Comentario sobre Exodo 39:33

ויביאו את המשכן וגו׳ AND THEY BROUGHT THE TABERNACLE [UNTO MOSES etc.], for they themselves were unable to erect it. Since Moses had done no work in the Mishkan, the Holy One, blessed is He, left for him the task of erecting it, for nobody was able to set it up because of the weight of the boards which no human strength was capable of setting up. Moses, however, succeeded in placing it in position. Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “How is its erection possible by human beings?” God answered him: “You be busy with your hand!” He appeared to be erecting it, but in fact it set itself up and rose of its own accord. That is why Scripture says, (Exodus 40:17) “The Tabernacle was erected (הוקם)” — was erected by itself. This is a Midrash of Rabbi Tanchuma 2:11:11.

AND THEY BROUGHT THE TABERNACLE UNTO MOSES, THE TENT, AND ALL ITS VESSELS. The translation of this verse is as if it were written with the connective vav [which indicates “and”], thus making the sense of the verse: “and they brought the Tabernacle unto Moses, ‘and’ the tent and all its vessels,” for it was the curtains of fine-twined linen that are called “Tabernacle,” as it is said, And thou shalt make the Tabernacle with ten curtains of fine-twined linen,³¹Above, 26:1. and then it continues, and thou shalt couple the curtains… that the Tabernacle may be one whole.³²Ibid., Verse 6. The “tent,” however, means the curtains of goats’ hair, as Scripture says with reference to them, And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the Tabernacle;³³Ibid., Verse 7. and thou shalt couple the tent together, that it may be one.³⁴Ibid., Verse 11. Similarly, the Tabernacle, its tent, and its covering³⁵Ibid., 35:11. means “and its tent.” So also here the meaning of the verse is, “and they brought the Tabernacle unto Moses, and the tent, and all its vessels,” as Scripture mentions here [in this section] the names of all its parts. At times the whole house is called “the Tent of Meeting,” as He said, and they shall make all that I have commanded thee: the Tent of Meeting, and the ark of the Testimony,³⁶Ibid., 31:6-7. for “the Tent of Meeting” is the house in its totality, where He would meet with Moses.³⁷Ibid., 30:6. Similarly, all the vessels of the service of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting³⁸Further, Verse 40. [refers to the building as a whole].

ויביאו את המשכן, the curtains which were artistically woven;

ויביאו את המשכן, They brought the Tabernacle, etc. This means that they presented all the parts of the Tabernacle to Moses.

ויביאו את המשכן אל משה, את האהל וגו', “They brought the Tabernacle to Moses; the tent, etc.;” according to Nachmanides the words את האהל have to be understood as if the Torah had written: ואת האהל, “and the tent.” The reason that this is not strange is that the term משכן whenever it appears without further adjective, refers only to the coverings of the Tabernacle, the various layers of it, the lowest one, the one that formed the ceiling visible from within. Compare Exodus 26,1:ואת המשכן תעשה עשר יריעות, “and the mishkan you are to construct of ten carpet-like curtains.” It also is written there that upon joining these ten “curtains,” the משכן will become a single unit. The second layer of coverings made of the skins of goats was known as אהל. Finally, the upper covering consisting of the skins of rams was known as מכסה. (compare 26,7 and 14 respectively.) There are occasions when the entire structure is referred to as אהל מועד, as in ועשית את אהל מועד כאשר צויתיך, “you are to construct the Tent of Meeting as I have commanded you “ A similar description is found is found in verse 40 of our chapter.

For they were unable to erect it . . . [Rashi knows this] because otherwise, they would not have brought it [to Moshe] in pieces, since it is the way of craftsmen to erect a house and then to show what they built. Therefore Rashi explains, “For they were unable to erect it.” Rashi then answers a further question: Every time they traveled from place to place, they erected the mishkon [themselves]. If so, why did they not do so now as well? Therefore Rashi explains, “Because Moshe did no work. . ..” Thus the first time, it was erected through Moshe, of its own. And from then on, each time they traveled, it stood upright on its own, and through those who erected it. (Nachalas Yaakov) Here it is implied that even Moshe erected it [only] by a miracle. But in Shabbos 92a, Berachos 54b and Bechoros 44a, it is implied that since Moshe was ten amohs tall, he therefore had the strength to erect it. See there.

את האהל, the carpets made of goats’ hair.

ואת כל כליו, pertaining to the Tabernacle, i.e. the brackets, loops and hooks. Even the colossal boards were also included in what is called here the כלי המשכן, the “furnishings of the Tabernacle.” So were the bolts, the heavy silver sockets for the boards, etc.