וְנָתְנ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו כְּסוּי֙ ע֣וֹר תַּ֔חַשׁ וּפָרְשׂ֧וּ בֶֽגֶד־כְּלִ֛יל תְּכֵ֖לֶת מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְשָׂמ֖וּ בַּדָּֽיו׃
Mereka harus meletakkan di atasnya penutup dari kulit binatang berwarna-warni, lalu membentangkan kain yang seluruhnya berwarna biru langit di atasnya dan memasang kayu-kayu pengusungnya.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
R. Jose b. R. Hanina said: There are people [whose names are handsome and whose deeds are ugly;] <There are> those whose names are ugly and whose deeds are handsome; there are those whose names are handsome and whose deeds are handsome; there are those whose names are ugly and whose deeds are ugly.4Below, Numb. 4:6; Tanh., Numb. 4:6; Gen. R. 71:3; Numb. R. 16:10. There are those whose names are handsome and whose deeds are ugly: Such is Absalom (whose name means "father of peace"), of whom it is stated (in II Sam. 16:22): AND ABSALOM WENT UNTO HIS FATHER'S CONCUBINES. Those whose names are ugly and whose deeds are handsome: These are the ones who went up <from> exile, of whom it is stated (in Ezra 2:53 = Neh. 7:55): THE CHILDREN OF {BARKOM} [BARKOS],5Perhaps the midrash understands the name as designating Bacchus, the Roman god of drinking, or perhaps the name is understood to mean “son of Kos,” Kos being a pagan god. THE CHILDREN OF SISERA (cf. Jud. 4–5), THE CHILDREN OF TEMAH.6Understood as coming from the verb MHH, which means “destroy.” Those whose names are ugly and whose deeds are ugly: These are the spies. What is written (in Numb. 13:13)? FROM THE TRIBE OF ASHER, SETHUR (a name which means "disheveled") BEN MICHAEL. Those whose names are handsome and whose deeds are handsome: These are the tribes, of which it is stated (in Exod. 1:1–2): NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL…: REUBEN, SIMEON, LEVI, AND JUDAH.7For an explanation of how these names are handsome, see Gen. R. 71:3, according to which Reuben means “See, a son” outstanding among all sons; and Simeon means “He heeds” the voice of his father in heaven. But cf. Gen. 29:32–33, for somewhat different etymologies. On the etymologies of Levi and Judah, see Gen. 29:34–35.
Bamidbar Rabbah
“Aaron and his sons shall come with the travel of the camp, and they shall remove the curtain that screens, and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it” (Numbers 4:5).
“Aaron and his sons shall come with the travel of the camp…” – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: When they will be dismantling the Tabernacle, the sons of Kehat shall not dismantle the curtain from before the Ark, but rather, the sons of Aaron shall enter, and they shall dismantle it because they are priests. Our Rabbis taught: The priests guard from within and the Levites from without. The partition of the priests is larger than the partition of the Levites.15The priests have greater sanctity and importance, and they are permitted to enter areas that the Levites are not. What would the sons of Aaron do when they removed the curtain? Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: They had for this large wooden poles with gold tines at their top, and some say iron [tines]. They would lift the curtain with the poles and remove it from the hooks. Nevertheless, they did not lower it all at once, so they would not glimpse the Ark. Rather, they lowered it a little at a time until they removed it and covered the Ark.
From where is it derived? It is as God says to Moses, as it is stated: “Aaron and his sons shall come…” They said: The curtain was like a drape, and its thickness was one handbreadth. It was woven with seventy-two strands, and for each and every strand there were twenty-four threads. Three hundred priests would immerse it, and two High Priests16Elazar and Itamar. would carry it on the poles from before the Ark and would then place upon it a covering of the hide of a taḥash, so no part of the Ark would be seen. That is what is written: “They shall place upon it a covering of the hide of a taḥash…” (Numbers 4:6).
Rabbi Natan says: The crafting of the Ark is as beloved as the supernal Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “The place [makhon] You fashioned for Your dwelling” (Exodus 15:17), as the Temple17The earthly Temple. is aligned with the Temple,18The supernal Temple. and the Ark with the Throne of Glory. He placed an Ark cover upon it, like the seraphs that stood above Him. He crafted two beloved cherubs in it, corresponding to the heavens and the earth, where the seat of the Holy One blessed be He is, as it is stated: “One cherub from this end [and one cherub from that end]” (Exodus 25:19). Just as the heavens open their storehouse for the earth, as it is stated: “The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens” (Deuteronomy 28:12), so, the Divine Presence is situated above the two cherubs, which are situated on this side and on that side and are aligned with one another, as it is stated: “Their faces toward one another” (Exodus 25:20). They are patterned after the Throne of Glory, which is aligned with the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “From Zion, the epitome of beauty, God appears” (Psalms 50:2).
Even when they were traveling, they would not spread over it a cloth of purple wool nor of scarlet wool, but rather a cloth of entirely sky-blue wool. Why? It is because the sky-blue wool evokes the sea, the sea evokes the sky, and the sky evokes the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “Above the firmament that was over their heads was the appearance of sapphire stone [in the likeness of a throne]” (Ezekiel 1:26). It is to teach you that the Ark was like the Throne of Glory. That is why it is stated in its regard: “Entirely of sky-blue wool” (Exodus 28:31), as it is all similar to it. Because the Ark is similar to it; therefore, the cloth of sky-blue wool was over it facing the sky to which it was similar, which you do not find regarding the rest of the vessels, that there would be a cloth of sky-blue over them, but rather a cloth of sky-blue wool underneath and a covering of the hide of a taḥash over it. But the Ark had a covering of the hide of a taḥash underneath and cloth of sky-blue wool over it. Moreover, regarding the Ark, it is stated: “Entirely of sky-blue wool,” which was not stated regarding all of them: “Entirely of sky-blue wool” – why? It is because it is the most important of the Tabernacle vessels.
Rabbi Shimon says: There are three crowns: The crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship; and the crown of a good name surpasses them.19Mishna Avot 4:13. The crafting of the Ark corresponds to the masters of Torah, who are distinguished. That is why He wrote: “From above” (Numbers 4:6), as anyone who merits the crown of Torah, it is as though he merited priesthood and kingship. Likewise it says: “Through me20"Me" refers to the Torah. kings reign…” (Proverbs 8:15).
“Aaron and his sons shall come with the travel of the camp…” – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: When they will be dismantling the Tabernacle, the sons of Kehat shall not dismantle the curtain from before the Ark, but rather, the sons of Aaron shall enter, and they shall dismantle it because they are priests. Our Rabbis taught: The priests guard from within and the Levites from without. The partition of the priests is larger than the partition of the Levites.15The priests have greater sanctity and importance, and they are permitted to enter areas that the Levites are not. What would the sons of Aaron do when they removed the curtain? Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: They had for this large wooden poles with gold tines at their top, and some say iron [tines]. They would lift the curtain with the poles and remove it from the hooks. Nevertheless, they did not lower it all at once, so they would not glimpse the Ark. Rather, they lowered it a little at a time until they removed it and covered the Ark.
From where is it derived? It is as God says to Moses, as it is stated: “Aaron and his sons shall come…” They said: The curtain was like a drape, and its thickness was one handbreadth. It was woven with seventy-two strands, and for each and every strand there were twenty-four threads. Three hundred priests would immerse it, and two High Priests16Elazar and Itamar. would carry it on the poles from before the Ark and would then place upon it a covering of the hide of a taḥash, so no part of the Ark would be seen. That is what is written: “They shall place upon it a covering of the hide of a taḥash…” (Numbers 4:6).
Rabbi Natan says: The crafting of the Ark is as beloved as the supernal Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “The place [makhon] You fashioned for Your dwelling” (Exodus 15:17), as the Temple17The earthly Temple. is aligned with the Temple,18The supernal Temple. and the Ark with the Throne of Glory. He placed an Ark cover upon it, like the seraphs that stood above Him. He crafted two beloved cherubs in it, corresponding to the heavens and the earth, where the seat of the Holy One blessed be He is, as it is stated: “One cherub from this end [and one cherub from that end]” (Exodus 25:19). Just as the heavens open their storehouse for the earth, as it is stated: “The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens” (Deuteronomy 28:12), so, the Divine Presence is situated above the two cherubs, which are situated on this side and on that side and are aligned with one another, as it is stated: “Their faces toward one another” (Exodus 25:20). They are patterned after the Throne of Glory, which is aligned with the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “From Zion, the epitome of beauty, God appears” (Psalms 50:2).
Even when they were traveling, they would not spread over it a cloth of purple wool nor of scarlet wool, but rather a cloth of entirely sky-blue wool. Why? It is because the sky-blue wool evokes the sea, the sea evokes the sky, and the sky evokes the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “Above the firmament that was over their heads was the appearance of sapphire stone [in the likeness of a throne]” (Ezekiel 1:26). It is to teach you that the Ark was like the Throne of Glory. That is why it is stated in its regard: “Entirely of sky-blue wool” (Exodus 28:31), as it is all similar to it. Because the Ark is similar to it; therefore, the cloth of sky-blue wool was over it facing the sky to which it was similar, which you do not find regarding the rest of the vessels, that there would be a cloth of sky-blue over them, but rather a cloth of sky-blue wool underneath and a covering of the hide of a taḥash over it. But the Ark had a covering of the hide of a taḥash underneath and cloth of sky-blue wool over it. Moreover, regarding the Ark, it is stated: “Entirely of sky-blue wool,” which was not stated regarding all of them: “Entirely of sky-blue wool” – why? It is because it is the most important of the Tabernacle vessels.
Rabbi Shimon says: There are three crowns: The crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship; and the crown of a good name surpasses them.19Mishna Avot 4:13. The crafting of the Ark corresponds to the masters of Torah, who are distinguished. That is why He wrote: “From above” (Numbers 4:6), as anyone who merits the crown of Torah, it is as though he merited priesthood and kingship. Likewise it says: “Through me20"Me" refers to the Torah. kings reign…” (Proverbs 8:15).
Bamidbar Rabbah
“On the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of sky-blue wool, and place upon it the bowls, and the saucers, and the supports, and the covering tubes; and the perpetual bread shall be upon it” (Numbers 4:7).
The crafting of the table corresponds to the kingship of the house of David, as one covers the table with sky-blue wool, corresponding to David, who was righteous, and the Holy One blessed be He entered into a covenant with him, a covenant of kingship for him and his sons. This is why He separated its utensils from it and covered them with scarlet wool, as it was due to the sin of his descendants that the kingdom was divided. This is why it and its utensils were covered with a single covering,21The covering of a taḥash hide. as ultimately, the kingship will return to them as it was initially.
“On the table of showbread they shall spread a sky-blue woolen cloth” – over all the vessels that stood in the Sanctuary they would spread a sky-blue cloth, because the Divine Presence rested there, similar to the supernal place of the Divine Presence that is similar to sky-blue wool.
How would they do this? They would place on the body of the table a cloth of sky-blue wool to separate between it and its utensils. Then they would put its utensils upon it, as it is stated: “And place upon it the bowls…” “The bowls” – these are its molds, as they would prepare the showbread in a mold and would bake it in the oven in a mold. When they would remove it from the oven they would return it to a mold so the bread would not break. There were three molds there: one for the oven, one for the dough, and one for the bread that he would remove from the oven. They would place it in a mold so they would not ruin the bread.
“The saucers” – these are the bowls of frankincense that they would place upon the arrangements, just as it says: “You shall place pure frankincense upon the arrangement” (Leviticus 24:7). How would they arrange the showbread? One would place six loaves for this arrangement and six loaves for that arrangement. If one placed eight loaves for this arrangement and four loaves for that arrangement, or if he prepared three arrangements with four in each, he has done nothing. If one prepared two arrangements of twelve each, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: One considers the upper ones as though they were not there, and the lower ones are valid.
How would they arrange the bowls? One would place one bowl upon this arrangement and one bowl upon that arrangement. If one placed bowls without frankincense or frankincense without bowls, or if there was an item that interposed between the [bowls of] frankincense and the bread or between the bread and the table, they are not valid. Abba Shaul said: One would place them in the two handbreadths between one arrangement and its counterpart. How then do I realize, “You shall place pure frankincense upon the arrangement” (Leviticus 24:7)? It is that it should be, in it entirety, adjacent to the arrangement.
“And the supports” – these are the rods. Twenty-eight hollow golden rods that are susceptible to impurity were there, fourteen for this arrangement and fourteen for that arrangement. One would enter on the day before Shabbat, remove them, and place them along the length of the table. All the vessels that were in the Temple, their length was along the length of the house,22The Temple. except for the Ark, whose length was along the width of the house. That is the way its staves were placed, and that is the way that it was taken. How would they arrange them? After Shabbat,23The rods were removed before Shabbat, since neither the removal of the rods nor the insertion of the rods was done on Shabbat. one would enter, lift one end of a loaf, and place one rod under it and one in the middle, three beneath each and every loaf, and two under the top one, which had no burden upon it. The bottom one was placed on the table itself.
Why would they place rods between them? It is so air would have free reign in their midst and the bread would not rot. Why were the rods crafted like half a hollow rod? It was so they would not be heavy upon the bread. That is why it is written in the command: “And its supports with which it shall be covered [yusakh]” (Exodus 25:29); that they would position the bread like a type of roofing [sukka], as each and every loaf would serve as roofing for the one that is beneath it.
“The covering tubes” – these are the pillars. One crafts for it four pillars of gold, and its protrusions were there, upon which they would place the bottom loaf, two for this arrangement and two for that arrangement. This is because the loaves were similar to a ship, so that it would not wobble. The pillars were alongside with the bread so that the pillars would lift the bread from upon the table. What is it that the verse said: “The covering [hanasekh] tubes”? It is that they would raise the ends of the bottom loaves so they would not touch the table and they would serve as roofing [mesakot] over the table. But the middle of the bottom loaf would touch the table, because the loaves were shaped like a wobbling ship, sharp at the bottom and gradually widening above.
“And the perpetual bread shall be upon it” – from here you learn that even during their travels the bread was upon it. “They shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet wool” (Numbers 4:8) – upon the utensils and upon the bread. Then they would cover the table and all the utensils that were upon it with a covering of taḥash hide. They would insert its staves in order to carry it with them, as it is stated: “They shall cover it with a covering of taḥash hide, and shall insert its staves” (Numbers 4:8).
The crafting of the table corresponds to the kingship of the house of David, as one covers the table with sky-blue wool, corresponding to David, who was righteous, and the Holy One blessed be He entered into a covenant with him, a covenant of kingship for him and his sons. This is why He separated its utensils from it and covered them with scarlet wool, as it was due to the sin of his descendants that the kingdom was divided. This is why it and its utensils were covered with a single covering,21The covering of a taḥash hide. as ultimately, the kingship will return to them as it was initially.
“On the table of showbread they shall spread a sky-blue woolen cloth” – over all the vessels that stood in the Sanctuary they would spread a sky-blue cloth, because the Divine Presence rested there, similar to the supernal place of the Divine Presence that is similar to sky-blue wool.
How would they do this? They would place on the body of the table a cloth of sky-blue wool to separate between it and its utensils. Then they would put its utensils upon it, as it is stated: “And place upon it the bowls…” “The bowls” – these are its molds, as they would prepare the showbread in a mold and would bake it in the oven in a mold. When they would remove it from the oven they would return it to a mold so the bread would not break. There were three molds there: one for the oven, one for the dough, and one for the bread that he would remove from the oven. They would place it in a mold so they would not ruin the bread.
“The saucers” – these are the bowls of frankincense that they would place upon the arrangements, just as it says: “You shall place pure frankincense upon the arrangement” (Leviticus 24:7). How would they arrange the showbread? One would place six loaves for this arrangement and six loaves for that arrangement. If one placed eight loaves for this arrangement and four loaves for that arrangement, or if he prepared three arrangements with four in each, he has done nothing. If one prepared two arrangements of twelve each, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: One considers the upper ones as though they were not there, and the lower ones are valid.
How would they arrange the bowls? One would place one bowl upon this arrangement and one bowl upon that arrangement. If one placed bowls without frankincense or frankincense without bowls, or if there was an item that interposed between the [bowls of] frankincense and the bread or between the bread and the table, they are not valid. Abba Shaul said: One would place them in the two handbreadths between one arrangement and its counterpart. How then do I realize, “You shall place pure frankincense upon the arrangement” (Leviticus 24:7)? It is that it should be, in it entirety, adjacent to the arrangement.
“And the supports” – these are the rods. Twenty-eight hollow golden rods that are susceptible to impurity were there, fourteen for this arrangement and fourteen for that arrangement. One would enter on the day before Shabbat, remove them, and place them along the length of the table. All the vessels that were in the Temple, their length was along the length of the house,22The Temple. except for the Ark, whose length was along the width of the house. That is the way its staves were placed, and that is the way that it was taken. How would they arrange them? After Shabbat,23The rods were removed before Shabbat, since neither the removal of the rods nor the insertion of the rods was done on Shabbat. one would enter, lift one end of a loaf, and place one rod under it and one in the middle, three beneath each and every loaf, and two under the top one, which had no burden upon it. The bottom one was placed on the table itself.
Why would they place rods between them? It is so air would have free reign in their midst and the bread would not rot. Why were the rods crafted like half a hollow rod? It was so they would not be heavy upon the bread. That is why it is written in the command: “And its supports with which it shall be covered [yusakh]” (Exodus 25:29); that they would position the bread like a type of roofing [sukka], as each and every loaf would serve as roofing for the one that is beneath it.
“The covering tubes” – these are the pillars. One crafts for it four pillars of gold, and its protrusions were there, upon which they would place the bottom loaf, two for this arrangement and two for that arrangement. This is because the loaves were similar to a ship, so that it would not wobble. The pillars were alongside with the bread so that the pillars would lift the bread from upon the table. What is it that the verse said: “The covering [hanasekh] tubes”? It is that they would raise the ends of the bottom loaves so they would not touch the table and they would serve as roofing [mesakot] over the table. But the middle of the bottom loaf would touch the table, because the loaves were shaped like a wobbling ship, sharp at the bottom and gradually widening above.
“And the perpetual bread shall be upon it” – from here you learn that even during their travels the bread was upon it. “They shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet wool” (Numbers 4:8) – upon the utensils and upon the bread. Then they would cover the table and all the utensils that were upon it with a covering of taḥash hide. They would insert its staves in order to carry it with them, as it is stated: “They shall cover it with a covering of taḥash hide, and shall insert its staves” (Numbers 4:8).