If you will find that my commentary on the construction of the Tabernacle and the requisite furnishings and priestly garments is relatively brief, the reason is that my grandfather Rashi, of blessed memory, has already elaborated on most of it.

תרומה, the setting aside of the money or materials for the construction of the Tabernacle.

ותולעת שני, wool dyed red is called תולעת. The colour itself is called שני. We know this from Nachum 2,4 אנשי חיל מתולעים, “soldiers dressed in crimson.” The word also occurs in that sense in Lamentations 4,5 האמונים עלי תולע, “the ones who used to be robed in purple, etc.” The prophet Isaiah 1,18 holds out the hope that “if our sins were staining our clothing red, repentance would result in their becoming white as snow.” The prophet considers both the word שלג and שני as dyes, the former being a white dye, the latter a red dye. However the words תולע and צמר both refer to wool, the latter being undyed wool.

ושש, and linen. All the other materials used were different kinds of wool, i.e. dyed animal hair.

ועזים. Something weaved or spun from goats’ hair.

לשמן המשחה, from which to make the oil for anointing.

ולקטורת הסמים, they brought spices to help make the incense, as is commanded in Exodus 30,34 קח לך סמים.

מלואים, for the gemstone to fill the recessed area intended for it to be set in, similar to the rings used as signet rings.

מקדש, an alternate description of אהל מועד, a place where G’d would be sanctified and from which He would address the Israelites. Compare Exodus 29,43.

ככל אשר אני מראה, corresponding to all the likenesses of the various utensils that have been shown to you in a vision. Compare Ezekiel 40,2 where the prophet was also shown a vision of all that pertained to the building of the second Temple. The meaning of the vision was then explained to the prophet in detail.

ועשו ארון עצי שטים, seeing that the words belong together, i.e. “an ark of acacia wood,” the vowel under the letter א in the word ארון is a chataph patach instead of a kametz. [This had to be so as the tone sign tipcha under the word ארון suggests that the word belongs to the word ועשו preceding it. Ed.] Even so, when it came to the carrying out of these instructions we find that Betzalel, contrary to Moses’ instructions, first constructed the Tabernacle itself before fashioning the furnishings thereof, seeing he would not have a place wherein to place all these furnishings. Nevertheless, at the time of the instructions, the Ark, Table, etc., had to be mentioned first. The reason was that the construction of the Tabernacle was, after all, secondary to the furnishings inside it. It became necessary to build the Tabernacle only in order to house the Ark and other sacred furnishings.

זהב טהור, this does not mean that gold cannot become ritually impure; we know it can become defiled from Numbers 31,22. The expression טהור here means: ”pure, refined.”

ויצקת לו, they would protrude beyond the outer edges of the Ark and not be an integral part of it.

ושתי טבעות, of the total of four such rings.

על צלעו האחת, along the width of the Ark (the shorter side) seeing that the staves protruded in the direction of the sanctuary (backwards, seeing the Ark itself was in the inner sanctum) The length of the Ark had to be positioned in a north/south direction so that the staves would face east/west.

את העדות, the Tablets which represented the testimony and covenant between G’d and Israel. This is also the reason why Moses refers to them as לוחות הברית, “Tablets of the covenant,” in Deuteronomy 9,9.

כפורת, an expression meaning “cover.”

'אמתים וחצי ארכו וגו, corresponding to the dimensions of the Ark.

כרובים. Birds. (shapes of) We base this on Ezekiel 28,14 את כרוב ממשח הסוכך, “as a cherub with protective outstretched wings.” (compare Rashi) It is a large bird. Our sages (Sukkah 5) understand the word to mean “having the faces of young children, toddlers.”

מקשה, hammered out of the thickness of the lid, i.e. the whole was a single chunk

מקצה, from the center of the border in the width of the Ark so that the cherubs would be facing the sanctuary when mounted on the Ark.

למעלה, toward their heads. ופניהם איש אל אחיו, facing the center area on the surface of the lid. (from the outside toward the center and each other)

מסגרת, a kind of rim or edge which it is customary to attach to top of tables, to guard against spillage. Others say that it was attached to the underside of the tables reinforcing the legs at each corner.

לעומת המסגרת, these were attached at the underside of the table but not to the border (מסגרת).

קערתיו. a form similar to the one in which bread is baked.

וכפותיו, for the two spoonfuls of frankincense as mentioned in Leviticus 24,2 ונתתה על המערכת לבונה זכה, ”with each row you shall place pure frankincense, etc.”

קשותיו ומנקיותיו, the details of these tools are all spelled out in Menachot 94 seeing that the 12 show-breads were arranged in two stacks of six each, with adequate ventilation between each form containing these breads. Here these utensils are referred to as subordinate, part of the table, whereas in Numbers 4,7 the same utensils are described as subordinate to the libation, i.e. קשות הנסך. The reason is that these utensils were designed to provide cover, the root of נסך there being סכך as in the covering used for the Sukkah. These utensils covered and separated one layer of reads from the other.

אשר יסך, by means of these utensils the libations were to be offered.

לחם פנים, according to the plain meaning of the text the word פנים means that the quality of the bread was such that it was fit to be served, to be displayed for approval to ministers and kings. In other words: “beautiful, first rate bread.” Compare Leviticus 24,5 “take choice flour and bake of it twelve loaves, etc.” Other verses in which gifts are associated with the expression פנים are found in Genesis 43,34 וישא משאת מאת פניו אליהם, “He served portions to them from his (Joseph’s, the viceroy) table.” Clearly a reference to the choicest which was served in the palace. In Samuel I,1,5 similar language is used to describe Elkanah giving his childless wife Channah the choice portion of the meal, apparently from the bowl placed before her husband. The master of the house is always given the best and choicest. Seeing that we are told that G’d had sealed her womb, but that her husband loved her best in spite of this, it is clear that he did what he could to pamper her as compensation for her grieving that she had not been able to provide her husband with children.

'ועשית מנורת וגו, to illuminate the breads on the table as is mentioned in 26,35 where the position of this Menorah is specifically described as being opposite the table.

מקשה, he took a chunk of gold and peeled from its side arms, cup-shaped ornaments, flowers, etc., all with aid of a hammer.

ירכה, the wide base (legs) in touch with the floor, upon which the entire lamp stand was erected.

וקנה, a reference to the central shaft from which three subsidiary arms would branch out in either direction.

גביעיה כפתוריה ופרחיה ממנה יהיו, all of these would emanate from the center shaft. Wherever there was a knob, two relatively thin arms would branch out, one to the right and one to the left. All this is spelled out in verse 35.

שלושה גביעים, hollow, similar to a cup. These made it appear as if the center shaft was full of holes.

משוקדים, almond-shaped, protruding in the outer walls of these cup-shaped ornaments. [The author describes jewelry in his time that was constructed in a similar fashion, something this editor is not too familiar with. Ed.]

כפתור ופרח, these knobs and flowers alternated with one another at halfway up the arms of the lamp stand.

וכפתור תחת שני הקנים, a knob and a flower in the center shaft beneath each set of arms branching out from it.

לששת הקנים, three times. (seeing two arms extended from the center shaft at the same height each time) The words וכפתור did not need to be repeated three times in our verse as the count had already been made in verse 33.

נרותיה, a reference to the little bowls in which both the oil and the wick would be placed. The priest would point the direction of each flame towards the center shaft so that they would illuminate also each other. [the word פניה refers to the table standing across from the Menorah which would be indirectly illuminated by these seven lights.] This same point is repeated in Numbers 8,2 making sure we understand that the lights of the Menorah illuminated the breads on the table opposite it.

(2) HE, the kohen, SHALL MOUNT.

(3) THE LAMPS. Seven on the seven stems.

(4) SO AS TO GIVE LIGHT ON ITS FRONT SIDE. He should light the wicks toward the side facing [in the direction across from] the lampstand, which is the side of the table, which is opposite it, as it is written (Exod. 26:35), "and the lampstand opposite the table," and it is likewise written (Num. 8:2), "Towards opposite [JPS: at the front of] the lampstand shall the seven lamps give light."

ומלקחיה, the tongs needed to handle the wicks in order to insert them in the lamps.

ומחתותיה, the ash-pans in which the leftover, possibly still glowing, remnants of the wicks and any unburned oil would be removed when cleaning out the lamps each morning.

מראה, a past participle of the verb when it is used transitively, i.e. describing an action performed by a third party.

אשר אתה מראה בהר, G’d had literally shown Moses a visual likeness of the Tabernacle while he had been on Mount Sinai. This must be contrasted with such expressions as Genesis 12,7 לה' הנראה אליו, where the image Avraham received was one which originated within him rather than externally.