Chumashחומש

אלה פקודי. בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ נִמְנוּ כָל מִשְׁקְלֵי נִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, לַכֶּסֶף וְלַזָּהָב וְלַנְּחֹשֶׁת, וְנִמְנוּ כָל כֵּלָיו לְכָל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ:

אלה פקודי THESE ARE THE SUMS [OF THE TABERNCLE] — In this section are enumerated all the weights of the metals given as a contribution for the Tabernacle, of silver, gold and copper, and also there are enumerated the vessels used for every kind of service in it.

המשכן משכן. שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים, רֶמֶז לַמִּקְדָשׁ שֶׁנִּתְמַשְׁכֵּן בִּשְׁנֵי חֻרְבָּנִין עַל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל (תנחומא):

המשכן משכן OF THE TABERNACLE, EVEN OF THE TABERNACLE — The word משכן is mentioned here twice in allusion to the Temple that was taken in pledge (משכן) — as it were — (as a security for Israel’s repentance) by being twice destroyed for Israel’s iniquities (Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 5).

משכן העדת. עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁוִּתֵּר לָהֶם הַקָּבָּ"ה עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִשְׁרָה שְׁכִינָתוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם:

משכן העדת THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY — The Tabernacle was a testimony to Israel that God had shown Himself indulgent to them in respect to the incident of the golden calf, for through the Temple He made His Shechinah dwell amongst them (Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 6).

עבדת הלוים. פְּקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכֵלָיו הִיא עֲבוֹדָה הַמְּסוּרָה לַלְוִיִם בַּמִּדְבָּר – לָשֵׂאת וּלְהוֹרִיד וּלְהָקִים, אִישׁ אִישׁ לְמַשָּׂאוֹ הַמֻּפְקָד עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמוּר בְּפָ' נָשֹׂא:

עבדת הלוים THE SERVICE OF THE LEVITES — The things in the Tabernacle which were counted and its vessels constituted the service entrusted to the Levites in the wilderness — to carry them, to take them down and to set them up, each man according to the burden which was assigned to him, as is set forth in the section נשא (Numbers 4).

ביד איתמר. הוּא הָיָה פָּקִיד עֲלֵיהֶם לִמְסֹר לְכָל בֵּית אָב עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁעָלָיו:

ביד איתמר BY THE HAND OF ITHAMAR — He was the officer appointed over them (the Levites) with the duty to hand over to each “house of the father” (בית אב) the service that devolved upon it.

ובצלאל בן אורי וגו' עשה את כל אשר צוה ה' את משה. אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא כָּל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה, אֲפִלּוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר לוֹ רַבּוֹ, הִסְכִּימָה דַּעְתּוֹ לְמַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה בְּסִינַי, כִּי מֹשֶׁה צִוָּה לִבְצַלְאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּחִלָּה כֵּלִים וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִשְׁכָּן, אָמַר לוֹ בְּצַלְאֵל מִנְהַג עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּחִלָּה בַּיִת וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵשִׂים כֵּלִים בְּתוֹכוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּי הקב"ה. אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה בְּצֵל אֵל הָיִיתָ, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי כָּךְ צִוָּה לִי הקב"ה, וְכֵן עָשָׂה הַמִּשְׁכָּן תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָשָׂה הַכֵּלִים:

ובצלאל בן אורי וגו׳ עשה את כל אשר צוה ה' את משה AND BEZALEEL THE SON OF URI etc. MADE ALL THAT THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES — It is not stated here: אשר צֻוָּה (Bezaleel made all that he had been commanded), but “[Bezaleel made] all that the Lord commanded Moses” — even regarding such things which his teacher (Moses) did not tell him, his own opinion was in agreement with what had been told to Moses on Sinai (Jerusalem Talmud Peah 1:1; Bereishit Rabbah 1:14). [For Moses bade Bezaleel to make the vessels first and the Tabernacle afterwards but Bezaleel said to him: “Surely, it is the way of the world (the usual way) first to build a house and then to place the household utensils in it!” He (Moses) replied to him: “So, indeed, did I hear from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He”. Moses further said to him: (בצלאל), you must have been sitting in the shadow of God (בצל אל), for certainly did thus God command me!” And consequently Bezaleel made the Tabernacle first and afterwards he made the vessels (cf. Berakhot 55a).

ככר. שִׁשִּׁים מָנֶה, וּמָנֶה שֶׁל קֹדֶשׁ כָּפוּל הָיָה, הֲרֵי הַכִּכָּר ק"כ מָנֶה, וְהַמָּנֶה כ"ה סְלָעִים, הֲרֵי כִּכָּר שֶׁל קֹדֶשׁ שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים שְׁקָלִים, לְפִיכָךְ מָנָה בִּפְרוֹטְרוֹט כָּל הַשְּׁקָלִים שֶׁפְּחוּתִין בְּמִנְיָנָם מִג' אֲלָפִים, שֶׁאֵין מַגִּיעִין לְכִכָּר:

ככר [TWENTY NINE] TALENTS — A common kikkar contains sixty common manehs, and the maneh of the Sanctuary (that used for purposes connected with the Temple) was double the common maneh. Consequently the kikkar here mentioned was 120 common manehs. Now a common maneh contained 25 Sela’im (or shekels), and the kikkar of the Sanctuary equals three thousand shekels. That is why Scripture counts (mentions the number of) all the shekels that are fewer than 3,000 as a separate item, because these do not together amount to a kikkar (cf. Bekhorot 5a).

בקע. הוּא שֵׁם מִשְׁקָל שֶׁל מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל:

בקע (from בָּקַע to split) is the name given to a weight of half a shekel.

לשש מאות אלף וגו'. כָּךְ הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָךְ עָלָה מִנְיָנָם אַחַר שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן בְּסֵפֶר וַיְדַבֵּר, וְאַף עַתָּה בְּנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן כָּךְ הָיוּ, וּמִנְיַן חֲצָאֵי הַשְּׁקָלִים שֶׁל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף עוֹלֶה מְאַת כִּכָּר, כָּל אֶחָד שֶׁל שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים שְׁקָלִים, כֵּיצַד? שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף חֲצָאִין הֲרֵי הֵן שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף שְׁלֵמִים, הֲרֵי מְאַת כִּכָּר, וְהַשְּׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְה' מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים חֲצָאִים עוֹלִים אֶלֶף וְז' מֵאוֹת וְע"ה שְׁקָלִים:

לשש מאות אלף וגו׳ FOR SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND [AND THREE THOUSAND etc.] — Thus were the Israelites in number, and thus did their number amount to after the Tabernacle was set up, as it is stated in the Book of Numbers (ch. II), and at this time, also, when they contributed toward the Tabernacle they were just as many (cf. Rashi on Exodus 30:16). The half-shekels of 600,000 amount to a hundred talents, each talents consisting of three thousand shekels (cf. v. 25). How is this? 600,000 half-shekels are 300,000 whole shekels, making one hundred talents and the remaining 3550 half-shekels make 1775 whole shekels, as stated in the text.

לצקת. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ לְאַתָּכָא:

לצקת means as the Targum has it: לאתכא, TO CAST.

את אדני הקדש. שֶׁל קַרְשֵׁי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶהֵם מ"ח קְרָשִׁים וְלָהֶן צ"ו אֲדָנִים, וְאַדְנֵי הַפָּרֹכֶת אַרְבָּעָה, הֲרֵי מֵאָה, וְכָל שְׁאָר הָאֲדָנִים נְחֹשֶׁת כָּתוּב בָּהֶם:

את אדני הקדש THE SOCKETS OF THE SANCTUARY — i. e. of the boards of the Tabernacle (the Sanctuary) which were forty-eight boards, and for these ninety-six sockets were required. The sockets for the partition vail were four in number, so we have altogether one hundred. As regards all the other sockets (those of the enclosure and of the vail at its entrance) they are not taken into account here, because “copper” was written concerning them (Scripture prescribes that they were to be of copper).

וצפה ראשיהם. שֶׁל עַמּוּדִים מֵהֶן, שֶׁבְּכֻלָּן כְּתִיב וְצִפּוּי רָאשֵׁיהֶם וַחֲשֻׁקֵיהֶם כָּסֶף:

וצפה ראשיהם [HE MADE HOOKS FOR THE COLUMNS] AND OVERLAID THEIR TOPS – the tops of the columns (not of the hooks) with them (the 1775 shekels of silver), for it is said with regard of all of them (the columns of the enclosure as well as of those of the vail at the entrance) (v. 19) “and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets were of silver”.

ומן התכלת והארגמן וגו'. שֵׁשׁ לֹא נֶאֱמַר כָּאן, וּמִכָּאן אֲנִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁאֵין בִּגְדֵי שְׂרָד הַלָּלוּ בִּגְדֵי כְהֻנָּה, שֶׁבְּבִגְדֵי כְהֻנָּה הָיָה שֵׁשׁ, אֶלָּא הֵם בְּגָדִים שֶׁמְּכַסִּים בָּהֶם כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּשְׁעַת סִלּוּק מַסָּעוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָהֶם שֵׁשׁ:

ומן התכלת והארגמן וגו׳ AND OF THE BLUE PURPLE AND OF THE RED PURPLE etc. — But there is no mention of linen here. From this fact I derive (cf. Rashi on Exodus 31:10) that these בגדי שרד mentioned here were not identical with the garments of the priests, for there was linen in the garments of the priests. But these were the cloths with which they covered up the holy vessels at the time of removing and packing up the articles in the Tabernacle when they set out on their journeyings which indeed had no linen in them.