[AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD MADE AN END OF SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE.] Moses made an end to the setting up of the tabernacle after the blessing of the kohanim,¹ blessed Israel. See Num. 6:24-26; Lev. 9:22. as this was how events unfolded.² at the end of chapter 6. On the day that Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them,³ the dedication of the tabernacle began.⁴ The verse And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle is proof of the words of our sages, that Moses took the tabernacle down, raised it up and took it down again, and erected it again throughout the seven days of dedication to train the kohanim.⁵ indicates that the tabernacle had been set up and taken down a number of times. See I.E. on Ex. 40:2 and the notes thereto (Vol. 2, p. 754). It should be noted that I.E. there rejects the opinion that Moses erected and took down the tabernacle during the seven days of dedication. For the meaning of and sanctified them is that he sanctified them [the furniture, the altar, and the vessels] by the sprinkling of the blood⁶ during the seven days of dedication.⁷

footnotes: ¹ After the kohanim ² Chapter 7 follows the blessing of the kohanim ³ Lev. 9:22. ⁴ Our verse. ⁵ According to the rabbis, had made an end of setting up the tabernacle ⁶ See Ex. 29:21; Ex. 29:35-7; Lev. 8:30. ⁷ When the tabernacle was set up and taken down.

AND THE ALTAR AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF. This is connected to on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle.⁸ also applies to and the altar. It means that he set the altar up in its place.

footnotes: ⁸ In other words, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle

AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF, AND HAD ANOINTED THEM. With the anointing oil

AND SANCTIFIED THEM. With blood. Scripture mentions the altar because of its dedication.⁹, the altar is included in the furniture thereof. Hence I.E. points out the altar is singled out for special mention because it had a special dedication. According to I.E. sex is one of the things that creates a barrier between man and God (Yesod Mora, chapter 7, pp. 107 and 108). The Nazirite is an individual who takes a vow to abstain from wine and haircutting. I.E. connects wine and hair to sexuality. He believes that most sexual taboos are violated because the transgressor has imbibed wine. As to the prohibition of cutting the hair, I.E. writes, “A woman who does not fix her hair does not seek to engage in sexual relationships” (Num. 5:31). He similarly notes that the Torah states that “a razor shall not come upon the head of a Nazirite so that he does not make himself attractive to women.” (Yesod Mora, p. 62).

footnotes: ⁹ Prima facie

THAT THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL…OFFERED. Scripture employs a general term.¹⁰ Its meaning is that they brought their offering to the Lord before the opening of the tabernacle.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Our verse tells us in general terms that the princes brought an offering. Unlike the offerings brought by the princes when the altar was dedicated (verses 12-83), Scripture does not list the offerings prince by prince.

COVERED. The word tzav (covered) here is similar to the word tzabbim (Utters) in and in litters, and upon mules (Is. 66:20). The reference is to a type of ox that pulls wagons.¹¹ (covered wagons) means wagons pulled by a tzav. This commentary renders Is. 66:20, and upon oxen and mules. Others say that eglot tzav (covered wagons) refers to a wagon that is overloaded and that tzav is connected to the word tzavah (swell) (Num. 5:21). However, this is farfetched.

footnotes: ¹¹ According to this interpretation, here eglot tzav

[AND TWELVE OXEN.] I have already explained in my work Moznayim¹² that the mem in shenem asar (twelve) remains both in the absolute¹³). and in the construct.¹⁴ (twelve). When a word ending in a mem is connected to another word, the mem is dropped. Hence I.E.’s comment. The meaning of shenem asar (twelve) is two (shenayim) and ten (eser).¹⁵ is short for shenayim ve-asar, Hence the change in the vowel, shenem rather than shenayim. The word shenem is connected to aser for purposes of brevity. The same applies to shelosh elleh (these three) (Ex. 21:11).¹⁶ is in the construct with elleh. Otherwise the phrase would be written shalosh elleh. See I.E. on Ex. 21:11 (Vol. 2, p. 464). The phrase shene asar (twelve)¹⁷ without the mem is an abridged form.¹⁸ is short for shenem asar.

footnotes: ¹² A work on grammar. ¹³ That is, in the word two (shenayim ¹⁴ In the phrase shenem asar ¹⁵ In other words, shenem asar ¹⁶ Shelosh ¹⁷ This is the form used in our verse. ¹⁸ Shene asar

FOR EVERY TWO OF THE PRINCES. Al shene ha-nesi’im means for every two of the princes.¹⁹ usually means on. I.E. points out that here it means for.

footnotes: ¹⁹ The word al

[13. AND HIS OFFERING.] Scripture reads, and his offering because Scripture had already stated, And he that presented [his offering] (v. 12). The vav of ve-korbano (and his offering) means, and this was his offering. Scripture writes with regard to the second day, hikriv et korbano (he offered his offering)²⁰. There is no reason to say he offered his offering. Scripture should have read, he offered. (v. 18), for this is the style of Scripture. Compare, And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said: ‘My father’ (Gen. 22:7). The word father is repeated because Scripture is being lengthy. Then spoke the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen (Esth. 7:5) is also similar.²¹ and spoke). Scripture does not mention the term hikriv (he presented) with regard to the other princes,²² for Scripture wanted to be brief. Similarly the term le-gulgelotam (by their poles) is used only in the numbering of Reuben²³ and Simeon.²⁴ There are many such examples.²⁵

footnotes: ²⁰ Translated literally. J.P.S. renders, he presented for his offering ²¹ Here too Scripture employs a lengthy style (said ²² It is used only in regard to the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar. ²³ Num. 1:20. ²⁴ Num. 1:22. Also see I.E. on 1:19. ²⁵ Where Scripture employs an abbreviated style.

ON THE SEVENTH DAY. Some say that Elishama the son of Ammihud presented his offering on the Sabbath. It was a ruling for that time.²⁶ Others say that the reference is to the seventh day of the dedication of the tabernacle.²⁷ Those who disagree with our sages say that the first day of the altar’s dedication did not fall on the first day of the week.²⁸ However, this is of no avail, for it is impossible that there be no Sabbath in twelve days.I believe that the second interpretation²⁹ is correct, because of the peace offering.³⁰ The seventh day of the circling of Jericho is similar.³¹ Likewise the seven days of the dedication of the temple (I Kings 8:65) because of the Day of Atonement.³²

footnotes: ²⁶ For personal offerings cannot be offered on the Sabbath. ²⁷ According to this interpretation, the Sabbath day is not included in the days of dedication, for no sacrifice was offered on the Sabbath. ²⁸ Hence the seventh day of dedication did not fall on the Sabbath. ²⁹ That the seventh day refers to the seventh day of dedication, not to the seventh day of the week. ³⁰ Brought by Elishama. Peace offerings were not brought on the Sabbath. ³¹ See Josh. 6:6-15. According to I.E. the seventh day on which the Israelites circled Jericho was not a Sabbath. ³² The second series of seven days of the dedication of the first temple apparently took in the Day of Atonement. Now if this is the case, then the people ate on Yom Kippur. This is the opinion of the sages of the Talmud. According to I.E. these seven days do not include Yom Kippur, for there were no dedication festivities on that day.

ONE YOUNG BULLOCK. Ben bakar means a young bullock. Compare, ben yonah (young dove).³³

footnotes: ³³ See Lev. 1:14.

TWO OXEN. These were also male bullocks.³⁴ The meaning of bakar (oxen) is, from the kind of cattle.³⁵ (two oxen) literally means two of the kind of cattle, the reference being to two bulls. And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace-offerings twenty and four bullocks (v. 88) is proof of this.³⁶ refers to bullocks.

footnotes: ³⁴ They were of the same sex and kind as the young bullock. ³⁵ Thus bakar shenayim ³⁶ That bakar

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY. I have already explained in my work moznayim why this number³⁷ (eleven). differs [from the other numbers].³⁸ (2) asar; 13, sheloshah (3) asar (10); etc. However, the word for eleven in our verse is ashte asar and not ahad (1) asar (10). The word ashte in (ashte asar, eleven) is similar to the word eshtonotav (his thoughts) (Ps. 146:4). It (ashte) refers to that which a person’s thoughts give birth to. The number ten, as it were begets [eleven, etc.]. This is a great secret.³⁹, p. 163). Rabbi Jonah the Sephardi⁴⁰ says that ashte asar is short for al shete asar. Its meaning is, the number that precedes twelve.⁴¹ means eleven. Now Rabbi Jonah made two great mistakes. One, contrary to his words, the number twelve is beyond (al) the number eleven.⁴² means above, not before. Hence if ashte asar is short for al shetem asar, then its meaning is, not before 12 but beyond 12. From twenty years old and upward (va-ma’alah) (Num. 1:3) is proof of the aforementioned.⁴³ and al come from the same root. We thus see that al means upward or beyond, not before. His second mistake is that if the word ashte is short for al shete, then the text should have read ashne asar,⁴⁴. not ashte asar. For ashte is in the feminine.⁴⁵ is short for shetem asar. Shetem asar is feminine. Now yom is masculine. Why would Scripture employ a feminine? Ashte is therefore one word.

footnotes: ³⁷ Ashte asar ³⁸ All the other teens are written by adding the one number to ten. For example, 12 is written shenem ³⁹ According to I.E., “Ten is the foundation of all sums, for all sums that follow ten are made up of a part or parts of ten, or come into being by doubling ten, multiplying ten, or a combination of the two” (The Secret of the Torah ⁴⁰ Jonah ibn Janach, the eleventh-century grammarian. ⁴¹ In other words, ashte asar ⁴² In other words, the word al ⁴³ Va-ma’alah ⁴⁴ Because the word for 12 is shenem asar ⁴⁵ According to Rabbi Jonah, ashte

[AND WHEN MOSES WENT IN.] It is likely that the beginning of God’s word to Moses [in the tabernacle], which is what And the Lord called unto Moses (Lev. 1:1) refers to, was uttered when the dedication of the tabernacle was completed. All the grammarians say that the word middabber (speaking) in speaking unto him is a hitpa’el⁴⁶ with the tav swallowed.⁴⁷. In other words, middabber is short for mitdabber. However, in my opinion middadbber is an infinitive. It is similar to the word dabber (speak)⁴⁸ in behold, I cannot speak (Jer. 1:5). The mem prefixed to middabber is in place of the word min, as is the rule in the Hebrew language.⁴⁹ placed in front of a word has the meaning of from. I.E. renders va-yishma et ha-kol middabber elav (then he heard the voice speaking unto him) as, then he heard the voice of the One who spoke to him.

footnotes: ⁴⁶ So too Rashi. ⁴⁷ By the dallet ⁴⁸ Which is an infinitive. ⁴⁹ A mem

The meaning of va-yishma (then he heard) is that only Moses heard the voice. Anyone in the tent of meeting outside of the curtain did not hear the voice. The following is also correct: God made Moses’ ear supersensitive⁵⁰ as he added to the sight of Elisha’s young man (II Kings 6:17). Similarly Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam (Num. 22:31).⁵¹

footnotes: ⁵⁰ So that Moses heard what others did not ⁵¹ Which, according to I.E., means God made his eyes more sensitive than the eyes of other people.

AND HE SPOKE UNTO HIM. This was the way God’s word always came to Moses.⁵²

footnotes: ⁵² Once the tabernacle was erected.