שתי ידות לקרש האחד, “two tenons per beam.” Nachmanides, in commenting on the baraitha (Shabbat 98) quoted by Rashi, according to which each of these tenons had been left exposed after a quarter of its width had been removed on either side, so that the combined width of the two parallel tenons would be zero, and there would not have remained any part of the tenon to insert into the silver sockets. one cannot understand the baraitha at face value. There was no specific measurement prescribed for the lowest cubit of the beams to be made to fit into the silver sockets. The meaning of the word רביע in the baraitha, is that enough of the sides of both tenons had to be shaved off to enable them to fit inside the silver sockets, but at the same time forming a continuous line, flush with the outside of these sockets. The same amount of wood had to be shaved off in between the two tenons, seeing that each beam was fitted into two sockets. Personally, I think that apart from the baraitha, there is no problem, seeing that the words רביע מכאן ורביע מכאן, “a quarter from one side and a quarter from the other side,” do not refer to the thickness of the beams, but to the thickness of the hollow walls of the silver sockets. Seeing that the thickness of these was minimal, the baraitha describes this as רביע to describe an insignificant amount.

משלבות אשה אל אחותה, “parallel to one another.” Rashi explains that the two tenons at the bottom of each beam were parallel and matching one another, the Torah mentioning that they were not one protruding further than the other from their respective outer parameters, i.e 6x9. tefachim. Nachmanides explains the word שליבה, as “projection,” as the tenons of the rungs of the ladder which fit into the mortise of the sides of the ladder’s frame. The adjoining beam would have a similarly shaped projection so that they could dovetail into one another and make a solid joint. Each beam at the top would have two such projections.

ויחדיו יהיו תמים אל ראשו, “and together shall they match at the top.” To the ring which linked two beams each together after an incision the thickness of the ring was grooved near the outer rim of each beam. Nachmanides adds that he does not understand why the Torah did not mention that there were a total number of 20 such golden rings just as there were 20 beams, and why the making of these grooves to accommodate the rings was not mentioned either. Perhaps, the expression אל הטבעת האחת, “into the one ring, with the definitive article ה in front of the word טבעת, ring, is a reference to the accepted method of builders to fit adjoining beams with such rings. The Torah uses a similar definite article when describing the bolts, בריחים, when it speaks about הבריח התיכון, “the central bolt.” Normally, seeing that we had not heard about such a bolt before, it would not qualify for the description: “the central bold.” The fact that people were familiar with how such structures were joined together, especially, portable ones such as the Tabernacle, enabled the Torah to condense its description of the details. The baraitha in Shabbat quoted above appears to understand the rings mentioned here as the ones affixed to the sides of the beams, the ones through which the בדים, staves were inserted to insure that the beams did not move in any direction. The same applies to the manner in which the hooks of the curtains in the courtyard of the Tabernacle are described, where we also would not be able to account for the use of the definitive article ה otherwise. [compare 27,10] According to this interpretation the Torah would not have mentioned the bolts affixed to the exterior sides of the beams at all.

והבאת שמה מבית לפרוכת את ארון העדות, “and you shall bring there, beyond the dividing curtain, the ark housing the Tablets of Testimony.” Moses was not commanded at this time to do this, i.e. to place the dividing curtain underneath the golden clasps, קרסים, and only subsequently to bring the Ark into the Holy of Holies, beyond where the dividing curtain had been hung. This is not the time and place when the Torah would issue directives for matters other than the ones that concerned the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. In light of this, also the words ונתת את הכפורת על ארון העדות בקודש הקדשים, (verse 34) “you are to place the lid on the ark of Testimony in the Holy of Holies,” are not to be understood as to the order in which the Tabernacle would be assembled. On the contrary, when the directives for assembling the Tabernacle were issued, the Torah specifically directs that the lid be placed on the Ark only after it had already been placed in the Holy of Holies. (Exodus 40,3) This is also repeated when the assembly of the dividing curtain is described in 39,33-38 clearly shows that the furnishings were installed in the Tabernacle before the respective curtains were hung. Therefore, the meaning of the words in our verse is that it is mandatory to arrange for the dividing curtain to be beneath the clasps holding it in place so that at all times the Holy Ark would be within the Holy of Holies. The sole function of the dividing curtain was to separate two domains of differing degrees of holiness, i.e. the Sanctuary, היכל, and the קדשי קדשים, the Holy of Holies. It was important for us to know that the lid of the Ark, כפורת, with its cherubs mounted on it, the source from which G’d’s voice would address Moses, be completely within this Holy of Holies all times.