SHALL WORK. Look. Bezalel himself shall make the glorious object.¹ (shall work or shall make) is in the singular. Hence I.E.’s interpretation (Filwarg, Krinsky). However, he and Oholiab shall teach.²

footnotes: ¹ The ark. See Ex. 37:1. Va-asah ² Hence Oholiab’s name is coupled with that of Bezalel.

CALLED. The heh of the word le-korvah (to come) is superfluous. It is like the heh in the word u-le-dovkah (and to cleave)³ in and to cleave unto Him (Deut. 11:22). A great scholar erred in saying that the word le-omdah (it might stand) (Ezek. 17:14) is similar, for the heh in le-omdah has a mappik⁴ in it.⁵ with a mappik means it. Omed is an intransitive verb.⁶ with a mappik suffixed to it. The heh with a mappik usually indicates the direct object. The meaning of le-omdah (it might stand) is therefore⁷ is intransitive. to stand by it.⁸ with a mappik does not mean to stand it but to stand by it, for omed is intransitive (see note 6). I.E. interprets Ezek. 17:14 as follows: To keep his covenant and to stand (abide) by it.

footnotes: ³ Which is also superfluous. ⁴ A dot. ⁵ The heh ⁶ I.E. comments thus because an intransitive verb does not usually have a heh ⁷ Since le-omdah ⁸ The covenant. In other words, heh

AND THEY RECEIVED. All the offering which they⁹ had brought.

footnotes: ⁹ The children of Israel.

AND THEY. The Israelites¹⁰ (and they) refers to the Israelites. continued to bring free-will offerings to Moses every morning.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Ve-hem

AND ALL THE WISE MEN…CAME. To Moses’ tent and said, The people bring much more [than enough for the service of the work] (v. 5).

[MUCH MORE THAN ENOUGH.] The mem of mi-de (much more than enough) means: much more than. It is, in keeping with my interpretation,¹¹ like the mem of mi-kol (more than all) in I have more understanding than all my teachers (Ps. 119:99).¹² in mi-kol melammedai hiskalti (I have more understanding than all my teachers) means: from all. See Abot 4:1: “Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from all men; as it is said, From all (mi-kol) my teachers I have gotten understanding.” According to I.E. it means: more than all.

footnotes: ¹¹ In Ps. 119:99. ¹² I.E. takes issue with the Rabbinic interpretation that mi-kol

AND THEY CAUSED IT TO BE PROCLAIMED. Va-ya’aviru (and they caused to be proclaimed) is similar to va-ya’avor (and there went)¹³ means to pass over. It usually refers to people or objects. Hence I.E. points out that the term is also used in reference to sound. in And there went a cry throughout the host (I Kings 22:36).

footnotes: ¹³ The root ayin, bet, resh

FOR THE STUFF. The work which was done.¹⁴. Its literal meaning is: and the work was, which I.E.’s interprets as the work which was done. I.E. disagrees with the definition of melakhah as stuff.

footnotes: ¹⁴ The Hebrew reads, ve-hamlakhah hayetah

[SUFFICIENT.] The mem of dayyam (sufficient) refers to all of the wise men.¹⁵ of dayyam is a suffix meaning for them, the reference being to the wise men mentioned in verse 4.

footnotes: ¹⁵ The mem

FOR ALL THE WORK. That they had to do.

AND TOO MUCH. Ve-hoter (and too much) is an infinitive. Its meaning is, ho-tirah (and they produced more than enough).¹⁶ is here to be interpreted as a feminine perfect, for ve-hoter refers to melakhah, which is feminine. The work which they had done produced more than enough. So Filwarg.

footnotes: ¹⁶ In other words, the infinitive form ve-hoter

MADE. Scripture begins with the making of the tabernacle.

TWINED. Moshzar (twined) means long in Arabic. Note that the single digit numbers¹⁷ (the ones), as in Vat. Ebr. 38. The printed editions read, “Note that the number one (ha-echad) is grammatically irregular.” The problem with this reading is that I.E. nowhere discusses “the number one” in his comment. Weiser suggests that our text is defective. On the other hand, Filwarg and others interpret ha-echad as achadim. are grammatically irregular in Hebrew. This is also the case in Aramaic. They are similarly irregular in Arabic. The heh¹⁸ preceded by a kamatz. at the end of a word indicates the feminine; the masculine does not have any sign.¹⁹ Now the heh in the number sheloshah (three) indicates the masculine.²⁰ The same is true of the numbers arba’ah (four), shemonah (eight), asarah (ten).²¹ (five), shishah (six), shivah (seven), and tishah (nine). From there²² through twenty the masculine numbers do not have a heh at the end. We thus say achad asar (eleven),²³. shenem asar (twelve),²⁴ tishah asar (nineteen). The feminine²⁵ is written with a heh.²⁶ (11), shetem esreh (12), shelosh esreh (13), etc. However, its vocalization is changed²⁷ as is usual in the feminine, but with a tzere. See note 19. so that it reads esreh.²⁸. This is done so that the word not be confused with the masculine.²⁹ (ten). Hence we say shetem esreh (twelve). The same applies to all of the numbers.³⁰ Look. Shalosh (three), arba (four), and eser (ten) are feminine. If their sum is in the construct then it ends in a tav both in the masculine and in the feminine. Compare, sheloshet ha-anashim ha-elleh (these three men) (Ezek. 14:16); and u-sheloshet neshe vanav (and the three wives of his sons) (Gen. 7:13). Now the masculine form for the number eight is shemonah, as the rule says.³¹ in the masculine. The feminine is unique in that one says shemoneh (eight)³² is usually a masculine ending. Compare, moreh (teacher), sadeh (field) (Weiser). in the same way that one says ashte esreh (eleven).³³ (eleven), a feminine, is vocalized with a tzere even though the tzere is the construct form of masculine nouns ending in a segol.

footnotes: ¹⁷ Literally, the ones, reading ha-achadim ¹⁸ That is, a heh ¹⁹ The masculine singular does not have any sign indicating that the word is masculine. ²⁰ In other words, in the single digit numbers the feminine ending indicates that the word is masculine. ²¹ I.E. is being brief. The same applies to chamishah ²² Ten. ²³ Rather than achad asarah ²⁴ And similarly from thirteen through eighteen. ²⁵ The feminine form of the numbers eleven through twenty. ²⁶ As is the rule with feminine nouns. We thus say achat esreh ²⁷ It is not vocalized with a kamatz ²⁸ Not asarah ²⁹ Asarah ³⁰ Eleven through nineteen in the feminine. ³¹ The rule stating that numbers 3-10 end in a kamatz heh ³² Segol heh ³³ Ashte esreh

[CUBITS.] It is possible that the reason our verse reads ba-ammah (cubits)³⁴ beneath the bet indicates the definite article. is that it refers to a specific cubit. It possibly refers to the noble cubit of the first temple.³⁵

footnotes: ³⁴ The kamatz ³⁵ See I.E. on Ex 26:16 and the notes thereto.

[THE LOOPS.] The tav of ha-lula’ot (the loops)³⁶ is spelled lamed, vav, lamed, alef, vav, tav. indicates the feminine. The singular form of the word is lulah.³⁷ is spelled lamed, vav, lamed, heh. The heh [in lulah] takes the place of the alef.³⁸ (see notes 36 and 37). Hence I.E.’s comment. Some say that the word lalat (near to be delivered) in was with child, near to be delivered (I Sam. 4:19) comes from the same root.³⁹. According to I.E. we should render I Sam. 4:19: was with child, seized by labor pains.

footnotes: ³⁶ Lula’ot ³⁷ Lulah ³⁸ There is no alef in lulah ³⁹ A woman about to deliver experiences labor pains. These pains can metaphorically be described as attaching themselves or looping themselves to the woman. Hence the term lalat

FOR THE TENT. La-ohel (for tent) means to serve as a tent.⁴⁰ (for tent) literally means to tent. Hence I.E.’s interpretation.

footnotes: ⁴⁰ La-ohel

[TO PASS THROUGH.] The word livro’ach (to pass through) is a kal. It has the same meaning as the hifil mavri’ach (pass through).⁴¹ is a participle. What I.E. means is that the word livro’ach (to pass through), which is an infinitive in the kal has the same meaning as the word le-havri’ach (to pass through), which is a hifil infinitive. Indeed, this is precisely what I.E. says in his short commentary. We find the same with the words yereh (shoot)⁴² is a kal. and va-yoreh (and he shot)⁴³ is a hifil. (II Kings 13:17).⁴⁴ There are many such instances.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴¹ Mavri’ach ⁴² Yereh ⁴³ Yoreh ⁴⁴ Both of these words have a similar meaning even though they belong to different conjugational forms. ⁴⁵ Where words in different conjugational forms have similar meanings.