פירוש על שמות 40:40

ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH SHALT THOU SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. In the opinion of our Rabbis⁴³Sifra, beginning of Seder Shemini. who say that this was on the eighth day of the installation [of the priests into their sacred office],⁴⁴On the first seven days of the installation the Tabernacle was put up and taken apart each day. But on the eighth day it was put up and no longer dismantled until they moved away from the encampment at Mount Sinai. Accordingly, since in the opinion of the Rabbis the first day of Nisan was the eighth day of the installation, the expression thou shalt set up the Tabernacle must mean “set it up permanently etc.,” the meaning of the verse is: “you are to put up the Tabernacle and it should remain so; do not dismantle it and do not put it up again, for when the camps will move, the Levites will dismantle it and put it up.” It was not necessary that G-d should command Moses now about the putting up of the Tabernacle during the first seven days, since He had told him at the start, And thou shalt set up the Tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mountain.⁴⁵Above, 26:30. Now since He explained to him here that On the first day of the first month the setting up of the Tabernacle would be of a permanent nature, Moses thus understood that during [each of] the seven days of installation it would be necessary for him to put it up and to dismantle it. Perhaps this was done in order to train the Levites how to do it, for they would see how he did it and would do likewise. Or it may be that this was done in order to crown the eighth day with this special crown [that the Tabernacle was for the first time not dismantled on that day].
It would appear according to the opinion of the Rabbis that on the first seven days Moses put up the Tabernacle each morning, and it remained standing all day and all the following night, and at each dawn he would dismantle it and put it up again immediately, for Scripture says, And at the door of the Tent of Meeting shall ye abide day and night for seven days,⁴⁶Leviticus 8:35. and there could be no “door” to the Tent of Meeting except at the time when it was erected.⁴⁷Thus since Scripture states that during the first seven days of the installation Aaron and his sons had to sit at the door of the Tent of Meeting, we must therefore conclude that the Tabernacle was dismantled at dawn and put up again immediately. The Sages have already interpreted:⁴⁸Sifra Vayikra, parshata 4. “he shall bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting⁴⁹Leviticus 1:3. — at the time when it is open, and not when [the Tent of Meeting] is taken to pieces.” Similarly, the Rabbis have said:⁵⁰Zebachim 55b. “Peace-offerings which have been slaughtered before the doors of the Sanctuary were opened are invalid, because it is said, and he shall slaughter it at the door of the Tent of Meeting⁵¹Leviticus 3:2. — at the time it is open, and not when it is locked.” Similarly, “at the Tabernacle, [peace-offerings which were slaughtered] before the Levites put up the Tabernacle, or after the Levites had dismantled it, were invalid.”⁵⁰Zebachim 55b. Moreover, [during the first seven days of installation, Moses] used to sacrifice the Daily Offering of the evening and kindle the lamps at night. And in Vayikra Rabbah⁵²I have not found this quotation in Vayikra Rabbah, but in Tanchuma Pekudei, 11. I have seen [the following text]: “Moses used to put up the Tabernacle and dismantle it twice every day. Rabbi Chanina the Great says: three times every day, for [the phrase ‘putting up’ of the Tabernacle] is mentioned three times: thou shalt put up;⁵³In Verse 2 before us. the Tabernacle was put up;⁵⁴Further, Verse 17. and Moses put up the Tabernacle.⁵⁵Ibid., Verse 18. Once it was put up for the Daily Offering of the morning, and once for the special offerings of the installation, and once for the Daily Offering of the evening.” It is possible that all this was done for the sake of practice, so that they would know the procedure for putting it up, and which order to follow, but they never left it in a dismantled state at all [during the seven days of installation].
And that which Scripture states here, And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle,⁵⁶Ibid., Verse 34. in the opinion of the Rabbis it refers to the eighth day, for Scripture says, So Moses finished the work,⁵⁷Ibid., Verse 33. and when he had completed this erection on the first of Nisan, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. Now Rashi has already mentioned the interpretation of the Rabbis: “And they came out and blessed the people.⁵⁸Leviticus 9:23. During all the seven days of installation when Moses was putting up the Tabernacle, and officiating therein, and dismantling it,⁵⁹Our Rashi adds: “every day.” the Divine Glory did not rest upon it, and the Israelites felt ashamed, and they said to Moses: ‘Our master! All the trouble which we have taken was only so that the Divine Glory would dwell amongst us, and that we would know that the sin of the calf has been atoned for!’ Then Moses said to them: ‘My brother Aaron is more worthy and meritorious than I am, and it is through his offerings and service that the Divine Glory will rest upon us.’”
And in the Parshath Hamiluim⁶⁰Sifra, beginning of Seder Shemini. (the Chapter of the Installation) we find written: “I might think that the Tabernacle was put up on the first of the month of Nisan, and that the Divine Glory did not rest thereon until the eighth day of the month. Scripture therefore says, And on the day that the Tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle, even the Tent of Meeting.⁶¹Numbers 9:15. This teaches us that on the day the Tabernacle was put up, the Divine Glory rested thereon through the service of Aaron.” Thus the Rabbis are clearly saying that the cloud covering the Tabernacle was on the eighth day of the installation, which was on the first day of Nisan.
If this is so, then this whole chapter, in the opinion of the Rabbis, took place on the eighth day of the installation. This is indeed so, because Scripture describes the sequence of events as follows: G-d commanded Moses that the final putting up of the Tabernacle should be on the first day of the first month, and then it states that Moses did so and finished the whole work⁵⁷Ibid., Verse 33. [of the seven days of installation], and then [on the eighth day] the cloud covered the tent,⁵⁶Ibid., Verse 34. and so it was always [henceforth whenever they journeyed and put up the Tabernacle at their new place of encampment]. Then Scripture goes back to the beginning of the communication which came to Moses from the Tent, saying, And He called unto Moses.⁶²Leviticus 1:1. All this is now in proper order.
A kind of proof to what the Rabbis have said, [that during the seven days of installation the Tabernacle was dismantled every day], is what Scripture says, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the Tabernacle.⁶³Numbers 7:1. Now if he did not dismantle it, what sense is there to the expression, the day that he ‘made an end’ of setting up the Tabernacle, since he began and finished all the work in one day? In that case it should rather have said: “and it came to pass on the day that Moses set up the Tabernacle.” Moreover, it says there [with reference to the eighth day], This is the thing which the Eternal commanded that ye should do;⁶⁴Leviticus 9:6. and the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the people.⁶⁵Ibid., Verse 23. The implication of these verses is that the cloud had not yet covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of the Eternal did not yet fill the Tabernacle.
However it may be, from the first day of the installation G-d communicated to Moses from the Tabernacle all the sections from the beginning of the Book of Leviticus until And it came to pass on the eighth day.⁶⁶Ibid., 9:1. But the cloud did not cover the Tabernacle, and the people therefore thought that the communication from there to Moses was directly from heaven, just as it was in the land of Egypt. But in the Midrash Chazit⁶⁷I have not found it in Shir Hashirim Rabbah ( Midrash Chazit ), but in Koheleth Rabbah 1:31. I have found the following text: “And it came to pass on the eighth day.⁶⁶Ibid., 9:1. This really should have been the beginning of the Book of Leviticus. Why then was it written here? Because there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah.” Now if this is so, then the chapter beginning And He called unto Moses… out of the Tent of Meeting⁶²Leviticus 1:1. happened after and the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the people. And there came forth fire from before the Eternal, and consumed upon the altar;⁶⁸Leviticus 9:23-24. and the communication addressed to Aaron, drink no wine or strong drink,⁶⁹Ibid., 10:9. took place on the following day, for it is impossible that G-d should speak to Aaron from the Tent of Meeting before He had spoken to Moses.⁷⁰But if we say, as Ramban does, that G-d already spoke to Moses from the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the installation, then the communication to Aaron, drink no wine nor strong drink, took place on the eighth day of the installation. But I do not know whether this Midrash represents the unanimous opinion of all the Sages, or whether they are the words of a single Sage, for they are mentioned there in the Midrash with reference to Rabbi Yishmael.

The mishkon was set up. The passive voice is used here to indicate that it could not be set up by human hands. Nevertheless Hashem told Moshe to make the attempt and it would arise on its own. This was a hint concerning all human endeavor—a person may begin a task but it is Hashem who completes it.

ביום החודש הראשון באחד לחודש, on the first day of the first month, etc. The erection of the Tabernacle took place after the seven days of the inaugural sacrifices [as opposed to Jerusalem Talmud Yuma 1,5 according to which Moses erected and dismantled the Tabernacle on each of those seven days, whereas now he erected it permanently. Ed.] A careful perusal of the text both here and in Parshat Tzav reveals that erection of the Tabernacle prior to the offering of the inaugural sacrifices is not mentioned anywhere. It would follow that any sacrificial service Moses performed during those days he did not perform inside the Sanctuary but only on the altar in the courtyard. The Tabernacle was sanctified only on the first day of Nissan of the second year after the Exodus. Even if we were to accept the opinion of those who claim that Moses experimented with putting together and dismantling the Tabernacle on each of the seven days of the inaugural sacrifices, this would refer only to the Tabernacle itself, not its furnishings. Why else would the Torah report that Moses was instructed only on that day to place the various furnishings inside the Tabernacle? Clearly, the משכן became a "going concern" only on the first day of Nissan.

ביום החודש הראשון באחד לחודש תקים את המשכן, “on the day of the first month, on the first day of it, you shall erect the Tabernacle.” On this occasion only, Moses himself was to erect the Tabernacle. From now on, during their journeys in the desert, the Levites would dismantle it as well as reassemble it at the next location. The meaning of the word תקים is equivalent to “putting the finishing touches to it.” The reason this is so, is because according to tradition Moses practiced assembling and dismantling the Tabernacle every single day during the 7 days of the inauguration of the priests. Now, on the eighth day, the first of Nissan, when he assembled it for the last time, the heavenly cloud, signifying the Presence of the Shechinah, materialized and took up its position above the Tabernacle, as we know from 40,33 ויכל משה את המלאכה, “Moses completed the work.” This is followed by ויכס הענן את אהל מועד, ”the cloud enveloped the Tent of Meeting.” Clearly, if the Torah inserted this verse at this point it means that prior to this the cloud was not in evidence. At any rate, on the first day (40,18) of the inaugural sacrifices Moses was told of all the portions in the Book of Leviticus up to and including the last verse in Parshat Tzav. Nonetheless, in spite of having this oral communication from G’d, the cloud had not been in evidence. G’d, as opposed to communicating with Moses from the Holy of Holies, had spoken to Moses directly from heaven, as He had done during the many months since the Exodus. However, in the Midrash Chazit, we have a statement saying that the opening line of Parshat Shemini, i.e. the words ויהי ביום השמיני, “It occurred on the eighth day, etc.” was fit (from a chronological point of view) to have been written at the very beginning of the Book of Leviticus, but seeing that the Torah is not bound by such considerations, it considered it more appropriate to write that paragraph adjacent to the legislation not to enter the holy precincts while in a state of inebriation. In other words, the opening lines of the Book of Leviticus were spoken by G’d to Moses after the paragraph in Leviticus 9,23 where the glory of G’d appeared for all the people to see, and after the death of the two sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu in Leviticus

Kap. 40. V. 2. ביום החדש הראשון באחר לחדש, wörtlich: am Tage des ersten Neumonds, am ersten des Monats; diese scheinbare Tautologie erklärt sich, wenn wir bedenken, dass, wie wir bereits zu Kap. 12, 2 erläutert, die Bedeutung unserer Neumonde wesentlich darin gravitiert, dass sie nicht den astronomisch kosmischen Vorgang feiern, vielmehr nur in jenem Naturvorgange das Vorbild und die Mahnung zur Stiftung und Begehung menschlich-sozialer "Neumonde" menschlich-sozialer Erneuungen haben. Die Errichtung der "Wohnung des Zusammenkunftszeltes" mit welcher die Einkehr der Herrlichkeit Gottes in den irdischen jüdischen Kreis, somit Israels "Moed", die Konjunktion Israels mit seiner "Sonne" seine Erleuchtung durch seines Gottes Licht beginnen sollte, sollte am Tage des ersten Neumonds, d. h. am Tage des Neumonds stattfinden, mit welchem Israels Jahre beginnen; war doch dies der Neumond, der zuerst die Botschaft von der gleich und immer zu findenden "Neuwerdung" in Israel, und durch Israel in den Menschenkreis brachte. Der Neumond der nationalen Erstehung sollte auch der Neumond der Schechinaeinkehr, der Erfüllung des ושכנתי בתוכם werden, in welchem erst die nationale Erlösung ihren Abschluss findet. Daher: ביום החדש הראשון, das genügte schon, um den ersten Nissan zu bezeichnen; es wird aber noch באחד לחדש hinzugefügt, um die Bedeutung dieses Gefeiertesten aller ersten Nissan gegen jeden Anflug heidnischer Naturfeier sicher zu stellen. Nicht weil an diesem Tage astronomisch Neumond ist, sondern weil in Folge dieses Neumonds Israel seinen ersten Monatstag zählt, ward er für die Errichtung des Heiligtums ausersehen. Wenn החדרש הראשון hier der erste Monat hieße, so würde der Satz wie gewöhnlich lauten: בחדש הראשון באחד לחדש. ביום החדש הראשון Neumonds/i und dürfte damit zugleich die (Schebuoth 15 b) an dem Satze: וביום הקים את המשכן (Bamidbar 9, 15) gelehrte Bestimmung: אין בנין בית המקדש בלילה gesagt sein, dass die Errichtung nur am Tage zu geschehen habe. Hebt doch auch diese Bestimmung selbst, wie wir dies bereits (Jeschurun IV. Jahrg. S. 621 ff.) entwickelt haben, alles nur am Tage zu Vollziehende aus dem dunkeln Bereich blinder Naturwaltung hinein in den hellen Kreis bewusstvoll sittlicher Freiheit, deren Reich mit dem Tageswirken des Menschen beginnt.

THOU SHALT SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. G-d did not explain to Moses in this command the order of putting it up, as it is clearly set forth in the actual construction: and he laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof etc.⁷¹Further, Verse 18. The reason for His not explaining it here is because He had already shown it to him visually, as He said, And thou shalt put up the Tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mountain.⁷²Above, 26:30. Similarly, He shortened the account here, saying, And thou shalt put therein the ark of the Testimony,⁷³Verse 3. and did not mention and in the ark thou shalt put the Testimony,⁷⁴Above, 25:21. for since He used the phrase: the ark of the Testimony, Moses would understand this, since the ark is only termed “the ark of the Testimony” when the Tablets of the Testimony are in it, and they were already commanded at the beginning, And thou shalt put the ark-cover above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the Testimony that I shall give thee.⁷⁴Above, 25:21. It was necessary here to mention it only in order to tell him the order of priority, namely that the putting of the ark with the Tablets [into the Tabernacle] should precede the setting up of all other vessels. Similarly He shortened the account of the table and the candelabrum, since He had already commanded him in what place of the Tabernacle they were to be set up.⁷⁵Ibid., 26:35. He also shortened the subject of the dressing of Aaron and his sons, saying merely, And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments,⁷⁶Further, Verse 13. and with reference to Aaron’s sons He said, and thou shalt put tunics upon them,⁷⁷Ibid., Verse 14. for He had already told and commanded Moses in detail about the order of putting on their garments.⁷⁸Above, 29:5-9. Here the intention was only to fix the time of the dressing in its correct order, namely, after the whole Tabernacle had been set up. Of the priestly garments He mentioned only the tunics, because it is with them that the dressing began.

The setting up of the mishkon is mentioned three times—in verses 2, 17 and 18. Some say that this is to foreshadow the three Holy Temples. Thus in two of the verses (2 and 18) the verb appears in active forms, indicating that the B’nei Yisrael would build the first two Temples actively through their merits. In verse 17, by contrast, the passive voice is used, which hints that the construction of the Third Temple would not depend upon human merit. Thus the Sages teach that when the time comes, the redemption will take place even if the generation is entirely guilty..

תקים את משכן אהל מועד, “assemble the Tabernacle including the tent which makes it the Tent of Meeting.” Nachmanides writes that this is the directive the execution of which is reported in 40,18 where the sequence of the assembly of different parts of the Tabernacle is reported. Seeing that Moses had already been shown a preview of the Tabernacle during the time he had spent on the Mountain, he had no difficulty in carrying out the directive. No directive was given where to place the Holy Ark, seeing that the very name ארון העדות, “Ark of Testimony,” contains the hint where it must be placed within the two parts of the Sanctuary. Moses certainly did not need to be told that the Tablets were to be put inside the Holy Ark. He only needed to be told that the first order of business when furnishing the Tabernacle was to place the Holy Ark inside. The Torah was similarly brief in its references to the Table and the Menorah, omitting the precise location of either of these two items within the Sanctuary. This had all been explained to Moses on a previous occasion. The Torah is also brief concerning the donning of Aaron as well as his sons of their priestly garments, not repeating the name of each garment. Mention of these garments here is made only to indicate at what stage of preparation for Temple service these garments had to be donned. They were not to be dressed in their priestly garments until after the Tabernacle in which they would perform their duties would have been assembled.

וסכת על הארן means AND THOU SHALT SCREEN THE ARK — וסכת denotes screening and it is the correct term to use, for it (the veil) formed a partition (cf. Rashi on Exodus 35:12).

AND THOU SHALT SCREEN ‘AL’ THE ARK. The word al (upon) is in place of the word el (to), for the word v’sakotha (and thou shalt screen) is derived from the term masach (curtain, screen).⁷⁹Thus the sense of the verse is not: “and thou shalt screen ‘upon’ the ark,” but: “thou shalt screen the ark.” By putting up the veil in front of the ark, the ark will be screened. Similarly, and he set up the veil of the screen, and screened ‘al’ the ark of the Testimony⁸⁰Further, Verse 21. [carries the same interpretation as the verse before us].

וסכות על הארון, ”screen off the Ark with a curtain!” the word וסכות is derived from מסוכה, a separating screen. We find it used in that sense in Hoseah 2,8: הנני סך את דרכך, “I will block your path with thorns.”

על הארון, “next to the Ark.” The word על is used in this sense also in Leviticus 25,31: על שדה הארץ יחשב, “they (the house not walled in) will be considered as belonging to the adjoining earth.”על הארון, a similar construction to: על הגמלים, beside the camels in Genesis 24,30, and על המערכת, “next to the row.”

וערכת את ערכו AND SET ITS ROWS — the two piles of the show-bread.

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.

והיה המזבח קודש קדשים “the altar will become holy of holies.” Although the copper altar was standing in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, the Torah refers to it as “holy of holies.” The reason is that also the kind of offerings which are categorized as קדשי קדשים are being offered on it. (Compare Zevachim 7,1) The reason why the Torah wrote of the Tabernacle that it was קודש, holy, was to remind us that that the only part of the Tabernacle that qualified for the description קודש קדשים, holy of holies, was the section west of the dividing curtain. Possibly, the reason why the altar in the courtyard is called קודש קדשים, “holy of holies,” was because of its capacity to make people who came into direct contact with it “holy.” Compare (Exodus 29,37) כל הנוגע במזבח יקדש, “whoever or whatsoever touches the altar will become sanctified.” [This means that it becomes subject to far more stringent regulations governing what is sacred and what is profane. Ed.]

כן עשה, “so he did.” This is the final reference to any items constructed in connection with the Tabernacle. The instructions to build and erect the Tabernacle began in Exodus 25,8 with the words: “they shall make a Sanctuary for Me.” Our verse concludes the re`port about carrying out of these instructions. You will find that the whole subject of the Tabernacle mentions the term עשה in one form or another 248 times, the same number of times as the number of positive commandments in the Torah. This number is alluded to in Kohelet 7,27 where Solomon speaks of אחת לאחת למצוא חשבון, “one corresponding one to the other.” In arriving at that number, the commandment not to make idols, i.e. the use of the word עשה in connection with the making of the golden calf, must be ignored. In practice this means that every time the word עשה appears in any shape or form between Exodus 32,1 and 33,5 ואדעה מה אעשה לך, it is to be ignored for the purpose of our calculation. When you count the number of times the root עשה occurs from chapter 25 to here you will find that it is exactly 248 times.
Seeing that the Israelites had said at Mount Sinai נעשה ונשמע, and by making the golden calf they had reneged on the נעשה part of their promise, all the times the root עשה occurs in connection with the golden calf, this word cannot be part of their atonement for that sin. There cannot be idolatry in an environment of יחוד, the unique and exclusive divinity of Hashem.
The 248 appearances of the term עשה in the chapters mentioned (excluding the report of the golden calf) are also a symbol for the 248 limbs of man. Just as the Tabernacle was equal in importance to the work of the creation, being a microcosm of the universe, so it symbolized the entire Torah which contains 248 positive commandments. This was also the reason why G’d made man with 248 limbs. It is to bring home the point that man was the object of the entire creation of the universe. [If man were to perish, there would be no point in G’d allowing the universe to continue to exist. Ed.]

AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE FIRST MONTH… ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH. In the opinion of our Rabbis [who hold, as mentioned above,⁸⁴Above, Verse 2. that the eighth day of the installation was on the first of Nisan], Scripture stated that the Tabernacle was first put up on a permanent basis on the first day of the first month, as He had commanded.⁸⁴Above, Verse 2. It states, And Moses put up the Tabernacle,⁸⁵Verse 18. in order to tell us what he did when putting it up from the first day that he began to do so, which was on the twenty-third day of Adar. Scripture does not mention here the anointing of the Tabernacle and its vessels, nor the anointing of Aaron and his sons and the offerings of the installation, since Moses did not do these until he had finished putting up the Tabernacle [on each of the seven days of the installation],⁸⁶See my Hebrew commentary p. 538, where I have shown that this is perforce the meaning of Ramban. and was commanded thereon a second time, Take Aaron and his sons,⁸⁷Leviticus 8:2. as is explained in the section of Tzav.⁸⁷Leviticus 8:2. Now the Tabernacle and its vessels were only sanctified for the Divine Service through their anointing, just as it is said, and thou shalt anoint the Tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof.⁸⁸Above, Verse 9. Therefore the meaning of the verses, And he set a row of bread upon it,⁸⁹Further, Verse 23. And he lighted the lamps,⁹⁰Ibid., Verse 25. must be that he did so at the time that was appropriate for them, that is, after they were anointed [on each of the seven days of the installation], and the sense of the verses is that such was their ultimate purpose [i.e., he put the table in the Tent of Meeting so that he would later on be able to set a row of bread upon it; he put the candelabrum so that he would be able to light the lamps]. And that which Scripture states above, And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the bread that is upon it,⁹¹Above, Verse 4. also means that he is to set the bread upon it after the anointing of the table. The same meaning applies to the verse, And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense.⁹²Ibid., Verse 5. Similarly, and he offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meal-offering⁹³Further, Verse 29. means at its proper time, for the court around the Tabernacle had not yet been put up,⁹⁴For that is only mentioned further, in Verse 33. and no sacrifices can be brought without the hangings of the court, for that would be considered slaughtering outside [the Tabernacle].⁹⁵A matter strongly forbidden in Leviticus 17:1-9. But all these mean that they were done at their proper time.
And he took and put the Testimony into the ark.

V. 17. הוקם המשכן war die Wohnung aufgerichtet. Wie nach Kap. 29, 30 u. 37 sieben Tage die Einweihung der Priester zu vollziehen war, und jeden Tag dieser sieben Tage die Einweihungsakte und die Einweihungsopfer durch Mosche zu vollbringen waren: also lehrt ספרי zu Bamidbar 7, 1, dass an jedem dieser sieben Tage, somit siebenmal das משכן durch Mosche aufgerichtet, gesalbt und wieder auseinander genommen worden, ehe es am ersten Tage, dem ersten Nissan, zur bleibenden Weihe aufgerichtet wurde. Daher הוקם המשכן, die Errichtung am ersten Nissan war endlich die definitive, bleibend weihende. War dies auch für das Heiligtum ein vorbedeutender Wink, dass es siebenmal erbaut, und siebenmal, teils die Stätte zu wechseln, teils zerstört zu werden bestimmt sei, bis es endlich zur ewig bleibenden Stätte der Gottesherrlichkeit auf Erden geworden sein werde, zur Mittelpunkthöhe der Menschheit, zu der hinauf die Völker wallen und die Huldigung des Schwertes mit der Huldigung des von Zion ausgehenden Gottesgesetzes vertauschen werden? Wir wagen dies nur fragend zu äußern, und darauf hinzuweisen, dass בית שני ,בית ראשן ,גבעון ,נוב ,שילה ,גלגל ,במדבר sich historisch als sieben solche Bauvorgänge darstellen, denen allen wieder חורבן gefolgt, bis באחרית הימים, dem wir entgegenharren, der achte Bau endlich als der dastehen wird, von dem es verheißen ist: נכון יהיה הר בית ד׳ בראש ההרים ונשא מגבעות ונהרו אליו כל הגוים והלכו עמים רבים וגו׳ כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ד׳ מירושלים. ושפט וגו׳ וכתתו וגו׳ לא ישא גוי אל גוי חרב ולא ילמדו עוד מלחמה (Jes. 2,1-4).

ויהי בחדש הראשון בשנה השנית, “it was on the first day of the second year, counting from the Exodus from Egypt; normally years are counted as commencing with the month of Tishrey.

ויקם משה את המשכן, “Moses assembled the Tabernacle.” Nachmanides writes that it is remarkable that in the following the Torah describes how Moses assembled the Tabernacle step by step, without making any mention of the anointing of either the Tabernacle itself or its furnishings. Nor does the Torah here mention the anointing of Aaron and his sons, or the inaugural offerings, even though all these details have already appeared in the commandment given to Moses. The reason for this omission appears to be that we have already been told in verse 17 that (apparently, i.e. hukam) the Tabernacle had erected itself (without the help of Moses) on the first day of the inaugural offerings, on the 23rd day of Adar. During the days between the 23rd of Adar and the first day of Nissan, Moses himself would erect and dismantle the Tabernacle every day, and during these trials he did not perform any anointings whatsoever. The command about anointing was repeated on that occasion, similar to what had already been reported in Parshat Tzav. It follows that when the Torah writes here that Moses arranged the show breads on the Table, that he lit the lamps of the Menorah, (verses 22-23) he did all this after having performed the anointing necessary, as it was forbidden to perform these acts of temple service unless the vessels involved had been consecrated by means of anointing. When the Torah in Leviticus chapter 8, describes Moses as performing Temple service (normally reserved for the priests) he did all this after having consecrated with anointing oil all the parties involved and al the vessels involved. Personally, I do not understand how Moses would be presumed to have repeated the same procedures with Aaron and his sons for seven days consecutively, without having already anointed them.

ויקם משה את המשכן, “Moses erected the Tabernacle, etc.” Our sages in Menachot 99 taught that one increases or adds to levels of holiness and never decreases them. They derive the first half of their statement from the censers of the people who had supported the rebellion of Korach and offered incense in them. G’d commanded that theses censers of the 250 men who had paid with their lives for their mistake be subsequently used to make a copper cover for the main altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle (compare Numbers 17,3). The rule that levels of sanctity are not to be reduced is derived from our verse here. The Torah writes the following sequence: “Moses erected the Tabernacle; he put down its sockets and emplaced its boards and inserted its bars and erected its pillars. The wording indicates that Moses repeated this procedure many times over; the Torah carefully refrains from mentioning that he “dismantled” any part of the Tabernacle in the process. Only actions which resulted in additional sanctity are spelled out.

V. 18 ff. ויקם משה, endlich am achten Tage, dem ersten Nissan, richtete Mosche die Wohnung auf etc. etc. und V. 33 ויכל משה, als Mosche das Werk vollendet hatte, da, V. 34. ויכס הענן da "deckte die Wolke das Zelt und die Herrlichkeit Gottes füllte die Wohnung" und bekundete damit, dass das Werk dem göttlichen Willen gemäß hergestellt war und den Zweck: ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם tatsächlich erfüllte. Wie es Kap. 24. 16 früher vom Sinai hieß: וישכן כבוד ד׳ על הר סיני ויכסהו הענן וגו׳, so war nun, da die תורה eine Stätte in einem Menschenkreise auf Erden gefunden, nunmehr diese Stätte die irdische Offenbarungsstätte der göttlichen Herrlichkeit, es war, wie es der Offenbarungspsalm 68 singt, ד׳ בם סיני בקדש: "Gott in ihre Mitte eingetreten und der Sinai fortan im Heiligtum." Und sowie dort es heißt: ויכסהו הענן ששת ימים ויקרא אל משה ביום השביעי מתוך הענן, so heißt es auch hier zuerst V. 35: ולא יכל משה לבא וגו׳ und dann erst Wajikra 1 ויקרא אל משה וידבר ד׳ אליו מאהל מועד. In dem Momente, in welchem Mosche das Errichtungswerk des Heiligtums vollendet hatte, trat er diesem gegenüber zuerst völlig zurück in den Kreis der Nation. Nicht sein Werk und nicht seine Beziehung zu dem göttlichen Gesetze, dessen Zeugnis dort ruhte und die "Wohnung" eben zu einer "Stätte der göttlichen Herrlichkeit" und zu einem "Zelte der Zusammenkunft" Gottes mit seinem Volke gestaltete, waren es, die dort zum sichtbaren Ausdruck gelangten: es war die Nation, die mit diesem Heiligtum dem Gottesgesetze die Stätte und den Altar der Hingebung bereitet hatte, und es war die Nation, der gegenüber Gott seine Herrlichkeit in die Gesetzesstätte auf Erden einziehen und dort Wohnung nehmen ließ. In jenem Höhemomente der göttlichen Beziehung zu Israel trat zuerst selbst Mosche zurück in den Kreis des Volkes und ward erst sodann aufs neue "berufen" um nun מאהל מועד, aus diesem Zelte der Zusammenkunft, die im Opfersymbolausdruck zu vergegenwärtigenden und in lebendiger Tat zu vollbringenden Anforderungen der Heiligung für die Nation zu vernehmen, die fortan diese Gegenwart Gottes bei seinem Gesetze in Mitte des Volkes an den einzelnen, wie an die Gesamtheit stellt. Hier wird zunächst die Geschichte des Baues des Heiligtums mit dem Berichte des in der Gegenwart der göttlichen Herrlichkeit sich bekundenden sichtbaren Erfolges abgeschlossen. Es wird dabei der ausführliche Bericht der Einweihung übergangen und dieser erst Wajikra 8 wieder zurückgreifend aufgenommen, nachdem eben in den ersten Kapiteln jene durch das Heiligtum bedingten Opfersymbolshandlungen der Heiligung ihre Lehre gefunden.

Mit dieser Aufnahme des göttlichen Gesetzes in Israels Mitte als sich für die Ewigkeit bezeugendes Höheziel der jüdischen Bestimmung, und mit dem sichtbaren Einziehen der Gottesherrlichkeit in die von Israel diesem Gesetze bereitete Stätte, schließt das Buch der Erlösung aus Ägypten. Es war das Ziel, das Gott selbst als Zweck seines Erlösungswerkes Kap. 6, 6 u. 7 ausgesprochen: והוצאתי אתכם וגו׳ והצלתי אתכם וגו׳ וגאלתי אתכם וגו׳ ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם וגו׳, mit diesem Heiligtum seines Gesetzes begründet, die Wohnungsaufnahme dieses Gesetzes und die Altarhingebung an dies Gesetz machten das Volk zum Gottesvolk, und die Gegenwart der Gotteswolke über der Wohnuug dieses Gesetzes am Tage und sein darin leuchtendes Feuer in den Nächten "vor den Augen des ganzen Hauses Israel auf allen ihren Zügen" ließen "das ganze Haus Israel", ließen jung und alt in Israel erkennen, dass, wenn Tisch, Leuchter, Altar und Cherubimteppiche in dieser Gesetzeswohnung verkünden, dass, wo Gottes Gesetz mit "ewig fortschreitender Frische und goldreiner Festigkeit" aufgenommen, und "leibliches und geistiges Heil" nur aus den Händen dieses Gesetzes empfangen und der Verwirklichung dieses Gesetzes geweiht werden, da auch sichtbar und unsichtbar die Cherubim des göttlichen Waltens schützend und segnend herniedersteigen, dies nicht ein zum Trost des irdischen Daseins mitleidsvoll erfundener "Glaube", sondern ein "Wissen", eine durch die konkreteste Erfahrung zur Gewissheit sich gestaltende Überzeugung sei, וידעתם wie Gott gesprochen, כי אני ד׳ אלקיכם המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים "ihr werdet es erfahren", dass, "wenn ich euch mir zum Volke genommmen", ich euch nicht nur jetzt und einmal aus der Last der ägyptischen Bürden hinausführe, sondern in gleicher führender, schützender und segnender Nähe euer Gott für immer bleibe. — — .חזק

ויפרש את האהל AND HE SPREAD THE TENT The אהל is the curtains of goats’ skins.

כאשר צוה ה׳ את משה, as G'd had commanded Moses. Why did the Torah have to add the words את משה? Did we not know whom G'd had commanded to erect the Tabernacle? The Torah merely wanted to inform us that when it came to executing G'd's command there was no deviation. If the Torah had omitted mention of Moses' name, I might have understood the words "as G'd commanded him," as referring to the respective person who had made the various parts of the Tabernacle. The reason we find that the Torah repeats itself when writing "as G'd had commanded Moses," is to teach us that the putting in its place of every single part of the Tabernacle was considered as a commandment by itself and the Torah could have testified separately concerning each part that it had been placed where it was in accordance with G'd's instructions.

את העדות THE TESTIMONY — the Tablets.

The meaning of this is that he took the Tablets from the wooden ark in Moses’ tent which they were in, and brought them to the Tabernacle.⁹⁶Verse 20.

ויקח ויתן את העדות אל הארון, “He took and placed the Tablets inside the Holy Ark.” The word ויקח means that he took the Tablets out of a wooden box where they had been kept since Moses brought them from the Mountain with him on the Day of Atonement and transferred them to the Holy Ark constructed by Betzalel

על ירך המשכן צפנה UPON THE SIDE OF THE DWELLING NORTHWARD — i. e. in the northern half of the width of the house (not by the northern wall) (Yoma 33b).

ירך — This must be understood at the Targum renderd it: צדא. The real meaning is “thigh”, but the side of anything is just like the thigh which is at a person’s side.

ויקטר עליו קטרת AND HE CAUSED THE INCENSE OF AROMATICS TO ASCEND UPON IT in the morning and in the evening, as it is said, (Exodus 30:7, 8) “[And Aaron shall cause incense of aromatics to ascend thereon in fumes] every morning when he trimmeth the lamps, [and when he trimmeth the lamps at even etc.]”.

AND HE BURNT THEREON INCENSE OF SWEET SPICES. All the seven days of the installation Moses burnt the incense on the golden altar, and even though he was not specifically told to do so when he was commanded,⁹⁷In Verse 5: And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense… he did so nonetheless, for he understood that he was to do so from all the other acts of service, since G-d had commanded him here that he should set the bread⁹¹Above, Verse 4. and kindle the lamps.⁹¹Above, Verse 4. Similarly, and he offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meal-offering⁹³Further, Verse 29. means that Moses was the one who offered them, for thus he was commanded, Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar,⁹⁸Above, 29:38. meaning that he was to begin to do this when performing the Service during the days of the installation, for all commands there [about the burnt- and the meal-offering]⁹⁹Ibid., Verses 39-41. refer to Moses’ service. Afterward, it says, It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations,¹⁰⁰Ibid., Verse 42. meaning that the priests shall do throughout the generations as Moses now did. Therefore in the section of Pinchas it says about this Daily Offering, It is a continual burnt-offering, which was offered in Mount Sinai,¹⁰¹Numbers 28:6. meaning that Moses began doing it there. Thus Moses our Teacher was the first priest in all these acts of service, therefore he also burnt the incense. Perhaps this is included in the words, and thou shalt put the golden altar for incense,⁹²Ibid., Verse 5. meaning that he should immediately burn the incense on it. And that which is said at the time of the command, And thou shalt put it before the veil… and Aaron shall burn thereon the incense of sweet spices,¹⁰²Above, 30:6-7. refers to the proper time, from the day that Aaron begins his service and forever afterwards, [and does not exclude Moses’ service during the seven days], for so He said, And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at dusk,¹⁰³Ibid., Verse 8. and he only lit them from that day on, for here Moses was clearly commanded: and thou shalt light the lamps thereof.¹⁰⁴Above, Verse 4. Accordingly, the verse here in this chapter must refer to the seven days of the installation when Moses acted as the priest, and the verses above (30:6-8) refer to the time when Aaron would take charge of the service.
Now in Rashi’s commentary I have seen this text:¹⁰⁵It is not found in our texts of Rashi. “And he — Aaron — burnt thereon incense (of sweet spices) morning and evening, as it is said, every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at dusk etc.”¹⁰⁶Above, 30:7-8. But I do not know if this is the scribe’s mistake.¹⁰⁷For, as explained above, the verse here speaks of Moses doing the service, and not Aaron, since the account here is of what happened during the seven days of the installation.

,ויקטר עליו קטורת סמים “he burned up incense on it.” According to Rashi the subject of the word ויקטר is Aaron. Nachmanides writes that this is a scribe’s error, and it has to be Moses who offered this incense for he had been doing so for all the eight days of the inaugural rites. The same applies to such statements as (verse 23) ויערוך עליו ערך לחם, that he arranged the show-breads on the table, or verse 25) “that he lit the Menorah, or (verse 29) that he offered burned offerings on the altar. All the directives commencing with 40,2 were given for Moses personally to carry out. [Nachmanides is borne out by Rashi writing on verse 29 that Moses performed all these tasks on the eighth day just as he had during the preceding seven days. Ed.] The words עולת תמיד לדורותיכם in Exodus 29,42 where the priests have been charged with the Temple service (commencing with 29,38) are meant to become operative after conclusion of the inaugural rites on the first of Nissan. Even though in the chapter commanding Moses to perform all these rights, no specific mention is made of Moses also offering the incense, he understood this to be an integral part of all the other steps of the Temple service he was to perform during these seven days of inaugural consecration rites. Alternately, the presenting of the incense is automatically included in the commandment (40,5) ונתתה את מזבח הזהב לקטורת לפני ארון העדות, וגו', “you are to place the golden altar for burning incense in front of the ark of testimony, in front of the dividing curtain.” As to Exodus 30,6 where the Torah commands Moses to place the golden altar for incense in front of the dividing curtain, and for Aaron to offer incense on it, every morning, etc., this refers to the duties Aaron is to perform on a regular basis after the conclusion of the inaugural rites. We know that Aaron’s commencing his duties began with his lighting the lamps on the Menorah on the evening of the 1st of Nissan, i.e. at the end of the eighth day. In other words, he did not offer incense before, as Moses was specifically described as lighting the Menorah on the evening preceding the 1st of Nissan (40,25) as he had been commanded in 40,4.

ויעל עליו וגו׳ AND OFFERED UPON IT etc. Not only during the first seven days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons during which Moses set the dwelling up and then dismantled it, but also on the eighth day of the consecration which was the day of the final erection of the dwelling for its ordinary purposes did Moses officiate and offer the congregational sacrifices except those which had been commanded exclusively for that very day, as it is said, (Leviticus 9:7) “[And Moses said to Aaron], approach unto the altar and offer etc.

ויעל עליו, Aaron and his sons.

Moshe performed the service . . . [Accordingly,] when it is written here, “He burned the incense of spices upon it” (v. 27), it refers to Moshe, who burnt the incense during the seven days of the Installations before Aharon was anointed. And even on the eighth day, when Aharon began to burn incense, Moshe still burnt the incense [and brought the offerings] except for those which Aharon was commanded specifically for that day. Aharon and his sons brought [only] the offerings that they were commanded specifically for that day.

את העלה THE BURNT OFFERING — the daily burnt offering.

את העולה והמנחה, every day.

The daily burnt-offering. This, as opposed to the burnt-offering of Aharon and the burnt-offering of the people, which, on the eighth day, were offered by Aharon — not Moshe — as stated in parshas Shemini.

ואח המנחה AND THE MEAL OFFERING — The meal offering brought together with the libation which was made with the daily burnt offering, at it is said, (Exodus 29:40) “[And with the one lamb] (of the daily burnt offering) shall be brought a tenth deal of flour mingled with … oil; [and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a libation …]”.

The mincha of the libations of the tamid . . . [Rashi knows this because] even though there are many [kinds of] meal-offerings, nevertheless since it is written, “And a meal-offering,” without specifying it further, it is speaking of the mincha of the tamid. If it was a mincha that comes separately, it should be mentioned separately, [i.e., by name], since it is not subsidiary to another offering. Perforce, it is speaking of the mincha of the tamid, which is part of the tamid burnt-offering as it says (Bamidbar 28:4—5), “Offer one lamb in the morning . . . and one tenth of an eiphah of fine flour as a meal-offering . . .”

ורחצו ממנו משה ואהרן AND MOSES AND AARON [AND HIS SONS] LAVED [THEIR HANDS] — On the eighth day of the consecration all of them mentioned here, including Moses, were alike in respect of the priestly office. The translation of ורחצו in the Targum should therefore be ומקדשין, and they were hallowing (i. e. they then hallowed their hands and their feet), for on that day Moses laved his hands together with them (Aaron and his sons).

ובקרבתם — This is equivalent to ובקרבם, and has an imperfect sense, the same as כשיקרבו. when they were approaching.

AND THE CLOUD COVERED THE TENT OF MEETING etc. Scripture is stating that the cloud covered the Tabernacle from all sides, with the result that the building was covered and hidden in it.

AND THE GLORY OF THE ETERNAL FILLED THE TABERNACLE, this means that it was filled completely with the Glory, for the Glory rested within the cloud inside the Tabernacle, just as it is said with reference to Mount Sinai, unto the thick darkness where G-d was.¹⁰⁸Above, 20:21. It states further on that Moses was not able to come into the Tent of Meeting¹⁰⁹Verse 35. — even to the door, because the cloud covered it, and he was not permitted to come into the cloud. Moreover, the Glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle,¹⁰⁹Verse 35. so how could he enter it? The reason for this was so that Moses should not go in without permission, but instead G-d would call him and then he was to come into the midst of the cloud, just as He had done at Mount Sinai, as it is said, and He called unto Moses on the seventh day out of the midst of the cloud,¹¹⁰Above, 24:16. and then it says, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud.¹¹¹Ibid., Verse 18.
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, it is because it is said, and the Eternal spoke unto him out of the Tent of Meeting¹¹²Leviticus 1:1. that Moses did not enter the Tabernacle, but G-d called him from the Tent of Meeting and he stood at its door and He spoke to him. But our Rabbis have said:¹¹³Sifra, Introduction, 8. “One verse states, And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting,¹⁰⁹Verse 35. and another verse states, and when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting¹¹⁴Numbers 7:89. [thus the two verses appear to be contradictory]! The matter is decided by the passage, because the cloud abode thereon.”¹¹⁵Here in Verse 35. “From this you learn that as long as the cloud was there, Moses was not able to enter; when the cloud withdrew, Moses entered and He spoke with him” (Sifra ibid.). For in the opinion of the Rabbis, the phrase and when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting,¹¹⁴Numbers 7:89. means that he went inside of his own accord without being called. Or it may be that because Scripture states there, and he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the ark-cover,¹¹⁴Numbers 7:89. therefore it appeared to the Rabbis that Moses stood within the Tent before the ark-cover. Now as long as the Glory of G-d filled the Tabernacle, Moses did not enter it. Therefore they say that he only would enter after the cloud withdrew, meaning after it withdrew from covering the whole Tent, and the Glory no longer filled the Tabernacle. That was only on the eighth day of the installation when the Glory descended there,¹¹⁶Leviticus 9:23-24. and as for the call that came to Moses, of which it is said, And he called unto Moses,¹¹²Leviticus 1:1. that happened, in the opinion of the Rabbis, before [the eighth day, namely, on the first day of the installation], as I have explained above.¹¹⁷Above, Verse 2. It is possible that the verse before us which repeats, and the Glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle [when it had already stated, and the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting], alludes to the Glory that dwells within it.

Thus is completed the Book of Redemption,
In which the Eternal, the G-d of Israel, hath entered¹¹⁸Ezekiel 44:2. In the Book of Exodus Israel first appears as a people. Hence Ramban uses this expression: The Eternal the G-d of Israel hath entered.

Even for the children of Israel, a people near unto Him.¹¹⁹Psalms 148:14.

He saved him from the hand of him that hated him,
And redeemed him from the hand of his enemy.¹²⁰See ibid., 106:10.

And blessed be G-d
Who delighted in the peace of His servant,¹²¹Ibid., 35:27.

Who has helped him to come thus far,¹²²The reference may be personal: “Blessed be G-d Who has helped me to reach so far in my commentary on the Torah.” Or again, it may be that these concluding verses Ramban wrote when already in the Land of Israel. In that case the words assume a literal meaning: “Who has helped him to come thus far,” which is, as he continues, the place where his youth is renewed in his old age. See in “Hamayon,” Tammuz, 5728, pp. 32-6, where I defended this explanation at length.

Who renews his youth¹²³See Psalms 103:5. in his old age,

Who satisfies his hunger with His Torah,

And He made him to suck honey¹²⁴Deuteronomy 32:13. and the fat thereof.

For he set his whole heart [to seek G-d],¹²⁵See II Chronicles 30:19.

And to His Name he offers blessings morning and evening.

Blessed be He of Whose bounty we have partaken,
And through Whose goodness we live.¹²⁶Berachoth 50a.

ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד AND MOSES WAS NOT ABLE TO COME INTO THE APPOINTED TENT — But another verse says, (Numbers 7:89) “And when Moses came into the appointed tent [to speak with Him then he heard the voice]”! There comes, however, a third verse and reconciles these apparently contradictory verses, for it says here כי שכן עליו הענן “For (or when) the cloud abode thereon (on the appointed tent)”. Hence you may say: so long as the cloud was upon it “he was not able to come into the appointed tent”, but as soon as the cloud disappeared he entered it and spoke with Him (Sifra, Braita d'Rabbi Yishmael 18).

ולא יכול משה לכא אל אהל מועד, and Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Testimony, etc. It seems strange that the "cloud" prevented Moses from entering the Tent seeing that the Torah had told us in Exodus 24,18 that "Moses went inside the cloud, etc." The difference is clear. In Parshat Mishpatim Moses entered the cloud after G'd had summoned him. In this instance no summons from G'd had been forthcoming.

ולא יכול משה לבא אל אהל מועד, at the time it was standing, assembled.

ולא יכול משה לבא אל אהל מועד, “and Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting.” In a different verse (Numbers 7,89) we are told of “Moses entering the Tent of Meeting in order to speak with G’d, etc.” There appears to be some contradiction here. Nachmanides writes that according to the plain meaning of the text we must understand the words ובבא משה אל אהל מועד in Numbers not as Moses actually having entered the Tent, but that he heard the voice of G’d emanating from the Holy of Holies and on account of that he did not cross the threshold of the Tabernacle. An alternate explanation of the two verses is that the meaning of the words in our verse is simply that “Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting (without obtaining express permission from G’d to do so.” Upon being invited, he would enter the tent, just as he had been invited to ascend Mount Sinai at the time of the revelation, and had not proceeded without being called upon to do so.)

And the Presence of God filled the mishkan. Like "And the mishkan was filled with the Presence of God", and so too many verses where the words are reversed, as in "For they have come under the shade of my roof-beam" (Bereishit 19:8), meaning, "Regarding this, for they have come" - and so there are many. And for the honour of Heaven the words were reversed. For if it had said "And the mishkan was filled with the Presence", it would mean that the presence were contained within the mishkan which held it. Now, where it is written "And the Presence of God filled the mishkan", it means that the Presence is great and the mishkan is contained in its midst. And so too it says "And God called to Moshe from the tent of meeting" (Vayikra 1:1) - every place where the cloud is, Moshe was unable to enter without being called, for then he was given permission to enter. And so too it says at the giving of the Torah, "And Mount Sinai was all in smoke" (Shemot 19:18), and it is written after it "And God called Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe ascended" (Shemot 19:20). Our rabbis explained: for each word, there was [first] a "calling" [to Moshe] - for this is the way of the world: to call a person when one wants to speak with them, that they should know that one is speaking to them.

ולא יכול משה לבא אל אהל מועד, “and Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting,” at the time he had erected it. כי שכן עליו הענן, “for the cloud of glory of G-d rested above it;” it did so immediately, to demonstrate G-d’s fondness of the Jewish people. Subsequently, the cloud moved from being above the Sanctuary and took up its position above the Holy Ark which stood in the Holy of Holies. We know this from Exodus 25,22, where the Torah wrote: ונועדתי לך שם ודברתי אתך מעל הכפורת, “I will meet with you there and I will impart to you from above the cover of the Ark.”“Then Moses could enter the Sanctuary;” this is what is meant when the Torah wrote: 'ובבא משה אל אהל מועד וגו, “and when Moses used to enter the Tent of Meeting;” (Numbers 7,89). When Solomon consecrated his Temple something similar occurred as reported in Kings I 8,11. The priests were not able to enter and perform their duties as long as G-d’s cloud was hovering above the Sanctuary. Subsequently, that cloud was visible only above the Holy of Holies.

כי שכן עליו הענן, immediately after it had been put up. This was a way of G’d demonstrating His love for the people of Israel. Later on, the cloud moved from being over the Tabernacle and filling the whole Tabernacle with its presence and concentrated on being above the Holy Ark. This has been explained in Exodus 25,22 where the Torah defines the site of the Shechinah as being between the two cherubs on the kapporet, the lid of the Holy Ark. Moses is described as hearing the voice of G’d originating from the area between the extended wings of these two figurines. (Numbers 7,89) We find something similar when the Temple Solomon had built was inaugurated (Kings I 8,11) that the priests could not enter due to the presence of G’d which filled the Temple. G’d also had appeared in a cloud, much as He had in the desert. Subsequently, He reduced His presence to the area we just described, enabling the priests to perform their duties. Anyone who pays careful attention to the words of our Creator will not depart in his exegesis from that of my grandfather Rabbi Shlomoh (Rashi). Most of the laws of the Torah which have been attributed through exegesis as being derived from the text of the written Torah are very close to the plain meaning of the written text. The basic approach to his exegesis was to derive meanings from superfluous words or letters, or from missing words or letters in the text of the written Torah. It would be well if you also accepted what I have explained and you would do well not to ignore it. [the author paraphrases Kohelet 7,18. Ed]

Parshat Vayikra.

Another reason why Moses could not enter the Tent may have been indicated by the words כי שכן עליו הענן, that the cloud was stationary above the Tent and the glory of G'd filled the entire Tent. In Mishpatim we were told (24,17) that G'd's appearance on the top of the Mountain was like that of fire which consumes, and immediately afterwards we were told that Moses entered the cloud prior to ascending the Mountain. This means that the place Moses ascended was not the place where G'd's glory reposed at that time. In our situation, Moses could not enter an area in which G'd's glory reposed.

לעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מסעיהם [THE CLOUD WAS ON THE TABERNACLE] … IN THE SIGHT OF ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR JOURNEYS — At every מסע which they made (according to Rashi this means: at every station at which they stopped) the cloud rested upon the Tabernacle in the place where they encamped. A place where they encamped is also called מסע (the literal meaning of which is “journey”). Similar is, (Genesis 13:3) “And he went on to his resting places (למסעיו)“ (cf. Rashi on this verse); similar also is, (Numbers 33:1) “These are the מסעי” — “the places of encampment”. Because from the place of encampment they always set out again on a new journey therefore all the different stages of their journeys (including the places where they encamped) are called מסעות.

Their encampment is also called מסע . . . Rashi is answering the question: While Yisrael traveled, the cloud did not rest. Rather, B’nei Yisrael encamped only when the cloud rested, and in that place. Why does the verse say, “In all their travels,” implying that the cloud rested even while they traveled? Rashi answers, “Their encampment is also calle מסע .” Accordingly, the verse conveys, “In all their encampments.” It does not mean literally, “In all their travels,” because then the cloud was not upon the mishkon.

לעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מטעיהם, “in view of all theChildren of Israel during all their journeys.” According to Rashi, the meaning of this line is that while the Israelites were encamped as opposed to when they were journeying.