prophesied in the desert for forty years and was present at many secrets that Hashem revealed to him on Mount Sinai, said before his death: 'You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness' (Deut. 3:24). It was thus only then that he began, and Hashem showed him His greatness. This is true, for 'His greatness is unsearchable' (Ps. 145:3). 'Tablets of stone' — I have already explained this. 'Written with the finger of God' — Scripture uses human language; whatever Hashem wills comes to pass by the word of His mouth. The expression 'mouth' is metaphorical, as with human kings — 'for He commanded and they were created' (Ps. 148:5). The words of Hashem stand firm in heaven toward those below, as it is written: 'Forever, Hashem, Your word stands firm in the heavens' (Ps. 119:89). The discerning will understand. Abraham the author says: I must dwell at length on the matter of the calf. Some of the early authorities said that Hur was killed and Aaron therefore was afraid. Others say he feared for Israel — that if they killed him, Hashem would destroy all of them. On the level of plain meaning: if the making of the calf was idolatry, why was Aaron afraid of being killed? Many pious Israelites of later generations, whose piety did not reach the sole of Aaron's foot, died for the sanctification of Hashem's unity. Moreover, Daniel's companions were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to an image — how then could Aaron make an idol, which is worse than bowing to it? And was not Aaron one of Hashem's holy ones and a prophet over Israel, through whom, together with his brother Moses, many commandments were given? If so, Hur would be greater than him! And if he did make an idol, Moses should have killed him before the worshippers of the calf — yet Moses prayed on his behalf and killed the worshippers. And how afterward did Aaron and his descendants atone for Israel for all generations? Do not be misled by 'take a bull-calf as a sin-offering' (Lev. 9:2), for that is not related to the incident of the calf — the same offering is required of every anointed priest on Yom Kippur, and we cannot say it is on account of the sin of a forefather, since all the priests descend from Eleazar and Ithamar, and Phinehas had already been born. Furthermore, in that same passage Israel brings a goat as a sin-offering, and they did not make the image of a goat; the red heifer likewise does not atone for idolatry but only purifies the impure. All scholars of investigation agree that Hashem does not choose an agent whom He knows will ultimately commit idolatry, though not every prophet is such an agent. We see that Moses before his death said 'Your Thummim and Urim belong to Your pious one' (Deut. 33:8) — and there is no mention of the calf; the only fault found in Aaron is what was found in Moses as well, namely the matter of the waters of Meribah. Some say that Israel tricked Aaron — they prepared a mold of the calf and Aaron cast the gold into the fire unknowingly, and their proof is 'I threw it into the fire and out came this calf' (below, 32:24). But this is not correct — for how could Hashem have chosen Aaron if he was so foolish as to be deceived by fools? And furthermore, why did he build an altar before it and call for sacrifices and burnt offerings? Others say this was not Aaron the brother of Moses who made the calf — but that too is nonsense, for the people gathered only around the one who stood in place of Moses, and it is written 'and Aaron and Hur are with you' (above, 24:14). If it was someone else, why did Aaron or Moses not kill him when Moses came down? And Moses prayed for him — for it is not right that a pious man should cause idolatry for others to prevent their death. Many also say that 'a feast to Hashem tomorrow' (below, 32:5) means those who worshipped the calf would be killed by Moses — but this reading is not supported by the plain meaning. For after building the altar before the calf he proclaimed in the camp that they should sacrifice tomorrow at the altar he had built — like 'bind the festival offering with branches' (Ps. 118:27) — and so they did: 'and they rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings' (below, 32:6). Intentions do not help when someone blaspheming Hashem's name by speech is liable to death, and likewise one who says 'let us go and worship other gods' (Deut. 13:7) — and for one to explain 'I am Esau your firstborn' (Gen. 27:19) as meaning 'I am what I am, but Esau is your firstborn' is not the plain meaning and does not accord with the logic of speech. If someone is asked in court 'are you the one who borrowed from me?', and he answers 'I am', he cannot later say his intention was only that he is the man's neighbor and no more. Similarly Daniel's words to Nebuchadnezzar 'My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you' (Dan. 4:16) are a manner of reproof. Now I will tell you the view of the Gaon Rav Saadiah, who said that Aaron acted with cunning, as Jehu did — therefore he built the altar and put himself in danger. If so, why was Hashem angry with him? He answered: because Aaron did not kill them immediately when they acted as he did when he came down. But this too is not correct — for Aaron proclaimed 'a feast to Hashem tomorrow', and this name is the proper name of Hashem and no other may be joined with it as with the word elohim, which applies in many contexts. And furthermore, why did Aaron not mention this in his reply to Moses, saying 'I threw it into the fire' — his answer does not match the question? Now I will begin to briefly explain the secret. Heaven forbid — Aaron did not make an idol! And Israel too did not seek an idol — they only thought that Moses, who had led them from the Sea of Reeds, had died, as I have explained: they saw that the manna did not fall at Mount Sinai, and Moses had delayed there forty days, and no person can live that long without food; and Moses had not told them when he would return, nor did he know himself, for Hashem had told him 'go up to Me on the mountain and stay there until I give you the tablets of the covenant.' The word elohim means an honored presence dwelling in bodily form, and so they said 'who will go before us' (below, 32:1). And if you consider the first journey, you will understand this. It was done for the honor of Hashem — therefore Aaron built an altar before it and proclaimed that they should sacrifice tomorrow for the honor of Hashem, and so they did as he commanded. This is also the meaning of Aaron's reply — for they had gathered against him, and as I have explained: every assembly described with the preposition al (upon) has a negative sense, whereas el (toward) has a positive sense — as in 'and they assembled to King Solomon' (1 Kings 8:2). And this is the meaning of 'you know the people, that they are set on evil' (below, 32:22) — for I did not do evil to them, since they only sought what would go before them, and I did it for the honor of Hashem. But because Israel was mixed with the erev rav (mixed multitude), 'they are set on evil' — the text does not say 'he is evil' but 'it is evil.' A few among Israel thought it was idolatry and brought sacrifices and bowed to it and said 'these are your gods, Israel.' Do not be surprised that the text says 'your people have acted corruptly, they have turned aside quickly' (below, 32:7-8), for it does not say 'all your people' — just as it was not all Israel who betrayed the ban, only Achan alone, yet it is written 'Israel has sinned, they have also transgressed...they have also stolen and also deceived and also placed it among their possessions' (Josh. 7:11). All those who worshipped the calf for idolatry — those who said 'these are your gods, Israel' or who held such a belief in their hearts — numbered only three thousand, which is half of one tenth of one tenth of the camp. The conclusion is: what was done was not truly considered idolatry by those who were not fools. And do not be surprised that Hashem was angered with Aaron — for this was because he was the cause of it all. Indeed Aaron was punished together with his brother Moses over the matter of the waters of Meribah, and they did not sin with intent, yet it is written of them 'you did not believe in Me' (Num. 20:12), 'you rebelled' (Num. 27:14), 'you acted treacherously' (Deut. 32:51). The astrological scholars said that the great conjunction of the two superior planets occurred in the sign of Taurus — but this is false; it occurred in the sign of Aquarius. According to astrological wisdom, Aquarius is the sign of Israel, and many have tested this secret from generation to generation, and I too have seen that it is so. They placed it in the middle of the heavens.

ויתן אל משה ככלותו, after the Torah described all the spiritual accomplishments which should have resulted from the many days Moses had spent on the mountain with G’d, the Torah now has to explain why all these spiritual accomplishments G’d had envisaged did not in fact materialise so that it became necessary to build a Tabernacle, etc., in order to achieve these spiritual accomplishments via a different route. The Torah explains that the cause of this detour in the spiritual ascent of the people was the abuse they had made of the freedom of choice. They, who had been about to receive the set of Tablets made and written by G’d Himself at the end of Moses’ stay on Mount Sinai for forty days, who were all to personify the ideal of being priests, and a holy nation, rebelled, corrupted themselves, as testified in Exodus 33,6 when they divested themselves of the signs of the covenant G’d had made with them, removing the garments emblazoned with the blood of that covenant. שני לוחות העדות, the ones of which we heard in Exodus 24,12 where G’d had told Moses prior to his ascending the mountain: “I will give you there the Tablets of stone, etc.” Before G’d had a chance to give the people the written Torah they already began with the golden calf episode so that G’d had to tell Moses to precipitously descend from the mountain warning him that his people had become corrupt. (32,7)

ויתן …שני לוחות הברית "He gave to Moses….the two Tablets of the covenant, etc." Why did G'd insert the words ככלותו לדבר אתו בהר סיני between the announcement that He gave something to Moses and the announcement of what it was that G'd gave to Moses? We would have expected that the Torah would either write: "After G'd finished speaking to Moses, He gave him the two Tablets, etc," or: "G'd gave to Moses the two Tablets of the covenant after He finished speaking to him, etc." Why this peculiar insertion of the words "after He had finished speaking with him at Mount Sinai?" Why did G'd delay giving Moses the two Tablets until this point in time? Seeing that the only thing which was engraved on the two Tablets were the Ten Commandments, why did G'd not give them to Moses immediately, or a day after the revelation at Mount Sinai? Why did He wait for 40 days? According to our sages in the Zohar, volume 2 page 93 all the 613 commandments are somehow contained in the text of the Ten Commandments. Seeing that this was so, the words: "when He had finished speaking with Moses at Mount Sinai," are a hint that seeing the entire Torah is somehow part of the two Tablets, G'd had to wait until He had taught Moses the entire Torah at the end of forty days. The words "שני לוחות העדות" are merely a description of what it was G'd spoke to Moses about for forty days. This comment disposes of both our questions at one and the same time. כתובים באצבע אלוקים, "written by the finger of G'd." The Torah here describes what we have have learned in Tanchuma Parshat Eykev that the tablets had been "hewn" from underneath the throne of G'd. Perhaps our verse alludes to this with the words מעשה אלוקים, "the work of G'd (32,16)." We have explained that there are many "lights" of sanctity in the Celestial Regions as alluded to by Solomon in Kohelet 5,7: כי גבוה מעל גבוה שומר וגבוהים עליהם, "for there is One higher than the high Who watches and there are high ones above them." The Zohar volume 2 page 53 relates a miraculous story according to which Moses encountered the angel Sandal during his ascent to Heaven. He disabled this angel and subsequently the angel Mattat. The angel was afraid that the fire above Moses' head would burn him. We are told in Deut. 4,24 that "G'd is a devouring fire." His holy fire consumes every other fire. The Torah tells us here the manner in which the Tablets were written. The words: "written with the finger of G'd" mean that G'd drew the shape of the letter with His "finger," i.e. using one of the kinds of light at His disposal. It (the light) assumed the appearance of a finger opposite the Tablets corresponding to the dimensions of the requisite letter G'd wanted to inscribe. G'd did this in order to ensure that no more and and no less than the letter should be engraved on the Tablets themselves. Seeing that the light G'd used to do this with was more powerful than the light the Tablets were made of, the light of the "finger" penetrated the requis...

ככלותו לדבר אתו, “when He had concluded speaking with him;” just before dawn on the seventeenth. לוחות אבן, “Tablets of stone.” This word is used as meaning that the raw material that these Tablets were made of was indestructible, i.e. not subject to disintegration by natural wear and tear. An alternate interpretation: the word was used as a hint that most capital offences when committed deliberately are subject to the penalty of death by stoning.”[Seeing that the Tablets had been made in the celestial regions, the word “stone” had to be used as we are not familiar with the raw material used, and since Moses smashed them, no one even ever saw the Tablets. Ed.]

ויתן אל משה, “He gave to Moses, etc.” The meaning of the line is: “G’d gave to Moses, etc.” [although it is a new paragraph the Torah omitted mentioning the subject. Ed.]. Seeing that the last-named subject had been Hashem, the Torah did not bother to repeat His name once more at this stage. Furthermore, the name of the subject, i.e. אצבע אלו-הים as the One who did the writing on the Tablets is mentioned at the end of our verse. It was quite clear that everything which occurred at Sinai, the word, the writing, the tablets, were all orchestrated by and originated with G’d. (Compare my comments on Exodus 20,1, where I dealt with the reason why different attributes, names of G’d, are used there and here). I have also explained that at the time the universe was created the attribute Hashem was “co-opted“ by the attribute of Justice as demonstrated by the letter ה in the word בהבראם in Genesis 2,4. ככלתו, “when He had completed, etc.” The reason the word is not written plene, i.e. ככלותו, is to draw our attention to the word כלה, bride, which is part of the spelling ככלתו, “like His bride.” The handing over of the Torah to the Jewish people was in the nature of the groom receiving his bride as a gift. Had this not been the case Moses could not have learned the whole Torah in forty days. In fact, a Midrash (Tanchuma Ki Tissa 16) asks: “how could Moses possibly have learned the entire Torah within forty days? Is it not written (Job 11,40) ‘its measurements are longer than the earth and its width wider than the oceans?’” We are forced to answer that what G’d taught Moses during these forty days were the rules governing study of the Torah and their application. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, extrapolating on the spelling of the word ככלתו in our verse said that anyone teaching Torah who does not succeed in making its words as beloved as a bride is to her groom would have done better not to lecture at all. At the time when the Torah was received by the Jewish people it was as beloved to them as a bride to her groom. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish added that just as a bride requires no fewer than 24 different kinds of ornaments, as mentioned in Genesis 2,22 ויבאה אל האדם, “G’d brought her (Chavah) to Adam,” so the Torah requires 24 ornaments [the numerical value of the letters in the word ויבאה is 24. Ed.]. G’d had decorated Adam’s bride with 24 ornaments. The ornaments are listed in Isaiah 3,18-23. Similarly, a Torah scholar needs to be decorated (thoroughly familiar) with 24 books; (the books of the Bible). Seeing that the Sabbath is perceived as the bride of the Jewish people, this may be the reason that the authors of the oral Torah divided tractate Shabbat into 24 chapters. Another reason that the Sabbath is called כלה, “end, completion,” is that it occurred for the first time at the end of the six days of creation. It had been the objective, “end purpose,” of all that had been created before both in the heavens and on earth. The Sabbath in the celestial regions is perceived as the end of emanations. It is customary in our terrestrial world that as a man prepares for adulthood the final stage is that he picks a bride (after having established an economic base, acquired a field, or something like it, built a house). Solomon instructed us in this sequence of events when he wrote in Proverbs 24,27: “prepare your outside work; make ready what you have in the field; and after that build yourself a house.” The word אחר “afterwards,” in that verse is not a preposition but a command and refers to the founding of a family as making the acquisition of a bride the last of these endeavours. A similar construction is found in Psalms 55,10 פלג לשונם, ”confound their speech!” [where this root is used as a verb in the imperative instead of as an adjective or preposition. Ed.] שני לוחות העדות, “the two Tablets of Testimony.” It was a testimony for the Jewish people that the Shechinah resided amongst them, (Pessikta Zutrata). Receiving the Tablets was similar to being handed the seal of the King as proof of the validity of his document. According to the plain meaning of the text: Why did there have to be two Tablets? Testimony is not valid unless given by two people. Besides, (second Tablets) the material, (stone) was from earth whereas the writing was by the hand of G’d, i.e. originated in heaven. There had to be two Tablets as a reminder of this combination of contributors. We have a verse illustrating this concept in Deut. 31,28 "I will call as witnesses against them heaven and earth.” A Midrashic approach (Tanchuma Ki Tissa 16): The word two in “two Tablets of Testimony“ alludes to heaven and earth, bride and groom, the two friends assisting bride and groom each; the two worlds.” Rabbi Chanina said that the spelling of the plural לוחות without the letter ו in front of the letter ת at the end (which makes the uninitiated reader think the word is in the singular), is accounted for by the fact that both were of identical dimensions. The reason the raw material used for these Tablets was stone and not some more precious material was to hint at the fact that most serious sins carry with it the penalty of death through stoning. Another explanation for the fact that these Tablets were made of stone is in Genesis 49,24 where Yaakov blessed Joseph. He referred to משם אבן ישראל, “from there he (the foundation stone) known as Israel acted as shepherd.” This teaches that Yaakov was also known as אבן, and is an allusion to the fact that it was his merit which was instrumental in Israel securing for themselves these Tablets. Still another explanation: the Tablets were given to Israel through the merit of the Holy Temple. Isaiah described this Temple as אבן, stone, when he said הנני יסד בציון אבן, “Thus says the Lord G’d: ‘Behold I will found in Zion stone by stone a tower of precious cornerstones’” (Isaiah 28,16). Thus far Tanchuma. A Kabbalistic approach: We have already explained why there were two Tablets in our commentary on Exodus 20,1. It is important to understand that although both Tablets had precisely the same measurements, one was “bigger” than the other (in that more was inscribed on it than on the second Tablet). This was most appropriate as the attribute of Justice receives its input from the attribute of Mercy. When you examine what is written on the first Tablet you will find the tetragrammaton mentioned in connection with every single commandment, whereas this name of G’d (Hashem) does not even appear once on the second Tablet. However, when you count the number of words which are written on the second Tablet you will find that there are 26 words, i.e. that the entire Tablet may be perceived as alluding to the attribute Hashem, the tetragrammaton (numerical value 26). The Tablets were cubes six handbreadths long, six handbreadths wide and six handbreadths thick (compare Baba Batra 14). We have already explained that this calculation (these identical measurements) made the Tablets equivalent to a king’s seal seeing that they had been inscribed with ten commandments, each of them containing five separate directives. The number “ten”, i.e. the י in the tetragrammaton, plus the two letters ה, i.e. 5, plus the allusion to the letter ו in the tetragrammaton seeing the dimensions of the Tablets were 6 by 6 by 6, all allude to the name Hashem. Moreover, if you multiply the three dimensions of 6 handbreadths by each other you will have the number 108, equivalent to the numerical value of the word חק, “law or statute.” A good way of remembering all this is the verse שם שם לו חק ומשפט, “there He provided them with statute and social laws” (Exodus 15,25). The combined measurements of the two Tablets were 216 handbreadths which is the total of the 72 names which can be permutated from the tetragram by writing those letters as words rather than as mere letters ( for instance instead of י write יוד). The way to remember this is by means of the verse ויעבור ה’ על פניו, (the letters in ו-יעבור amount to (עב) 72-+(יור) 216). (Exodus 34,6). All of these symbols and concepts had been revealed to Moses while he was on Mount Sinai. The spiritual benefit we (the Jewish people in the desert) derived from all this was that when the Tablets were reposing inside the Holy Ark, the tetragram in all its permutations was represented inside that Ark. It is known further (Tanchuma Ki Tissa 29) that the kind of stone used for the tablets was called Sanpiryon, (sapphire) and that this stone had been hewn from the throne of G’d’s attribute כבוד. This is why we find Ezekiel 1,26 describing his vision of that throne as consisting of אבן ספיר, “sapphire-stone.” The word לחת when spelled according to the principle of inverting the alphabet such as ת=א, ש=ב, ר=ג would look like this: כסא, “throne.” This is why the Shechinah rests above the Holy Ark like a throne. The reason the Torah has also been called כבוד is because the sapphire stone on which G’d inscribed it has been taken from the throne of His attribute כבוד. The verse from which all this is derived is found in Proverbs 3,35 כבוד חכמים ינחלו, “the (Torah) scholars inherit kavod.” The source of our intelligence is also rooted in that celestial region and is known as kavod, as we know from Psalms 30,13 למען יזמרך כבוד ולא ידום, ”so that it will sing to Your attribute kavod endlessly.” The soul of a person who is occupied with Torah will merit to return to its holy roots as we know from Psalms 19,8 תורת ה’ תמימה משיבת נפש, “the Torah of the Lord is perfect, it restores the soul.”

“And He gave to Moses when He had finished.” Rashi explains ככלתו [when He had finished] is written without a vav [deficient spelling], indicating that the Torah was given to him as a gift like a bride [kallah] to a groom, and the bride is adorned with 24 types of ornaments, etc. And this verse is placed adjacent to the incident of the Golden Calf for two reasons: The first is, as concluded in the Midrash Rabbah, that because Aaron attributed the sin of the Golden Calf to himself and not to Israel, he merited the 24 priestly gifts. According to this, the verse wishes to provide a reason why specifically 24 priestly gifts were given to him: because all 24 books [of the Bible] are included in the Tablets of the Covenant, and the [Golden] Calf caused the breaking of the Tablets and the nullification of all 24 books. And because he took the blame upon himself and took 24 punishments for Israel, it is therefore just that, in return, Israel should give him 24 priestly gifts. The second reason is, as concluded (in Sanhedrin 102a), that there is no punishment that does not contain some portion from the sin of the first [Golden] Calf. And it appears that the measurement was set at the number 24 because it says there that Rabbi Chanina said that after 24 generations, this verse was fulfilled, as it is said Let the punishments of the city draw near (Ezekiel 9:1). From this we learn that God wanted to divide the punishment into 24 parts, and because Aaron took the blame upon himself, in return they gave him 24 priestly gifts.

ויתן אל משה, “He gave to Moses, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the subject of the word ויתן in our verse is the word אלוקים, although it appears only at the end of our verse. The construction is similar, in a sense, to Exodus 20,1 where the line וידבר אלוקים את כל הדברים האלה, “G’d said all these words, etc.,” refer to what is yet to come, instead of to something that preceded it. The same is true in connection with the Tablets, where the Torah describes these Tablets as having been made by the Lord and inscribed by the Lord only in The handing over of the Tablets to Moses certainly preceded the end of G’d’s dialogue with Moses as is evident from.