Commentary for Exodus 35:11

את המשכן THE TABERNACLE — The lower curtains which were visible within the building are called משכן.

את המשכן, את אהלו, וגו׳. The Tabernacle, its tent, etc. The Tabernacle, i.e. the different materials used to provide its roofing, represented different degrees of sanctity. The materials forming the inner, or lower parts of the roofing were of a higher degree of sanctity than the outer coverings made of hides seeing they faced directly on to the Holy Ark, etc. The Torah indicates this by the absence of the conjunctive letter ו between the words משכן and אהל. The Torah does use the conjunctive letter ו when referring to מכסהו, to indicate that the various hides used as outer layers were of similar degrees of sanctity. The Torah informs us by the use of the letter ו that the difference in sanctity between the different hides was so insignificant that they were not separated from one another by omission of the conjunctive letter ו. The reason the Torah goes on to say את קרסיו instead of ואת קרסיו, is to inform us that the respective sanctity of these clasps was not of the same level as that of the coverings. The Torah goes on to mention the boards by using the letter ו i.e. ואת קרשיו. This indicates that these materials ranked equally with the clasps. On the other hand, the Torah omits the conjunctive letter ו when mentioning the בריחים, the bolts which held together the boards to tell us that they were not of the same level of sanctity as the boards which they hold together. The pillars also were of a lower degree of sanctity compared to the bolts and that is why they do not appear with the conjunctive letter ו. The אדנים, the sockets which held the boards were of the same level of sanctity as the pillars and that is why we have the letter ו i.e. ואת אדניו.

The lower drapes . . . Rashi is answering the question: Since it is written, “The mishkon,” why was it necessary for Scripture to write, “Its tent and its cover”? Everything is included in “mishkon”!

את בריחו, “its bolts;” the reading is as if it had been spelled בריחיו.

את אהלו ITS TENT — this is the covering of goats’ skins which was made to serve as a roofing.

Goat-hair drapes . . . [Rashi knows this] because we find that the goat-hair drapes are called אהל , as it says: “Make drapes of goats’ hair for an אהל over the mishkon” (26:7).

ואת מכסהו AND ITS COVERING — the covering of rams’ skins and tachash skins.

Rams’ skins and the tachash-skins . . . [Rashi knows this] because it is written, “Make a covering for the tent out of red-dyed rams’ skins and. . . tachash-skins. . .” (26:14).