Chumashחומש

כפרת. כִּסּוּי עַל הָאָרוֹן, שֶׁהָיָה פָּתוּחַ מִלְמַעְלָה וּמַנִּיחוֹ עָלָיו כְּמִין דַּף:

כפרת — A cover for the ark which was made open on top. He laid it upon it, flat like an ordinary slab.

אמתים וחצי ארכה. כְּאָרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן, וְרָחְבָּהּ כְּרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן, וּמֻנַּחַת עַל עֹבִי הַכְּתָלִים אַרְבַּעְתָּם, וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן שִׁעוּר לְעָבְיָהּ, פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁהָיָה עָבְיָהּ טֶפַח (סוכה ה'):

אמתים וחצי ארכה TWO CUBITS AND A HALF SHALL BE THE LENGTH THEREOF, as was the length of the ark, and its (the cover’s) breadth was as the breadth of the ark (i. e. of the inner wooden ark, cf. Rashi on v. 11); thus it rested on the thickness of its four walls. Although it does not assign any size for its (the cover’s) thickness our Rabbis have explained (applying to it a ג"ש) that the thickness thereof was one handbreadth (Sukkah 5a).

כרבים. דְּמוּת פַּרְצוּף תִּינוֹק לָהֶם:

כרבים CHERUBIM — They had the form of a child’s face (Sukkah 5b).

מקשה תעשה. שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֵׂם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם וּתְחַבְּרֵם בְּרָאשֵׁי הַכַּפֹּרֶת לְאַחַר עֲשִׂיָּתָם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה צוֹרְפִים שֶׁקּוֹרִין שולד"יר בְּלַעַז, אֶלָּא הַטֵּל זָהָב הַרְבֵּה בִּתְחִלַּת עֲשִׂיַּת הַכַּפֹּרֶת, וְהַכֵּה בְּפַטִּישׁ וּבְקֻרְנָס בָּאֶמְצַע, וְרָאשִׁין בּוֹלְטִין לְמַעְלָה, וְצַיֵּר הַכְּרוּבִים בִּבְלִיטַת קְצוֹתָיו:

מקשה תעשה OF BEATEN WORK SHALT THOU MAKE [THEM] — i. e. thou shalt not make them separately (apart from the actual lid) and join them to the ends of the lid after they have been made, like goldsmith’s work which is called in old French souder (English solder) — but lay down a large mass of gold (lit., much gold) when thou beginnest to make the lid and beat upon the middle part of it (the gold) with a hammer or with a mallet, so that its ends will project upward (stand out in relief), and then shape the cherubim out of the projecting edges.

מקשה. בטדי"ץ בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן (דניאל ה'):

מקשה batediz (beaten work) in old French Similarly we have (Daniel 5:6) “and his knees knocked (נקשן) one against another”.

קצות הכפרת. רָאשֵׁי הַכַּפֹּרֶת:

קצות הכפרת means THE EXTREMITIES OF THE COVER.

ועשה כרוב אחד מקצה. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר שְׁנַיִם כְּרוּבִים לְכָל קָצֶה וְקָצֶה, לְכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ כְּרוּב אֶחָד מִקָּצָה מִזֶּה:

ועשה כרוב אחד מקצה AND MAKE ONE CHERUB FROM ONE EXTREMITY — In order that you should not say that the preceding verse means two cherubim on each extremity, it was necessary to expressly state: “one cherub from the one extremity and one cherub from the other extremity”.

מן הכפרת. עַצְמָהּ תַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַכְּרוּבִים, זֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁל מִקְשָׁה תַּעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָם, שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם וּתְחַבְּרֵם לַכַּפֹּרֶת:

מן הכפרת FROM THE COVER itself, תעשו את הכרבים SHALL YE MAKE THE CHERUBIM — This is the explanation of: (v. 18) “of beaten work shalt thou make them” — that thou shalt make them out of the cover itself and that thou shalt not make them by themselves and afterwards join them to the cover.

פרשי כנפים. שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה כַנְפֵיהֶם שׁוֹכְבִים אֶלָּא פְּרוּשִׂים וּגְבוֹהִים לְמַעְלָה אֵצֶל רָאשֵׁיהֶם, שֶׁיְּהֵא עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים בֶּחָלָל שֶׁבֵּין הַכְּנָפַיִם לַכַּפֹּרֶת, כִּדְאִיתָא בְסֻכָּה:

פרשי כנפים [AND THE CHERUBIM SHALL] SPREAD THEIR WINGS [ON HIGH] — i. e. that you shall not make their wings touching the body but spreading on high slightly above but almost on the same level with their heads so that the hollow space between the wings and the cover shall be ten handbreadths, as it is explained in Treatise Sukkah 5b.

ואל הארן תתן את העדת. לֹא יָדַעְתִּי לָמָּה נִכְפַּל, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר וְנָתַתָּ אֶל הָאָרֹן אֵת הָעֵדֻת, וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֶׁבָּא לְלַמֵּד שֶׁבְּעוֹדוֹ אָרוֹן לְבַדּוֹ, בְּלֹא כַפֹּרֶת, יִתֵּן תְּחִלָּה הָעֵדוּת לְתוֹכוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתֵּן אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת עָלָיו, וְכֵן מָצִינוּ כְּשֶׁהֵקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, נֶאֱמַר וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הָעֵדֻת אֶל הָאָרֹן וְאַחַר כָּךְ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת עַל הָאָרֹן מִלְמָעְלָה:

ואל הארן תתן את העדות AND IN THE ARK THOU SHALT PUT THE TESTIMONY — I do not know why this is repeated for it has already been commanded, (v. 16) “and thou shalt put the Testimony in the ark”. One may say that it intends to tell us that whilst the ark is still by itself — i. e. without the cover — he should first put the Testimony into it, and only afterwards should he put the cover on it for the first time. Thus indeed do we find: that when he (Moses) erected the Tabernacle it is stated, (Exodus 40:20) “and he [took and] put the Testimony into the ark”, and afterwards it says, “and he put the cover upon the ark above it” (cf. Talmud Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1).

ונועדתי. כְּשֶׁאֶקְבַּע מוֹעֵד לְךָ לְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ, אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם אֶקְבַּע לַמּוֹעֵד שֶׁאָבֹא שָׁם לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ:

ונועדתי AND [THERE] I WILL BE MET [BY THEE] — When I shall appoint you a place of meeting to speak to you that place will I appoint as the place of meeting whither I will come to speak to you.

ודברתי אתך מעל הכפרת. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר (ויקרא א'), זֶה הַמִּשְׁכָּן, מִחוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים מַכְחִישִׁים זֶה אֶת זֶה, – בָּא הַכָּתוּב הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם: וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת וְגוֹ' (במדבר ז'), מֹשֶׁה הָיָה נִכְנָס לַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּא בְתוֹךְ הַפֶּתַח, קוֹל יוֹרֵד מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְבֵין הַכְּרוּבִים, וּמִשָּׁם יוֹצֵא וְנִשְׁמָע לְמֹשֶׁה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ספרי):

ודברתי אתך מעל הכפרת AND I SHALL SPEAK WITH THEE FROM ABOVE THE COVER — In another passage, however, it says, (Leviticus 1:1) “And God spake unto him out of the appointed tent, saying” — this is that part of the Tabernacle outside the partition veil whilst the ark and the cover were on the other tide of the veil — consequently we have two verses contradicting each other! But there comes a third verse and reconciles them: (Numbers 7:89) “And when Moses came into the appointed tent to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking unto him from off the covering etc.” This verse explains exactly what happened. Moses came into the Tabernacle and as soon as he had passed the entrance a voice fell from heaven to the place on the cover which was between the cherubim, and from there it issued and was heard by Moses in the tent of meeting (outside the Holy of Holies; cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 58 and Rashi on Numbers 7:89).

ואת כל אשר אצוה אותך אל בני ישראל. הֲרֵי וָי"ו זוֹ יְתֵרָה וּטְפֵלָה, וְכָמוֹהָ הַרְבֵּה בַּמִּקְרָא, וְכֹה תִפָּתֵר: וְאֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ שָׁם אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוֶּה אוֹתְךָ אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא:

ואת כל אשר אצוה אותך אל בני ישראל AND OF ALL WHICH I SHALL COMMAND THEE CONCERNING THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — This ו of the word ואת is redundant and without import; there are many sentences similar to this in Scripture. However if you wish to explain this ו the verse must be interpreted as follows: [I shall speak with thee from above the cover] and that which (ואת) I shall speak to you will be everything I shall command thee concerning the children of Israel.

קמתו. גֹּבַהּ רַגְלָיו עִם עֹבִי הַשֻּׁלְחָן:

קמתו THE HEIGHT THEREOF — i. e. the height of its legs together with the thickness of the table-board.

זר זהב. סִימָן לְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת, שֶׁהַשֻּׁלְחָן שֵׁם עֹשֶׁר וּגְדֻלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים שֻׁלְחַן מְלָכִים:

זר זהב A BORDER OF GOLD — a symbol of the royal crown, for the table is an emblem of wealth and greatness, as may be seen from the fact that people speak of one’s “royal table” when they wish to state one is exceedingly wealthy (cf. Yoma 72b).

מסגרת. כְּתַרְגוּמוֹ גְּדַנְפָא; וְנֶחְלְקוּ חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּדָּבָר, יֵ"אֹ לְמַעְלָה הָיְתָה סָבִיב לַשֻּׁלְחָן כְּמוֹ לְבִזְבְּזִין שֶׁבִּשְׂפַת שֻׁלְחַן שָׂרִים, וְיֵ"אֹ לְמַטָּה הָיְתָה תְקוּעָה מֵרֶגֶל לְרֶגֶל בְּאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשֻּׁלְחָן, וְדַף הַשֻּׁלְחָן שׁוֹכֵב עַל אוֹתָהּ מִסְגֶּרֶת:

מסגרת — Understand this as the Targum renders it: גדנפא, A RIM. The Sages in Israel are of different opinion as to what this מסגרת signifies. Some say it was on top all the way round the table like the vertical ledge that is on the edges of the table of noble men, whilst others say it was fixed beneath the table from leg to leg on the four sides of the table and that the table-top rested upon that ledge (cf. Menachot 96b and Sukkah 5a).

ועשית זר זהב למסגרתו. הוּא זֵר הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, וּפֵרֵשׁ לְךָ כָּאן שֶׁעַל הַמִּסְגֶּרֶת הָיְתָה:

ועשית זר זהב למסגרתו AND THOU SHALT MAKE A GOLDEN BORDER TO THE RIM THEREOF —This is the same border spoken of above (v. 24), and here it explains to you that it was fixed to the rim.

לעמת המסגרת תהיין הטבעת. בָּרַגְלַיִם תְּקוּעוֹת, כְּנֶגֶד רָאשֵׁי הַמִּסְגֶרֶת:

לעמת המסגרת תהיין הטבעת OVER AGAINST THE RIM SHALL THE RINGS BE — inserted in the legs over against the extremities of the border.

לבתים לבדים. אוֹתָן טַבָּעוֹת יִהְיוּ בָתִּים לְהַכְנִיס בָּהֶן הַבַּדִּים:

לבתים לבדים FOR PLACES FOR THE STAVES — These rings shall be receptacles in which to put the staves.

לבתים. לְצֹרֶךְ בתים לבדים, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ – אַתְרָא לַאֲרִיחַיָּא:

לבתים means for the purpose of being (to serve as) receptacles for the staves, as the Targum has it: places for the staves.

ונשא בם. לְשׁוֹן נִפְעַל, יִהְיֶה נִשָּׂא בָם אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן:

ונשא בם — The word ונשא is a passive (Niphal) form; the meaning is: THAT THE TABLE MAY BE BORNE BY THEM.

ועשית קערתיו וכפתיו. קְעָרוֹתָיו זֶה דְּפוּס שֶׁהָיָה עָשׂוּי כִּדְפוּס הַלֶּחֶם, וְהַלֶּחֶם הָיָה עָשׂוּי כְּמִין תֵּבָה פְּרוּצָה מִשְׁתֵּי רוּחוֹתֶיהָ, שׁוּלַיִם לוֹ לְמַטָּה, וְקוֹפֵל מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה כְּמִין כְּתָלִים, וּלְכָךְ קָרוּי לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פָנִים רוֹאִין לְכָאן וּלְכָאן לְצִדֵּי הַבַּיִת מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה, וְנוֹתֵן אָרְכּוֹ לְרָחְבּוֹ שֶׁל שֻׁלְחָן, וְכָתְלָיו זְקוּפִים כְּנֶגֶד שְׂפַת הַשֻּׁלְחָן; וְהָיָה עָשׂוּי לוֹ דְּפוּס זָהָב וּדְפוּס בַּרְזֶל, בְּשֶׁל בַּרְזֶל הוּא נֶאֱפֶה, וּכְשֶׁמּוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הַתַּנּוּר נוֹתְנוֹ בְשֶׁל זָהָב עַד לְמָחָר בְּשַׁבָּת שֶׁמְּסַדְּרוֹ עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, וְאוֹתוֹ דְּפוּס קָרוּי קְעָרָה:

ועשית קערתיו וכפתיו AND THOU SHALT MAKE THE DISHES THEREOF AND THE SPOONS THEREOF — קערתיו are the forms (moulds) that were made to fit the shape of the bread (Menachot 97a). The bread was shaped like a case broken open as regards two of its sides (two opposite sides of which have been removed; these are what we would call the front and the back). It had a bottom underneath, but no top, and this bottom was turned up on both ends to form, as it were, walls. On this account it was called לחם הפנים, “bread with faces” — because it had faces (surfaces) looking in both directions towards the sides of the House (the Sanctuary). The bread was placed lengthwise across the breadth of the table with its sides standing up exactly in a line with the edge of the table. There were made for it a golden mould and an iron mould: in the iron one it was baked, and when it was taken out from the oven it was put on the golden one until the next day, the Sabbath, when it was arranged on the table (the mould then being removed). This golden mould is here called קערה (Menachot 94a; cf. also Berliner’s Rashi 2nd ed. p. 426).

וכפתיו. בָּזִיכִין שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין בָּהֶם לְבוֹנָה שְׁתַּיִם הָיוּ לִשְׁנֵי קֻמְצֵי לְבוֹנָה שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין עַל שְׁתֵּי הַמַּעֲרָכוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְנָתַתָּ עַל הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת לְבֹנָה זַכָּה (ויקרא כ"ד):

וכפתיו AND ITS SPOONS — ladles (or rather, cups with flat bottoms) in which the incense was put. There were two such vessels for the two handfuls of incense which was put upon the piles in which the loaves were arranged, as it is said, (Leviticus 24:7) “And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each pile”.

וקשותיו. הֵן כְּמִין חֲצָאֵי קָנִים חֲלוּלִים הַנִּסְדָּקִין לְאָרְכָּן (מנחות צ"ו), דֻּגְמָתָן עוֹשֶׂה שֶׁל זָהָב, וּמְסַדֵּר ג' עַל רֹאשׁ כָּל לֶחֶם, שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב לֶחֶם הָאַחֵר עַל גַּבֵּי אוֹתָן הַקָּנִים, וּמַבְדִּילִין בֵּין לֶחֶם לְלֶחֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס הָרוּחַ בֵּינֵיהֶם וְלֹא יִתְעַפְּשׁוּ; וּבִלְשׁוֹן עֲרָבִי כָּל דָּבָר חָלוּל קָרוּי קס"וא:

וקשתיו — These had the form of halves of hollow canes which are split along their length (Menachot 96a). Articles similar to these were made of gold and three of them were set in a row above each loaf so that another loaf (that above it) should rest on top of the “canes”; thus they (these canes) separated one loaf from another so that air could enter between and they would not become mouldy (Menachot 97a). In the Arabic language anything hollow is called קסוא (and this corresponds to the root of this word, which therefore denotes something hollow).

ומנקיתיו. תַּרְגּוּמוֹ וּמְכִילָתֵיהּ, הֵן סְנִיפִים כְּמִין יִתְדוֹת זָהָב, עוֹמְדִין בָּאָרֶץ וּגְבוֹהִים עַד לְמַעְלָה מִן הַשֻּׁלְחָן הַרְבֵּה, כְּנֶגֶד גֹּבַהּ מַעֲרֶכֶת הַלֶּחֶם, וּמְפֻצָּלִים חֲמִשָּׁה פִצּוּלִים זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה, וְרָאשֵׁי הַקָּנִים שֶׁבֵּין לֶחֶם לְלֶחֶם סְמוּכִין עַל אוֹתָן פִּצּוּלִין, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִכְבַּד מַשָּׂא הַלֶּחֶם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים וְיִשָּׁבְרוּ; וּלְשׁוֹן מְכִילָתֵיהּ סֹבְלוֹתָיו, כְּמוֹ נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל (ירמיהו ו'). אֲבָל לְשׁוֹן מְנַקִּיּוֹת אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיךְ נוֹפֵל עַל סְנִיפִין; וְיֵשׁ מֵחַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים קְשֹׂתָיו אֵלּוּ סְנִיפִין, שֶׁמַּקְשִׁין אוֹתוֹ וּמַחֲזִיקִים אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁבֵר, וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו אֵלּוּ הַקָּנִים שֶׁמְּנַקִּין אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַפֵּשׁ (מנחות צ"ז), אֲבָל אֻנְקְלוֹס שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם וּמְכִילָתֵיהּ, הָיָה שׁוֹנֶה כְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר מְנַקִּיּוֹת הֵן סְנִיפִין:

מנקיותיו — It is translated in the Targum by ומכילתיה “and the trestles (supports) thereof” (cf. Menachot 96a). According to him these were attachments to the table like a kind of golden pegs (pillars) standing on the floor and reaching in height far above the table up to the height of the pile of bread. They were notched in five places, one above the other, and the ends of the canes which were between one loaf and another were supported on these notches so that the weight of the upper loaves should not press heavily upon the lower ones in which event these would be broken. The word מכילתיה used by Onkelos as a rendering of מנקיותיו denotes “bearers;” it is of the same root as the verb in (Jeremiah 6:11) “I am weary to bear (הכיל) it.” But as for the term מנקיות (which is a Piel of נקה and would denote “cleansers”) I do not know how it is applicable to these attachments the purpose of which was not to keep the bread clean but merely to serve as supports for the canes. But there are some of the Jewish Sages who hold that קשתיו (connected with קשה “hard”) are the pegs (or pillars) and they are so called because they served to keep it (the loaves) hard and firm, so that it should not break, whilst מנקיותיו are the “canes” which kept the bread clean so that it should not become mouldy. Onkelos, however, who translated מנקיותיו by מכילתיה understood it according to the opinion of him who holds that מנקיות were the supporting pillars (cf. Menachot 97a).

אשר יסך בהן. אֲשֶׁר יְכֻסֶּה בָהֵן, וְעַל קְשֹׂתָיו הוּא אוֹמֵר אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ, שֶׁהָיוּ עָלָיו כְּמִין סְכָךְ וְכִסּוּי, וְכֵן בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר וְאֵת קְשׂוֹת הַנָּסֶךְ (במדבר ד'), וְזֶה וָזֶה, יֻסַּךְ וְהַנָּסֶךְ, לְשׁוֹן סְכָךְ וְכִסּוּי הֵם:

אשר יסך בהן means BY WHICH THEY SHALL BE COVERED. It is of the קשות, the “canes,” that the words אשר יסך are said, because these lay over it like a cover and a screen. Thus, too, in another passage (Numbers 4:7) it says, ואת קשות הנסך, “and the קשות for covering;” both words, יסך and הנסך, denote screening and covering.

לחם פנים. שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ פָּנִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי, וּמִנְיַן הַלֶּחֶם וְסֵדֶר מַעַרְכוֹתָיו מְפֹרָשִׁים בֶּאֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים:

לחם הפנים SHEW-BREAD (lit., bread of faces) — It was so called because it had “faces” (פנים) as I have explained (v. 29). The number of loaves and the way they were set in piles are fully explained in the Sidrah אמר אל הכהנים (Leviticus 24:5—9).