ON THE FIRST DAY. We find the following difference of opinion. Some say that the eighth day of consecration¹ fell on the first day of the month of Nisan.² 7:1: “The seven days of consecration began on the 23 of Adar and concluded on the first day of Nisan.” They were forced to say that Moses erected the tabernacle on the twenty-third day of Adar.³ Now on the first day of consecration Moses took the tabernacle apart and put it together⁴ in order to train the priests.⁵ They say⁶ that the goat that Moses inquired about and, behold, it was burnt (Lev. 10:16) was a new moon offering.⁷ Now God commanded that Moses erect the tabernacle on the first day of the first month and that he not take it apart until the ark journeyed.⁸, it means: on the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle and not take it apart until the ark journeys. Those who interpret our verse thus do so because they believe that Moses first erected the tabernacle on the 23 day of Nisan. Now we find it stated in the Sifre⁹ on Num. 9:6. that Mishael and Elzaphan¹⁰ were the ones who were unclean by the dead body of a man (Num. 9:6).¹¹ The eighth was thus the eighth day of the month.¹² There is, as it were, proof of this.¹³ First of all, why didn’t Scripture mention that Moses set up the tabernacle and took it apart?¹⁴ After the tabernacle was taken down there was no door of the tent of meeting. However, Scripture states, And at the door of the tent of meeting shall ye abide day and night (Lev. 8:35). Furthermore, Scripture writes, And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying: Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering (Lev. 9:3). It was this he-goat that Moses inquired about.¹⁵ Additionally, if this¹⁶ was a goat that served as a new moon offering, why didn’t Scripture mention two bullocks, one ram, and seven he-lambs?¹⁷ Scripture should have read, beside the burnt offering of the new moon, as it does when it states,¹⁸ beside the burnt-offering of the morning (Num. 28:23).¹⁹ Look. According to the plain meaning of the text, the tabernacle was first erected on the first day of the first month. Observe, they raised up this first tabernacle on the first day of the first month. They began to build the first temple, which was the second tabernacle, on the second day of the second month, called Iyyar, as Scripture clearly states, in the second day of the second month (II Chron. 3:2).²⁰ [the House of God] in the second day of the second month. Our Talmud writes that Israel left Egypt on the fifth day of the week.²¹ 87b; Seder Olam 5:3. See I.E. on Ex. 16:1. If they transmitted this as a tradition then we will accept it. However, if we analyze the text logically then we must conclude that they left Egypt before the fifth day of the week because there is at least three days’ difference between a simple year²² and the beginning of the next year.²³ This is so because a defective year consists of three hundred and fifty-three days, three hundred and fifty of which are taken up by weeks.²⁴ In minimal leap years²⁵ there is a difference of five days.²⁶ Now it appears that Moses arranged the bread on the table²⁷ on a Sabbath,²⁸ for Scripture states, Every sabbath day he shall set if²⁹ in order (Lev. 24:8).³⁰ The tabernacle was thus erected either on the sixth day³¹ or on the Sabbath day.³², I.E. believes it unlikely for Moses to have set up the tabernacle a day or more before the Sabbath, thus leaving the table bereft of the bread. This appears to be the case even though the proof just offered is not irrefutable, for one can argue that the meaning of every sabbath he shall set it in order is, every Sabbath the priest shall set it in order after the tabernacle has been raised and Moses has arranged the bread.³³ Observe. In describing the actual erecting of the sanctuary, Scripture tells that Moses raised up the tabernacle.³⁴ He erected, as I have explained, the two corner boards.³⁵ The Levites who were of his family set up the rest of the tabernacle, for it was not the work of one person.³⁶ He³⁷ laid its sockets below.³⁸ He then set the boards and bars in place.³⁹. He then raised up the pillars for the veil and the screen of the door of the tabernacle.⁴⁰. I.E. thus notes that “the pillars” in verse 18 refers both to the pillars for the veil and to the pillars for the screen of the tabernacle door. See Ex. 26:32,37. Afterwards Moses spread the tent⁴¹ and put the covering of the tent over it.⁴². He then placed the ark⁴³ on the western side⁴⁴ and placed the tablets in the ark.⁴⁵ He set the staves on the ark and placed the ark cover on top of the ark.⁴⁶ Moses put in the table and arranged the showbread upon it.⁴⁷ Now Scripture indicates that this took place in the morning.⁴⁸ Scripture states, and he lighted the lamp s(v. 25) afterwards at night.⁴⁹ Moses offered the burnt offering in the morning, that is, the daily burnt offering. He did the same in the afternoon.⁵⁰ (v. 29). On this day⁵¹ Moses anointed the tabernacle and all of its vessels,⁵² the altar of the burnt offering and all of its vessels, the laver and its base.⁵³, v. 11. The congregation was gathered at the door of the tent of meeting and Aaron and his sons washed themselves with water.⁵⁴, v. 6. Moses placed the holy garments upon Aaron.⁵⁵ He also dressed Aaron’s sons.⁵⁶, v. 13. They⁵⁷ were anointed with the holy oil.⁵⁸, v. 30. He⁵⁹ brought one young bullock and two rams to the altar.⁶⁰ He sacrificed the bullock and performed purification on the altar.⁶¹ He caused the designated parts⁶² to turn into smoke⁶³ and slaughtered the ram.⁶⁴ He dashed its blood on the altar and caused the ram to turn into smoke.⁶⁵ He also slaughtered the ram of consecration and dashed its blood on the altar.⁶⁶ He took the designated parts along with the right thigh and one unleavened cake and one cake of oil bread and turned all of it into smoke on the altar.⁶⁷ Moses did this on each one of the seven days of consecration.⁶⁸ Scripture clearly writes, And thou shalt offer the bullock of sin-offering to the day…(Ex. 29:36), that is, daily,⁶⁹ (literally, to the day) means daily, the reference being to the seven days mentioned in the previous verse (Krinsky).…and you shall anoint the altar, to sanctify it.⁷⁰ Scripture further writes, Seven days thou shalt make atonement for the altar (Ex. 29:37) and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it (Ex. 29:36). Now its meaning is,⁷¹. Thus shall you do all the seven days of consecration. Scripture states, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified the altar for seven days of consecration (Num. 7:1).⁷². And sanctified the altar for seven days is I.E.’s interpretation of and sanctified it. The princes of Israel then⁷³ began to bring the dedication offering of the altar.⁷⁴ (Num. 7:15-17). Aaron similarly offered a bull-calf as a personal sin offering,⁷⁵ and he also offered his own ram as a burnt offering.⁷⁶ As the people’s burnt offering he sacrificed a calf and a lamb. Aaron slaughtered the goat of the sin offering⁷⁷ and treated it as a sin offering.⁷⁸, v. 15. He dealt with it as he did with his own calf sin offering⁷⁹ with regard to dashing its blood and causing the designated parts to go up in smoke.⁸⁰ However, a priest does not eat the priest’s sin offering. The flesh of the bullock⁸¹ was therefore burned outside the camp.⁸² The sin offering of the congregation, which is a he-goat, is eaten by the priests. All of this took place after the morning burnt offering was offered. After all of this, he [Aaron] offered the burnt offering and sin offering of Nahshon.⁸³ The dedication of the altar was thus finished after nineteen days of the first month⁸⁴ had passed.⁸⁵ Do not pay attention to the one who argues, “If this is the case⁸⁶ as in Vat. Ebr. 38, rather than ki ematai as in the printed texts. then when did they offer the festival sacrifices?”⁸⁷ Israel observed the festival of Passover⁸⁸ in the desert of Sinai for only one night.⁸⁹ They did not keep the festival of unleavened bread,⁹⁰ for Scripture clearly states, And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee [into the land of the Canaanite] (Ex. 13:5)…Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread (Ex. 13:6).⁹¹ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial (Ex. 12:14) refers to the next generation. It commands the next generation to establish the day that Israel left Egypt, as a holy convocation. Look! They journeyed from Goshen on the first day.⁹² Furthermore, Israel did not have bread⁹³ from which to make unleavened bread for seven days in the desert of Sinai even though they were close to an inhabited place.⁹⁴ It was a great thing that they found material out of which to make unleavened bread to eat with the bitter herbs and paschal lamb on the one night,⁹⁵ for they were a very great multitude of people. Now logically speaking, Moses offered the daily burnt offering⁹⁶ during the seven days of consecration and two lambs on the Sabbath day.⁹⁷ He offered the Sabbath burnt offering and then the consecration burnt offerings on which day of the seven days of consecration fell on a Sabbath. All of this is correct. However, what shall we do with the dedication of the altar⁹⁸ on the Sabbath day?⁹⁹ Some say that they skipped the Sabbath day.¹⁰⁰ They only counted the days that they dedicated the altar.¹⁰¹ Others say that the princes’ burnt offering was offered on the Sabbath.¹⁰² However, the peace offerings¹⁰³ were slaughtered and eaten on the first day of the week. Their proof is as follows. The prince¹⁰⁴ who sacrifices¹⁰⁵ 38 reads, The prince, that is, the king. offers six lambs on the Sabbath¹⁰⁶. aside from the congregation’s burnt offering.¹⁰⁷ The first group¹⁰⁸ says that when they circled Jericho for six days with the armed body in the lead¹⁰⁹ they similarly skipped the Sabbath.¹¹⁰ Behold, they circled Jericho for seven days.¹¹¹ (Ibid.) does not refer to the Sabbath but rather to the seventh day of circling. It should be noted that according to the rabbis, Jericho fell on a Sabbath. See Tal. Jer. Sabbath 1:5, Seder Olam 11, Ba-Midbar Rabbah 14:1; 23:6. They say the same with regard to the fourteen days.¹¹². They say that these 14 days were not celebrated back to back, for if they had been, then Israel would have eaten on the Day of Atonement. It should be noted that according to the rabbis these 14 days were celebrated back to back and that Israel ate on Yom Kippur that year. See Mo’ed Katan 9a. Also see Kimchi on I Kings 8:65. They skipped the Day of Atonement and did not count it.

footnotes: ¹ The day after the seven days of consecration. See Lev. 9:1-24. For the seven days of consecration, see Lev. 8:1-36. During these days of consecration Aaron and his sons were invested in their duties, the tabernacle furniture was anointed, and special sacrifices were offered in the tabernacle. ² See Seder Olam ³ That is, that Moses first erected the tabernacle on the 23 day of Adar. They were forced to say this because Scripture tells us that special sacrifices were offered during the period of consecration. These sacrifices could not be offered without the tabernacle standing. ⁴ On the next day. See I.E. on Num. 9:1. In other words, Moses set up the tabernacle and took it down during each one of the first seven days of consecration. On the eighth day, “God commanded that Moses erect the tabernacle on the first day of the first month and that he not take it apart until the ark journeyed.” See note 8. ⁵ In the service. ⁶ In keeping with their opinion that the eighth day of consecration described in Lev. 9 took place on the first day of Nisan. ⁷ Concerning the offerings brought on the new moon see Num. 28:11-15. ⁸ See Num. 10:11,35. According to this opinion when our verse relates that God told Moses, On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle ⁹ Sifre ¹⁰ Mishael and Elzaphan were the nephews of Aaron. They carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu from the tabernacle after their demise in the sanctuary on the eighth day of consecration. See Lev 10:1-5. ¹¹ They consequently could not offer the Passover sacrifice on the 14th of Nisan. ¹² A person who touches a dead body is unclean for seven days (Num. 19:11). If Mishael and Elzaphan were unclean on the 14th of Nisan because they removed the dead bodies of their cousins from the tabernacle on the eighth day, then that day had to fall on the 8th day of Nisan rather than on the first. Now if the eight day fell on the 8th of Nisan, then the first day of consecration fell on the first day of Nisan. The tabernacle was thus erected for the first time on the first day of Nisan. ¹³ That the tabernacle was first set up on the first day of Nisan. ¹⁴ As maintained by those who say that the temple was built for the first time on the 23rd of Adar. See note 8. ¹⁵ Rather than the he-goat offered on the new moon, as stated by those who maintain that the eight day fell on the first day of Nisan. ¹⁶ The goat which Moses inquired about. ¹⁷ If the eighth day took place on a new moon then why does Lev. 9 only mention the new moon he-goat and not the other new moon offerings? For two bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs, and a he-goat were offered on the new moon. See Num. 28:11-15. ¹⁸ With regard to the Passover offerings. ¹⁹ If the consecration offerings brought on the eighth day were offered on the new moon, Scripture should have indicated that these offerings were brought in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon. ²⁰ II Chron. 3:2 reads: And he began to build ²¹ Sabbath ²² That is, a defective year. A defective year is one that consists of 353 days. A Hebrew year can consist of 353, 354, or 355 days. See note 36 to Gen. 8. ²³ That is, there is at least a three-day difference between the day of the week on which the year begins from one year to the other, if the first of the two years is a defective year. The difference will be more if the year has 354 or 355 days. ²⁴ There are 50 weeks in a regular year, for 50 × 7 = 350. Thus a defective year consists of 50 weeks plus 3 days. ²⁵ A leap year consists of 383 days. ²⁶ There is a difference of five days between the end of the last year and the beginning of the next. A minimal leap year consists of 383 days (353 days plus a month). 383 days comes to 54 weeks and 5 days. ²⁷ Verse 4 tells us that Moses was to bring the table into the tabernacle and arrange the bread on it on the day the tabernacle was erected. The tabernacle was thus erected on a Sabbath. ²⁸ Hence it is not possible for the 15th day of Nisan in the previous year to have fallen on a Thursday. For if the 15th of Nisan fell on a Thursday, then the first day of Nisan also had to fall on a Thursday and consequently could not fall on a Saturday or a Friday the following year. ²⁹ The showbread. ³⁰ Thus the showbread could be placed on the table only on a Sabbath. ³¹ Very close to the onset of the Sabbath (Filwarg). ³² In view of the fact that the Torah states that the showbread should be on the table before the Lord continually ³³ In other words, Lev. 24:8 does not apply to the first time that Moses set up the tabernacle. Moses could have set up the tabernacle on any day of the week and placed the showbread on it. After this, the bread had to be placed on the table only on a Sabbath. ³⁴ Verse 18. ³⁵ According to I.E. the two corner boards mentioned in Ex. 26:23 were set up first when the tabernacle was raised. The rest of the tabernacle was then attached to these boards. See I.E. on Ex. 26:18. I.E. now adds the fact that Moses set up these two boards and that Scripture considers it as if he had erected the entire tabernacle. ³⁶ It was beyond the ability of Moses to raise up the entire tabernacle by himself. ³⁷ By command. ³⁸ Verse 18. ³⁹ Ibid ⁴⁰ Ibid ⁴¹ Over the tabernacle. Verse 19. ⁴² Ibid ⁴³ Verse 21. ⁴⁴ Of the tabernacle. ⁴⁵ Verse 20. ⁴⁶ Verse 20. ⁴⁷ Verse 22. ⁴⁸ For the setting of the table preceded the morning offering. ⁴⁹ For that is when the menorah was lit. See Ex. 27:21. ⁵⁰ I.E.’s interpretation of and offered upon it the burnt-offering ⁵¹ On the first day of Nisan. ⁵² Lev. 8:10. ⁵³ Ibid. ⁵⁴ Ibid. ⁵⁵ Lev. 8:2, 7-9. ⁵⁶ Ibid. ⁵⁷ Aaron and his sons. ⁵⁸ Ibid. ⁵⁹ Moses. ⁶⁰ See Ex. 29:1. ⁶¹ Lev. 8:15. Also see Ex. 29:11,12. ⁶² The organs that Scripture commands be burned on the altar. ⁶³ Lev. 8:17. Also see Ex. 29:13. ⁶⁴ Lev. 8:19. Also see Ex. 29:16. ⁶⁵ Lev. 8:21. Also see Ex. 29:18. ⁶⁶ Lev. 8:23. Also see Ex. 29:20. ⁶⁷ Lev. 8:26. Also see Ex. 29:23. ⁶⁸ Lev. 8:33,34. Also see Ex. 29:35. ⁶⁹ In other words, la-yom ⁷⁰ I.E.’s paraphrase of Ex. 29:36. ⁷¹ The meaning of Seven days thou shalt make atonement for the altar ⁷² Num. 7:1 reads, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it ⁷³ On the eighth day. ⁷⁴ See Num. 7:1-89. Among other things, each prince offered one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering; one male of the goats for a sin-offering; and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs of the first year ⁷⁵ Lev. 9:2,7. ⁷⁶ Ibid. ⁷⁷ The people’s sin offering. ⁷⁸ Ibid. ⁷⁹ Ibid. ⁸⁰ But not with regard to eating its flesh. ⁸¹ Aaron’s sin offering. The Pentateuch refers to it as a bull-calf. ⁸² Lev. 9:11. ⁸³ Num. 7:12. ⁸⁴ The month of Nisan, when Passover falls. ⁸⁵ The seven days of consecration plus the 12 days that the princes offered their sacrifice. See Num. 7:1-83. ⁸⁶ Reading im ken matai ⁸⁷ According to I.E. the princes of Israel started to bring their dedication sacrifices on the eight day of Nisan. Thus five of the princes offered their dedication sacrifices during the time of the festival seasons. Those who have this opinion believe that if the priests were occupied with the dedication sacrifices of the princes they had no time to offer the Passover sacrifices. According to Meijler this opinion holds that Scripture should have mentioned the Passover sacrifices along with the sacrifices offered by the princes on the days that coincided with Passover. This question relates only to I.E.’s point of view. According to the opinion that the “eighth day” fell on the first of Nisan, the princes finished bringing their dedication offerings on the 12th day of Nisan, three days before the start of Passover, and consequently there is no problem. ⁸⁸ That is, they sacrificed the paschal lamb on the 14th of Nisan and ate its flesh on the night of the 15th. It should be noted that in Scripture, Passover refers to the 14th of Nisan, when the paschal lamb is sacrificed, and the feast of unleavened bread to the seven days which follow. See note 86. ⁸⁹ See Num. 9:1-6. Scripture there tells us that Israel observed the Passover in the first month of the second year following the Exodus from Egypt. The feast of unleavened bread is not mentioned. It is I.E.’s contention that this is the only Passover that Israel celebrated during their sojourn in the wilderness of Sinai. ⁹⁰ Which begins on the eve of the 15th of Nisan and lasts for seven days. See Ex. 12:15. ⁹¹ We thus see that the obligation to observe the feast of unleavened bread begins only when Israel enters the land of Canaan. ⁹² That is, on the first of what would eventually be the seven days of the festival of unleavened bread, for Israel left Egypt on the 15th of Nisan. See Num. 33:3. I.E.’s point is that Israel did not observe the festival of unleavened bread till they entered Canaan. He points out that they did not keep this festival in Egypt where they could buy flour for their unleavened bread because they did not spend the seven days of the festival period in Egypt. ⁹³ That is, flour. Hence they could not celebrate the festival of unleavened bread in the desert of Sinai. ⁹⁴ Where they could have bought provisions if they felt themselves obligated to do so. ⁹⁵ On which they celebrated the Passover. See note 85. ⁹⁶ See Ex. 29:38-42; Num. 28:1-8. ⁹⁷ Num. 28:9,10. ⁹⁸ That is, the sacrifices offered for the dedication of the altar. ⁹⁹ Each one of the 12 princes of Israel offered dedication sacrifices on each one of the 12 days following the seven days of consecration. See note 72. Now only those sacrifices mandated by the Torah may be sacrificed on the Sabbath. Personal offerings cannot be sacrificed on the Sabbath. Hence the question raised by I.E. ¹⁰⁰ The princes of Israel did not offer their dedication sacrifice on the Sabbath. ¹⁰¹ In other words, when the Torah tells us that the princes of Israel offered 12 sacrifices on the 12 days following the seven days of consecration it does not mean that they offered them on 12 successive days, for they skipped the Sabbath day. ¹⁰² See note 72. ¹⁰³ Which the prince should have offered on the Sabbath. See note 72. ¹⁰⁴ The reference is not to any of the princes mentioned in our chapter but rather to the prince mentioned in Ezek. 46. ¹⁰⁵ Literally, the one who sends. Vat. Ebr. ¹⁰⁶ See Ezek. 46:4, And the burnt-offering that the prince shall offer unto the Lord shall be in the sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish ¹⁰⁷ That is, aside from the congregation’s burnt offering, six lambs sent by the prince are sacrificed on the Sabbath. These six lambs are burnt offerings. We thus see that a prince’s burnt offering may be sacrificed on the Sabbath. ¹⁰⁸ The group mentioned earlier, who maintain that the princes did not offer their altar dedication sacrifices on the Sabbath. ¹⁰⁹ See Josh. 6:6-15. ¹¹⁰ In order not to violate the Sabbath. This opinion apparently held that the Sabbath fell during the six days. ¹¹¹ Josh. 6:15. They circled Jericho once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. This opinion maintains that they did not circle Jericho for seven successive days, for if they had done so they would have desecrated the Sabbath. This interpretation maintains that And it came to pass on the seventh day ¹¹² The 14 days comprised the seven on which King Solomon celebrated the dedication of the temple plus the seven days of Sukkot. See I Kings 8:65: So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great congregation…before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days

THEN THE CLOUD COVERED. Logically speaking, when the tabernacle was erected and Moses went out, the cloud covered the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it.¹¹³

footnotes: ¹¹³ Literally, then the cloud. In other words, God’s glory did not fill the tabernacle while Moses was in it.

AND MOSES WAS NOT ABLE TO ENTER. Then God called Moses and told him to enter the tent. Moses used to speak with God face to face in the place where the high priest entered once a year with a cloud of incense,¹¹⁴ because Moses was, as it were, a member of the house.¹¹⁵ I was forced to say this¹¹⁶ because Moses put the tablets in the ark. He similarly placed over the ark the covering with the cherubim on top. God’s glory was always upon them.¹¹⁷ Now what happened when Aaron and his sons took down the veil of the screen¹¹⁸ outside the place where the ark was kept?¹¹⁹. How did they approach it?¹²⁰ I therefore say that Moses alone entered beyond the veil. Aaron and his sons then took down the screen, which is called the veil.¹²¹ (the veil of the screen) as the parokhet, that is, the screen. Moses used to take the screen and immediately cover the ark of the covenant with it so that Aaron and his sons would not see it. Scripture writes, and they shall cover the ark of testimony (Num. 4:5)¹²² because they assisted Moses. Others say that the priests covered the ark but did not face it.¹²³ Scripture states, and there was fire therein by night, and then goes on to say, throughout all their journeys (v. 38). This¹²⁴ also indicates that at times the cloud journeyed at night.¹²⁵ Now we do not find it written that they journeyed at night.¹²⁶ The one who says this¹²⁷ explains or if it continued by day and by night (Num. 9:21) as referring to one day.¹²⁸ (o yomam va-laylah), when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Now o yomam va-laylah can be translated in two ways: a) Or it continued by day and by night. b) Or it continued for a day or for a night. According to the latter translation our verse reads, “or if it continued by day or by night (o yomam va-laylah) when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.” Thus the verse teaches that Israel at times traveled at night. Hence those who maintain that Israel did not journey at night interpret o yomam va-laylah as referring to a 24-hour period, that is, a day and a night. This opinion interprets o yomam va-laylah as: or it continued by day and by night, that is, a full day consisting of a day and a night. Now what will they do with the phrase their journeys (v. 38)? Scripture does not read: throughout all their encampments.¹²⁹ The latter implies that Israel journeyed at night. The correct meaning of or…by day and by night is: or day and night; or: or day or night.¹³⁰), or day and night, or, or day or night.” This reading is a bit difficult. I.E. is trying to prove that Israel journeyed at night. Hence why mention the interpretation, or day and night (see note 122). Indeed, Vat. Ebr. 38 reads, “Its meaning is (u-pirusho), or day or night.” If we emend pirusho to pirush then our text reads, “The meaning of (u-pirush) Or…by day and by night is: or day or night.” This is probably the reading upon which our text is based, for pirusho seems to be a scribal error for pirush. It is similar to And he that curseth his father and his mother,¹³¹ (his father and his mother). shall surely be put to death (Ex. 21:17).¹³² sometimes has the meaning of or. Similarly, yomam va-laylah is not to be rendered day and night but rather day or night. I had to say this because I noticed that the prayer which Moses uttered on the occasion of the scouts states, and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night (Num. 14:14).¹³³ also refers to and in a pillar of fire by night.

footnotes: ¹¹⁴ That is, in the Holy of Holies. See Lev. 16:13. ¹¹⁵ God’s house. Hence God called to him to enter the Holy of Holies on ordinary days. ¹¹⁶ That Moses entered the Holy of Holies whenever God spoke to him (Meijler). ¹¹⁷ Upon the cherubim. Hence Moses had already seen God’s glory (Krinsky). He was thus, as it were, a member of God’s house. ¹¹⁸ Which separated the Holy from the Holy of Holies. ¹¹⁹ See Num. 4:5: when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of testimony with it ¹²⁰ Since God’s glory was upon the ark. ¹²¹ I.E. interprets parokhet ha-masekh ¹²² Translated literally. ¹²³ So that they would not gaze upon God’s glory. ¹²⁴ In addition to Num. 14:14. See below. ¹²⁵ Some conclude on the basis of the aforementioned that at times the cloud journeyed at night. ¹²⁶ Scripture never explicitly states that Israel journeyed at night. ¹²⁷ That Scripture never explicitly states that Israel journeyed at night. ¹²⁸ Num. 9:21 states, And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed; or if it continued by day and by night ¹²⁹ If Scripture intended to teach that they journeyed during the day and camped at night, then our verse should have read: For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their “encampments,” rather than For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their “journeys.” ¹³⁰ In other words, Israel journeyed at night. Our text literally reads, “Its meaning is (u-pirusho ¹³¹ Hebrew, aviv ve-immo ¹³² Translated literally. The meaning of Ex. 21:17 is, And he that curseth his father “or” his mother shall surely be put to death. We thus see that the vav ¹³³ This verse implies that Israel journeyed at night, for prima facie, and Thou goest before them