AND THOU SHALT MAKE. Any shape whose length is the same size as its width is called a square. The latter is a true¹, as in Vat. Ebr. 38. The printed texts contain ba-amah. If we read ba-amah, then the meaning of the sentence is: it was square by cubits; that is, it was 5 cubits long and 5 cubits wide. Many of the commentaries suggest emending the text to be-emet. square, as quadrilaterals² come in five shapes.³

footnotes: ¹ Reading be-emet ² Literally, for squares come in five shapes. I.E. refers to quadrilaterals as squares. ³ Squares, rectangles, parallelograms, rhombuses, and trapezoids.

[AND THE HEIGHT THEREOF SHALL BE THREE CUBITS.] Look, if contrary to the opinion of our sages,⁴ 5:2. Also see Mekhilta, Yitro 11. we say that there was no need for a ramp⁵ because the altar was three cubits high,⁶ 59b. Also see Rashi. what then will the opponents of the sages⁷ do with the altar which Solomon made? That altar was ten cubits high⁸ whereas the height of a person is only four cubits.

footnotes: ⁴ According to sages of the Talmud the altar was ascended via a ramp. See Mishnah Middot ⁵ To ascend the altar. ⁶ A priest does not have to ascend in order to perform the service on a threecubit high altar. The priest can stand next to the altar and offer the sacrifices. As I.E. points out, the height of an average person is 4 cubits. It should be noted that according to the Talmudic sage Rabbi Judah, the altar was 3 cubits high above the ledge which went all around the altar, and the entire altar was 10 cubits in height. See Zevachim ⁷ Who maintain that the altar had no ramp. It should be noted that the Pentateuch does not mention that the altar had a ramp. ⁸ See II Chron. 4:1.

[FOUR-SQUARE.] Scripture describes the altar as being ravu’a (four-square) because the length of the altar was the same as its width.⁹. 38, in Weiser, and in some other editions. It is omitted by most mikra’ot gedolot editions.

footnotes: ⁹ The altar was 3 cubits in height. Hence I.E. comments that the altar was only square with regard to its length and width. This comment is found in Vat. Ebr

CORNERS. The word pinnot means corners.

[TO TAKE AWAY ITS ASHES.] The meaning of ledasheno is, to take away its ashes. The meaning of yedasheneh (accept the fat) in And accept the fat of thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah (Ps. 20:4) is, he shall make ashes out of it.¹⁰ Its meaning is that the sacrifice will be burnt on the altar and accepted.¹¹ Observe the word tedashen (make fat) in maketh the bones fat (Prov. 15:30). They all belong to the same¹², and tedashen are all pi’els. Hence the commentaries suggest emending acher (different) to echad (one or same). See Filwarg, Krinsky, and Weiser. It should be noted that the Margoli’ot Tuvah edition of I.E. reads echad rather than acher. conjugational form,¹³ in the pi’el form can have a number of meanings: to take away ashes, to turn into ashes, and to fatten. namely, the pi’el. The meaning of tedashen is to fatten, as in As for Asher, his bread shall be fat (Gen. 49:20).¹⁴ does not appear in it. I.E. merely uses it in order to define the word tedasheno. I.E. literally reads: tedashen has the same meaning as, As for Asher, his bread shall be fat.

footnotes: ¹⁰ According to I.E., Ps. 20:4 should be rendered: and make ashes out of your burnt offerings. ¹¹ By God. ¹² Our texts read, to a different form. However, this reading is impossible, as le-dasheno, yedasheneh ¹³ Although their meaning differs. I.E. points out that the root dalet, shin, nun ¹⁴ Gen. 49:20 is not a proof text, as the word deshen

AND ITS SHOVELS. The word ve-ya’av (and its shovels) is similar to the word ve-ya’ah (shall sweep away) in And the hail shall sweep away (Is. 28:17).¹⁵ literally means: and its sweepers. He probably rendered ve-ya’av as: and its brushes, or, and its scrapers. See Krinsky.

footnotes: ¹⁵ According to I.E., ve-ya’av

[ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF.] The lamed in le-khol (all)¹⁶ in le-khol kelav (all the vessels thereof) is superfluous.¹⁷ It is like the lamed in le-min (from)¹⁸ is to be translated as if written min (from). in from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid (Haggai 2:18).¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁶ Literally, to all. Hence I.E.’s comment. ¹⁷ It has no meaning. It is not to be translated. ¹⁸ For le-min ¹⁹ Translated literally.

A GRATING. The word mikhbar (a grating) is similar in meaning to the word kevarah (sieve) (Amos 9:9).

BRASS. The word brass (nechoshet) is connected [to the word grating].²⁰ (network), which precedes it, for reshet (network) is connected to ma’aseh, not to nechoshet. Our verse, which reads, mikhbar ma’aseh reshet nechoshet (a grating of network of brass) is to be interpreted as if written: mikhbar nechoshet ma’aseh reshet (a grating of brass, of network). The text should be interpreted as if it read, a grating of brass, constructed like a net.²¹

footnotes: ²⁰ Not to reshet ²¹ So too Rashi.

[LEDGE.] The word karkov (ledge) does not appear in any other place.

[HOLLOW WITH PLANKS.] Nevuv luchot (hollow with planks) is to be explained in accordance with the Aramaic translation.²² as chalil luche (hollow with planks). The phrase ve-ish nevuv yillavev (But an empty man will get understanding) (Job 11:12) is similar, for ish nevuv means an empty person, that is, a person lacking intelligence. The verse is similar to the aphorism, a head without a brain. The laver²³ is not mentioned²⁴, it should have been mentioned, as it was made right after the altar. See Ex. 38:1-8 (Krinsky). because it²⁵ was not made from the gifts which were donated by all of Israel. It was made only from the gifts of the women.²⁶ Hence the basin was mentioned with the chapter dealing with the spices,²⁷ for the spices were also not donated by all of Israel. The spices were given only by the princes.²⁸

footnotes: ²² That is, Onkelos. Onkelos renders nevuv luchot ²³ See Ex. 30:17-21. ²⁴ In this Torah portion. However, prima facie ²⁵ Unlike the objects mentioned in our Torah portion. ²⁶ See Ex. 38:8. ²⁷ Ex. 30:22-28. The chapter dealing with the laver precedes the chapter dealing with the spices. ²⁸ See Ex. 35:27,28.

AND THOU SHALT MAKE. We find that Scripture says, kedemah mizrachah (on the east side eastward) (v. 13).²⁹. Now since both kedem and mizrach mean east, Scripture should have read kedemah or mizrachah. The question thus arises, why did Scripture employ the phrase kedemah mizrachah? I.E. brings up this issue here since Scripture uses the phrase negev temanah (south…southwards). Here too the question arises, why employ the phrase negev temanah when both negev and teman mean south? We know that there are three “heads” to the east.³⁰ The first is opposite the point of the head of Capricorn,³¹ which is the furthermost southern position of the sun. The second³² is opposite the celestial equator, which is the head of Aries and Libra.³³ The third is opposite the head of Cancer, which is the sun’s furthermost northern position.³⁴ refers to the middle portion of the eastern sky. So Krinsky. I.E. comments thus because in his opinion the tabernacle corresponded to the heavens. Thus kedemah mizrachah corresponded to a certain portion of the heavens. Weiser claims that kedemah mizrachah refers to the entire eastern side. The same applies to the phrase negbah temanah (south…southward)³⁵. I.E. used the term negbah temanah because verse 18 reads kedemah mizrachah. in the south.³⁶ refers to the middle portion of the southern sky. So Krinsky. For other interpretations see Weiser.

footnotes: ²⁹ In speaking of the east, Scripture in verse 13 uses the phrase kedemah mizrachah ³⁰ The eastern sky is divided into three sections. Each section is called a “head.” The sun rises at various places in the eastern sky at different times of the year. ³¹ The eastern sky consists of the constellations Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. The northern sky consists of Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. The western sky consists of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. The southern sky consists of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Capricorn is located in the southwestern section of the heavens. Aries lies in the southeastern part of the sky. The first “head” of the east begins at a point in the southeastern sky directly opposite the constellation of Capricorn. ³² Head of the east. ³³ The celestial equator extends from Aries to Libra. ³⁴ The term kedemah mizrachah ³⁵ Which our verse employs. Actually our verse reads, negev temanah ³⁶ The southern part of the sky also has three “heads.” The phrase negbah temanah

SOUTHWARD. The word temanah (southward)³⁷ (south). comes from the same root as yamin (south). Compare, The north and the south (yamin), Thou hast created them (Ps. 89:13).

footnotes: ³⁷ That is, the word teman

[AND THEIR FILLETS.] The meaning of chashukehem (their fillets) is their attachments, the hooks being attached to the pillars.³⁸ Va-tidbak nafsho (and his soul did cleave) (Gen. 34:3) means the same as chashekah nafsho (his soul longeth) (Gen. 34:8).³⁹. It then repeats the same account. However, in the latter it employs chashekah nafsho in place of va-tidbak nafsho. We thus see that davak and chashak have the same meaning.

footnotes: ³⁸ The fillets, like the hooks, were attached to the pillars. See Rashi: “The pillars were encompassed by threads of silver round about.” ³⁹ The Bible first says va-tidbak nafsho

AND FOR THE BREADTH…FIFTY CUBITS. The width of the courtyard was thus half of its length.⁴⁰ The commentaries tell us that the tabernacle was placed fifty cubits westward.⁴¹ 23b. “He placed the tabernacle (which measured 30 by 20 cubits) at the edge of fifty cubits (i.e., 50 cubits inwards) so that there was fifty cubits in front of the tabernacle and twenty cubits around the sides.” Now its width was fifty cubits. This is what and the breadth fifty every where (v. 18) means. However, I believe that the meaning of the breadth fifty every where is that the courtyard was a right-angled parallelogram,⁴². Literally, because of its many long right angles. In other words, the courtyard was a parallelogram that measured 50 cubits in width. Such a structure is 50 cubits in breadth every where, i.e., all along its width. Meijler suggests emending me-rov orekh zavyotav nitzavot (because of the length of its many angles) to meruva orekh zavyotav nitzavot (a right-angled parallelogram). Vat. Ebr. 38 reads: merchav arokh zeviyot, which means a right-angled parallelogram. This reading seems to be the most correct. Be that as it may, according to I.E. the import of our verse is that the tabernacle courtyard was not tapered but measured 100 by 50 cubits. and its width was fifty cubits on all sides.⁴³ is that its width did not vary. There is no necessity to explain the breadth fifty every where as referring to the side of the courtyard,⁴⁴ as Scripture does not repeat the dimensions length by width as it normally does.⁴⁵ (fifty every where). If Scripture were speaking of a square it would read, chamishim al chamishim (fifty by fifty) (Filwarg). Also see Weiser.

footnotes: ⁴⁰ The courtyard was 100 cubits long. ⁴¹ From the eastern wall of the courtyard. See Eruvin ⁴² Hebrew, me-rov orekh zavyotav nitzavot ⁴³ For the meaning of the breadth fifty every where ⁴⁴ That is, the eastern side of the courtyard (Filwarg). I.E. takes issue with the rabbis who held that the courtyard on the east side of the tabernacle was a 50 by 50-cubit square, as the tabernacle was placed 50 cubits inwards from the eastern wall of the courtyard. See note 41. See I.E.’s short commentary. Also see Rashi. ⁴⁵ Verse 18 reads, chamishim ba-chamishim

ALL. The meaning of All the instruments of the tabernacle is, all the instruments that were for the use of the tabernacle. The pins of the tent⁴⁶ refers to the pins of the tent. and the pins of the court were of brass. So were the hammers.⁴⁷. Its meaning is, all the instruments that were for the use of the tabernacle.

footnotes: ⁴⁶ In other words, and all the pins thereof ⁴⁷ Which were used to bang the pins in the ground (Weiser). The hammers are not mentioned in the text. However, they are implied in All the instruments of the tabernacle

If your heart desires to know the truth Look at the body, And consider the most glorious thing in it.⁴⁸ I will secretly reveal the mystery of the Urim and Thummim In the Torah portion entitled, And Thou Shalt Command.

footnotes: ⁴⁸ The soul (Krinsky). In other words, develop your soul and you will learn the truth.

AND THOU SHALT COMMAND. I will first note the reason for the position of this Torah portion.⁴⁹ follows the Torah portion Terumah. After God finished enumerating all the holy utensils, the veil, the tabernacle, the tent, the cover, the altar of the burnt offering, the courtyard, and the screen,⁵⁰. He commenced⁵¹. to deal with those who ministered in the tabernacle.⁵², the priests. He explained the service which they alone were to perform. No stranger was permitted to perform the service alongside them. God opened⁵³ with the command that they⁵⁴ cause a lamp to burn using pure olive oil. They were not to employ any other oil. It is only fitting that those who ministered in the tabernacle were to be distinguished and set apart, both in family and in dress.⁵⁵ Scripture lists the garments one after the other.⁵⁶ Scripture then mentions that those who served in the tabernacle were obligated to learn the service during the seven days of consecration. Moses was to teach and train them. After this, the priests would serve in the tabernacle. They would offer the daily burnt offering on the altar of the burnt offering. They were not to offer it upon the golden altar. The priests were to offer only incense upon the golden altar and to make atonement upon its horns once a year.⁵⁷

footnotes: ⁴⁹ Why the Torah portion Tetzavveh ⁵⁰ All of the aforementioned are enumerated in Terumah ⁵¹ In Tetzavveh ⁵² That is, the kohanim ⁵³ Our Torah portion. ⁵⁴ The priests. ⁵⁵ From the rest of the nation. ⁵⁶ Krinsky. ⁵⁷ Ex. 30:7-10.

And thou shalt command ⁵⁸. means that there is an eternal command upon the congregation to continually provide olive oil to kindle a perpetual light. Do not be troubled by the oil which the princes⁵⁹ brought.⁶⁰ It was anointing oil.⁶¹ (Ex. 35:28). Krinsky explains that only the princes had pure olive oil in the desert (see I.E. on Ex. 35:27). Hence after the princes donated the oil to be used for anointing oil, some of it was utilized for the light. The congregation, on the other hand, was obligated to bring oil for the light. There is a practice in countries where olives grow to choose pure olives, that is, olives that do not have any rot on them or olives that have not been partially eaten. These olives are then used to make oil for the king’s food. This is the reason that Scripture mentions pure⁶² before beaten.

footnotes: ⁵⁸ The children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light ⁵⁹ See Ex. 35:27,28. ⁶⁰ This indicates that the oil is brought by the individual rather than by the congregation. ⁶¹ Rather than oil for the light. However, Scripture explicitly states that the princes brought oil for the light, and for the anointing oil ⁶² Pure refers to the olives, not to the oil. According to I.E. our verse should be interpreted as follows: that they bring unto thee olive oil, from pure olives beaten for the light.

FOR THE LIGHT. For the light needed during the night.⁶³ (for the light) as: needed for the light. He then elaborates: needed for the light at night.

footnotes: ⁶³ I.E. interprets la-ma’or

TO CAUSE A LAMP TO BURN. To kindle the lamps.⁶⁴ (to cause a lamp to burn) literally means to cause a lamp to go up. Scripture states, that they should burn⁶⁵.according to the ordinance (II Chron. 4:20) concerning Solomon’s candelabra.⁶⁶ with regard to Solomon’s candelabra shows that le-ha’alot used in connection with Moses’ menorah means to kindle.

footnotes: ⁶⁴ Le-ha’alot ner ⁶⁵ Hebrew, le-va’aram ⁶⁶ In other words, the use of the term le-va’aram

[CONTINUALLY.] The meaning of tamid (continually) is nightly.⁶⁷ means continually. Hence I.E.’s comment. There is a more difficult usage of the term tamid,⁶⁸ namely, and it shall be always (tamid) upon his forehead (Ex. 28:38).⁶⁹ is merely descriptive. The meaning of the latter is that the holy plate shall always be upon the miter whenever the miter is placed upon the head of the high priest.⁷⁰ means whenever the miter is worn by the high priest.

footnotes: ⁶⁷ For the menorah did not burn continually. The word tamid ⁶⁸ That is, a use of the term which presents us with greater problems than the one in our verse. ⁶⁹ For the Bible explicitly states that the holy plate shall always be on the high priest’s head. However, in our verse the phrase ner tamid ⁷⁰ In other words, always

WHICH IS BEFORE THE TESTIMONY. The testimony is short for the ark of testimony. Yefet says that ya’arokh (shall set)⁷¹. This root can mean to estimate or to arrange. Hence the two interpretations of ya’arokh (shall set). is similar in meaning to ke-erkekha (as thou valuest it)⁷² in as thou the priest valuest it (Lev. 27:12). It means that the priest shall estimate the amount of oil that will be sufficient for the lamps to give light from evening till morning.⁷³ (shall set) means shall estimate. The same applies to the phrase nerot ha-ma’arakha (even the lamps to be set in order) (Ex. 39:37).⁷⁴ (even the lamps to be set in order) as: the lamps to be estimated; that is, the lamps whose oil has to be estimated. Ya’arokh may also be properly interpreted as meaning shall set, for the lamps were set in a semicircle.⁷⁵ I will yet speak on this.

footnotes: ⁷¹ From the root ayin, resh, kaf ⁷² In other words, as you estimate its value. ⁷³ In other words, ya’arokh ⁷⁴ Yefet interprets nerot ha-ma’arakha ⁷⁵ The branches of the menorah formed a semicircle. See I.E.’s short commentary on Ex. 25:37.