Commentaire de citation sur L’Exode 40:9

וימשח את המשכן, He anointed the Tabernacle, etc. Why did the Torah interrupt the report of clothing Aaron in the priestly garments and his being anointed with the report of the Tabernacle being anointed? The reason is presumably that the Torah had reported that Moses was commanded to anoint the Tabernacle before it reported that he had been commanded to anoint Aaron (compare Exodus 40,9). You may argue that it would have been appropriate then for the Torah to report the anointing of the Tabernacle before reporting the dressing of the priests in their garments in order to conform with the order in which the Torah reported the commands as being issued by G'd. The reason Moses did not do so may be found in a detail in verse 2 where G'd had said to Moses: "take Aaron, his sons, the garments, and the oil of anointing." If the anointing of the Tabernacle had been intended to precede the sons of Aaron being dressed in their priestly garments, the Torah should have written as follows: "take the oil of anointing, etc." seeing the Torah wanted the first command to be carried out first. If the Torah had written verse 2 in that order we could not possibly have mistaken its intention. Seeing the Torah first mentioned Aaron, it is clear he was to be anointed first before he was to put on the priestly garments. It was not possible to misinterpret what G'd wanted because the Torah had already said in Exodus 28,41: "dress your brother Aaron and his sons in them and anoint them." It is clear therefore that the Torah intended to have the priests put on the priestly garments prior to anointing the Tabernacle with the oil of anointing. Why is it then that in פרשת פקודי the Torah reported the anointing of the Tabernacle before it reported Aaron being dressed in his priestly garments? We may answer that seeing the Torah did not want to interrupt between the act of Aaron's' getting dressed and being anointed, it wrote all the laws pertaining to Aaron consecutively; this did not mean however, that the anointing of the Tabernacle was to be preceded by anything but the anointment of Aaron himself. This is the point we learn from the sequence of the Torah's report in our chapter.

AND THE ALTAR SHALL BE MOST HOLY. Since they would also sacrifice on it the most holy offerings, Scripture describes the altar as “most holy,” even though it stood in the court of the Tabernacle. Of the Tabernacle, however, Scripture says, and it shall be holy,⁸¹Verse 9. because the term “most holy” is used usually only with reference to the place where the ark rests, just as it is said, and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.⁸²Above, 26:33. It is possible that He said of the altar “most holy,” because it sanctifies other things, just as He said, whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.⁸³Ibid., 29:37. See also Ramban above in Seder Ki Thisa 34:25, towards the end, for the specific explanation of how the altar sanctifies whatever touches it.

AND MOSES TOOK THE ANOINTING OIL, AND ANOINTED THE TABERNACLE … 12. AND HE POURED OF THE ANOINTING OIL UPON AARON’S HEAD. This too¹⁸⁷See Ramban on Verse 7. Moses did in the proper order, for so he was commanded [in the section on the making] of the oil of anointment: And thou shalt anoint therewith the Tent of Meeting etc., and thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons.¹⁸⁸Exodus 30:26 and 30. Therefore Moses did not want to anoint the Tabernacle until he had clothed Aaron, and then he anointed them together, so that the one who is to perform the Divine Service should be ready, as it were, to come at once into the Sanctuary to minister. It sufficed to do so in the case of Aaron, for he was the holy one of the Eternal,¹⁸⁹Psalms 106:16. — Hence Aaron was dressed first with the priestly garments after the Tabernacle had been erected and not yet anointed, so that the two could be anointed together. This was not the case with Aaron’s sons, who were dressed and anointed after the Tabernacle and Aaron had been anointed. although in the command regarding the erecting of the Tabernacle it is written, and thou shalt anoint the Tabernacle, and all that is therein,¹⁹⁰Exodus 40:9. and afterwards, and thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments,¹⁹¹Ibid., Verse 12-13. for there He arranged all that was done to Aaron and his sons in one verse.¹⁹²But in reality the anointing of the Tabernacle took place after Aaron had been dressed by Moses in his priestly garments, as is stated here [for the reason mentioned in the text].