על שני צדיו, “on its two sides.” According to Rashi, what is meant here are the two corners of each side of the (golden) altar to which the rings had been fastened. Apparently, there were four rings which had been fastened to the four corners. This appears problematic. Seeing that the dimensions of the golden altar were only one cubit in length and one cubit in width, (60cm by 60cm), how could two men stand behind one another supporting the staves of this altar when carrying it? When explaining the position of the rings and the staves attached to the Holy Ark, it was understood that they were attached to the two long sides of the Ark, which were two and a half cubits long each. The reason they carried it in such a fashion was that the alternative, namely carrying it on the short sides which were one and a half cubits wide, (50% longer than the golden altar’s sides) was not considered long enough to enable two men to walk behind each other while carrying it, The only way we can understand Rashi, would be that only two men carried that altar, one on each side. They must have positioned themselves between the walls of the altar and the wooden staves supported by the rings through which they had been inserted.

והקטיר עליו אהרן קטורת, “and Aaron shall burn on it the incense;” the word “Aaron” cannot be understood literally, as he would not live forever. Even during his lifetime, his sons, i.e. ordinary priests, were permitted to offer incense on this altar. The reason he has been mentioned by name is that according to the Talmud in tractate Yuma, folio 26, whenever the High Priest demanded to offer the incense he took precedence over ordinary priests. The Talmud there describes the procedure used to determine which priest would be chosen each day for that task. One of the most important factors in choosing such a priest was if he had never had the opportunity to perform that duty he was given preference over his colleagues. There was a tradition according to which priests who had performed this duty would become wealthy. Normally, lots were drawn between the priests on duty on that particular day. Lighting the menorah, also described as being performed by Aaron in Exodus 27,21, was also permitted to be performed by ordinary priests, seeing that both Aaron and his sons are mentioned in that context.

מחצית השקל, “a coin worth half a shekel.” This was to atone for the half day they had been guilty of not doing something to destroy the golden calf, as explained in the Talmud, tractate Shabbat folio 89. According to Rabbi Akiva there the word boshesh in Exodus 32,1 usually translated as “tarried,” can be read as בשש, “at six hours,” i.e. at midday Moses came down from the mountain. The coin known as shekel (a silver coin) is valued as twenty geyrah, (copper coins). They had been guilty of transgressing all of the Ten Commandments, as transgressing the prohibition of idolatry is equivalent to transgressing all of the commandments of the Torah. The Talmud in tractate Z’vachim, quotes the oldest kabbalistic text, Pirke de rabbi Eliezer, chapter 48, where Rabbi Yishmael describes the five “fingers” on G–d’s right hand, as all involved in the process of redemption. His smallest finger was used for that purpose when He said to Noach (Genesis 6,15) וזה אשר תעשה אותה, “and this is how you are to construct it” (the ark), which would save him and his family from the deluge. The second smallest finger was used by G–d at the redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt (Exodus 8,15) as the sorcerers of Pharaoh recognised when they described the third plague, the vermin, as אצבע אלוהים, “a finger of G–d.” G–d’s middle finger, known as amah, אמה, was used when G–d inscribed the text of the Ten Commandments on the Tablets (Exodus 31,1) i.e. והלוחות כתובים באצבע אלוהים, “and the Tablets had been inscribed by the finger of Gd.” G–d’s fourth finger, known as bohen, בהן, next to the thumb, was used when He showed Moses the new moon (Exodus 12,2) also using the word: זה, “this”; and the fifth finger of G–d’s right hand, known as gudal, גודל, was used by Him when showing Moses the half shekel coin of which our portion speaks here. Finally, G–d will use His entire hand when in the future He will wipe out the descendants of Ishmael and Edom, as prophesied by the prophet Micah 5,8: תרום ידך על צריך וכל אויביך יכרתו, “Your hand will prevail over all Your foes, and all Your enemies will be cut down.”

כל העובר,”everyone that passes, etc.;” the verb עבר in this verse is used as in Jeremiah 33,13: “תעבורנה הצאן על המונה” “the sheep shall pass under the hands of the one who counts them;” Sheep are counted by their shepherds when being led to their pens.

העשיר לא ירבה, “the wealthy person must not contribute more;” (in order to help make up the required total). No one was allowed to be able to claim that he had made a greater contribution to the Tabernacle than his neighbour.

ונתת אותו, “you will give it (to be used).” Rashi explains here that the respective ages of the people being counted now were based on their birthdays according to the calendar year commencing with the month of Tishrey (Rosh Hashanah), not according to the new calendar year for the kings [political rather than religious purposes, Ed] as introduced in Exodus chapter 12. The Talmud, (Rosh hashanah, folio 11) is of two opinions as to when the universe as we know it was created, whether in the fall, on Rosh Hashanah, or in the spring, the month in which we celebrate Passover. [Since none of us was around at the time neither scholar could prove his point. Ed.] According to the opinion that the universe was created in Tishrey, we have no problem reconciling the figures given here and the ones given seven months later in the Book of Numbers. According to the second opinion, the report in the Torah is difficult to reconcile, seeing that the totals of the two censuses which clearly took place at an interval of seven moths, i.e. the first one immediately after the golden calf and the second one in the second month (Iyar) after the erection of the Tabernacle, which had been erected in the first month (Nissan) of the second year and produced the same result. This question is reinforced as supposedly the ages of the people were based on the ages on the history of mankind having been based on the years that the first human being, Adam, had lived. According to that opinion only a single census could have taken place. If so, it is possible that seeing that the total was based on the census in that year, the Torah considered the people counted retroactively as having been 20 years of age already in Tishrey of the previous year. Seeing that from the count reported here the sockets for the Tabernacle which had been erected in the sockets of the Tabernacle had been made it must have taken place before the Tabernacle had been erected. According to the calendar used by the men counted, they had been counted in the first year of the Exodus, whereas according to the calendar in use since the month of Nissan after the golden calf episode, this was now considered the second year.

בשמים ראש, “chief spices;” seeing that previously the Torah had written: בשמים לשמן המשחה, “spices for the oil of anointing,” (Exodus 25,6) without specifying those spices, now both the spices and their respective amounts are being spelled out. The word ראש occurs here as number, i.e. “first in rank,” just as it does in verse 12, כי תשא את ראש בני ישראל, “when you count the number, i.e. sum total, of the Children of Israel,” or in ראש חודש, “first of the month.” Compare also Amos 6,6: וראשית שמנים ימשחו, “and anoint themselves with the choicest oils.” Compare also Song of Songs 4,14: עם כל ראשי בשמים, “with all the choicest spices.”

איש אשר ירקח כמוהו, “anyone who will compound like it, etc.” the same prohibition has been applied also to anyone compounding incense on the same basis, i.e. ingredients and quantities, as that used in the Tabernacle. Just as here on earth it would be considered as an insult to the reigning monarch if a subject would make use of his scepter in the way the king uses it, so it is forbidden to make use of something designed exclusively in our service of the Lord for a secular purpose. Our sages extended this prohibition to anyone building himself a house patterned on the measurements or materials of the Tabernacle or Temple. (Rosh Hashanah, folio 24) This is also why we do not make or use candlesticks with seven arms.

בד בבד, “each is to have the same weight.” (customary translation) The Talmud, tractate k’ritut folio 5 understands this expression as based on the word בדד, “separate, isolated,” i.e. each individual unit of spice should have the same weight. The Talmud even discusses if when weighing it, it suffices to note that both scales of the scales are at the same level, or if the spice in question must actually tip the scale downwards a little. They also discuss if, as is customary, a stone or equivalent which had proved to be of the required weight can be used for weighing the next quantity of spice, or if each spice has to be weighed independently without any weights being used. According to Rashi in the Talmud there, weights must not be used instead, only spices must be placed on the scale. Our author does not understand why the use of weights should have been forbidden.