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

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

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

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

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

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

ורוחב חמשים בחמשים, “and the width to be fifty cubits throughout;” not literally 50, but 50 cubits from the north to the south, and 49 cubits from the east to the west side of the Tabernacle. The length of the Tabernacle was 30 cubits on the inside, i.e. 32 cubits on the outside. Likewise the width of the Tabernacle which was 10 cubits on the inside, was 12 cubits wide on the outside. The Tabernacle was erected with its length running parallel to the length of the hangings serving as the walls of the courtyard. Seeing that it was positioned in the center of the width of the courtyard and the hangings and their supporting pillars took up at least half a cubic each, there could not have been more than 49 cubits of open airspace for the width left even for the sections not occupied by the Tabernacle itself inside of it. The western section, after deducting the space occupied by the Tabernacle, would not have been more than 19 cubits of open space by 50 cubits, whereas if the space on either side of the Tabernacle was measured from east to west it would have been 100 cubits by 19 cubits of unimpeded space, on either side of the Tabernacle.

וקומה חמש אמות שש משזר ואדניהם נחושת, “and its height five cubits of fine twisted linen and their sockets to be of copper.” According to the plain meaning of the text, this phrase has to be understood as follows: the height of the walls of cloth of the courtyard, the “dividers” from less sacred ground around it, are to be five cubits high; this is in addition to the height of the copper sockets of the pillars. In other words, the total height of this mechitzah, “hanging divider,” was to be six cubits. This is based on the assumption that sockets were usually one cubit in height. In the Talmud, tractate Zevachim folio 59, we are told about the width of these hangings, that they were 15 cubits high. How do we reconcile these two statements? The Talmud answers that the height of five cubits mentioned in the Torah refers to how much higher these hangings were than the highest point of the altar which was 10 cubits high. This would in agreement of the opinion of Rabbi Yossi, who said that the height of the altar was twice its width. (verse 1 in our chapter.)

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

.ואתה תצוה “and you are to command;” after G-d had completed giving Moses the instructions about all the work pertaining to the Tabernacle, He informed him how to ensure that it would be illuminated inside, [seeing that it did not have any windows. Ed.] This is similar to how He had proceeded when He created the universe. He created the sun and moon only after the earth had already produced vegetation on the third day. (Compare Genesis 1,111,14.) The commandment mentioned here became effective only in Numbers 8,1. How are we therefore to understand our verse here? G-d instructed Moses that when the time is ripe, after the Tabernacle has been constructed, the people should supply him with the appropriate kind of oil for lighting the lamps on the candlestick. תצוה את בני ישראל, “you are to command the Children of Israel;” we note that G-d used a different word for instructing Moses here as the command would not have to be carried out immediately but only some time in the future, seeing that it was still seven months before the Tabernacle would become operational.

ויקחו אליך, “they will bring to you;” in order that you will be able to see inside the Tabernacle when you enter it and when you wish to leave it. The point G-d is making is that it is not He for Whom the lamps of the candlestick have to be lit. The best proof for this is that the candlestick stood in the Sanctuary, not in the Holy of Holies from which it was separated by a heavy curtain, the latter being in absolute darkness. Not only that, but at the beginning of the chapters dealing with the Tabernacle, G-d had said: “they shall donate a contribution for Me,” whereas here this contribution was to be for Moses.

שמן זית כתית, “clear oil of beaten olives.” Seeing that in Exodus 25,2, the Torah had described that oil as simply “for illumination,” without specifying details, this had to be stated now that activities inside the Tabernacle which had no windows are discussed. Rashi adds that this oil was to be completely free from any residues. According to the author, Rashi also discusses the collection of individual grains of olives being permissible for profane use as long as they had not ripened. [My sources claim that they have been unable to find such a Rashi. He also claims that the olives on the top of the tree are the first ones to ripen. Ed.]

אשר על העדות, “which is over the Ark.” The word: על, here cannot be translated as “above, or on,” as we have been told that the candlestick stood on the same floor as the Ark, although it was divided from it by the dividing curtain. This is not the only time that the word על is used as meaning: “beside,” compare Leviticus 24,7, and Exodus 40,3, where there are two more such examples, as well as in Genesis 24,30.

אהרן ובניו, “Aaron and his sons.” What is meant is: either Aaron or one of his sons.”

מערב עד בקר, “from evening until morning.” The sages estimated the amount of oil as being half a log, (275 cubic cm). There was no excess, as during the winter months they adjusted this by using coarser wicks. (Rashi did not feel comfortable with excess oil having to be thrown away, that is why he preferred this solution.)