Commento su Esodo 35:1-40:38:36

ויקהל משה AND MOSES ASSEMBLED [ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — on the morrow after the Day of Atonement when he came down from the mountain. It (the word ויקהל) is used in the verbal form that expresses the idea of causing a thing to be done, because one does not actually assemble people with one’s hands, but they are assembled by his command. The Targum therefore should be ואכניש (not וכנש as some editions have).

AND MOSES ASSEMBLED ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. The expression all the congregation of the children of Israel includes the men and women, for all donated to the work of the Tabernacle. Thus Moses, after having commanded Aaron, and the rulers and all the children of Israel — the men — all that the Eternal had spoken with him in Mount Sinai,¹Above, 34:32. following the breaking of the Tablets, and after he had put the veil on his face²Ibid., Verse 33. [as all this is narrated in the preceding section], again commanded that the people be assembled, whereupon the whole congregation gathered to him — men, women, and children.
It is possible that this occurred on the day following his descent from the mountain, and he told all of them the subject of the Tabernacle which he had been previously commanded, before³Ramban follows [here as elsewhere] the natural sequence of Scripture which tells of the command to build the Tabernacle [in Chapters 25-30] before the people’s sin with the calf [in Chapter 32]. The actual building thereof was delayed until after Moses’ intercession and the complete reconciliation of G-d with Israel. Rashi, however, following the principle that there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah, clearly writes: “The incident of the golden calf happened a considerable time before the command regarding the building of the Tabernacle was given” (Rashi above, 31-18). See my Hebrew commentary, p. 526, for further elucidation of this point. the breaking of the Tablets. For since the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with them and gave Moses the second Tablets, and also made a new covenant that G-d would go in their midst,⁴See Ramban above, 34:9. He thereby returned to His previous relationship with them, and to the love of their “wedding,”⁵See Jeremiah 2:2. and it was obvious that His Presence would be in their midst just as He had commanded him at first, even as He said, And let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell amongst them.⁶Above, 25:8. Therefore Moses now commanded them all that he had been told at first.

ויקהל משה אלה הדברים אשר צוה, the matters I told you about earlier when I commanded you what to do during the weekdays, things G’d had told me when I was on Mount Sinai.

ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל, Moses assembled the entire Jewish community, etc. Why would the Torah mention that Moses assembled the people, something that occurred every time he was told by G'd to address the people? I suppose that seeing the people were afraid to face Moses after they had seen how his face emitted rays of light, he had to issue a call for a general assembly so that some people would not stay at home for fear of being blinded or burned by those rays. This may also be the reason that the Torah emphasised that Moses assembled "the entire Jewish community."

ויקהל, he assembled the people in order to collect the half shekel from all those who were of age. He also warned the people concerning the building of the Tabernacle.

ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל, “Moses assembled the entire community of the Children of Israel. The comprehensive term עדה includes both men and women. Seeing that both the men and the women had contributed of their belongings for the work on the Tabernacle they were all entitled to be addressed here directly. The assembly mentioned here, occurred on the day after Moses had returned from his last trip to the Mountain on Yom Kippur and had informed the people that the instructions to build a Sanctuary for G’d were living proof that they were back in G’ds favour. While it is true that Moses himself had already received such instructions on his first ascent to the Mountain, to wit chapter 25,8 ועשו לי מקדש, seeing that the sin of the golden calf had intervened, and G’d’s manifest Presence had withdrawn in the interval, these instructions now had to be renewed.

On the day following Yom Kippur. [Rashi knows this] because it is written above, “When Moshe came down from Mount Sinai” (33:29), and that was on Yom Kippur. And this verse relates back to that event, because [when the Torah finishes the account of Moshe’s coming down, immediately] afterwards it is written, “Moshe assembled. . .” Thus we see it was the day following Yom Kippur. (Re”m) Furthermore, the assembly was mainly for donating toward the work of the mishkon so that the donated gold should atone for the gold given for the Calf. Therefore, we may assume it happened immediately after Moshe came down from the mountain, in order to atone right away for the incident of the Calf, and so that Hashem’s anger against Yisrael should be removed. See 31:18 [Rashi there]: [“On Yom Kippur, God reconciled Himself to Yisrael. The next day they began donating to the mishkon.”] You might ask: How did Moshe have time to assemble them and tell them to donate to the mishkon? The day after Yom Kippur he sat to judge the people all day, as it says: “On the following day Moshe sat to judge . . . from morning until evening” (18:13). And Rashi there explains, “It was the day following Yom Kippur,” and goes on to prove it. The answer is: Rashi there answers it himself by saying that “From morning until evening” [is not to be understood literally. Rather, it] is to teach us that “every judge who judges correctly and truthfully is . . . as if he were involved in Torah study the entire day. . .”

That Ad-noy commanded you to do. This cannot refer to the obligation to refrain from working on Shabbos because that would be a command of what not to do. Rather it refers to the statement, “Work may (or, “shall”) be done six days,” which is an injunction to proceed with the building of the Tabernacle throughout the week. This is followed by the prohibition against working on Shabbos to indicate that although the construction of the Tabernacle is obligatory, it must be halted on Shabbos.

Kap. 35. V. 1. Mit der Wiederbringung des Gesetzeszeugnisses, dieses Unterpfandes für die besondere "Gegenwart" Gottes im Volke, war auch die Herstellung der Wohnung für dieses Zeugnis wieder Aufgabe geworden. Die überstandenen ernsten Erlebnisse, die die Verwirklichung dieser Aufgabe völlig in Frage gestellt hatten und die den Inhalt der letzten Kapitel gebildet, sind aber für diese Aufgabe selber, für das Heiligtum und seinen Zweck, von der weittragendsten Bedeutung. Auf einem ganz anderen Boden der Erfahrung war nunmehr das Heiligtum zu erbauen. Es hatte sich das Volk. und es hatten sich die Priester in der ganzen Schwäche noch vorhandener Unvollkommenheit, in dem ganzen Bedürfnis der ewigen Fortarbeit an sich selber, in dem ganzen Bedürfnis der Erhebung und Sühne, und sie hatten Gott in dem ganzen Ernste seines Rechts und in der ganzen Fülle seiner Gnade kennen gelernt. Von der Stufe gänzlichen sich Verworfenfühlens vor Gott bis hinan bis zur lichten Höhe wiedergefundener Gnade, waren alle Abstufungen unserer Beziehungen zu Gott durchgekostet, und, wenn das zu errichtende Heiligtum die Stätte werden sollte, von wo aus das Ideal ihrer Bestimmung dem einzelnen und der Gesamtheit ewig emporleuchten, und wo sie auf jeder Stufe der Verirrung und Schwäche immer die Kraft zum Emporarbeiten zur Höhe und immer die Stärke zum Verharren auf der Höhe dieser Bestimmung, und zu beiden den Beistand und den Segen Gottes finden sollten: so macht das Erlebnis, das nunmehr für alle Zeit zwischen Aufgabe und Ausführung des allerersten Tempelbaues sich in die Geschichte desselben eingezeichnet hatte, die auf allen Stufen wiederzufindende Gnade Gottes zur historisch bekundeten Tatsache.

ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל, “Moses assembled the entire congregation of the Children of Israel;” he did so as soon as he had descended from the Mountain with the second set of Tablets.

...Look and see that it is not fitting to profane Shabbat with the work of the Tabernacle. For is it not that the Tabernacle and all of its vessels do not have holiness in them until the Tabernacle is established in its place and the Divine Presence rests upon it? It comes out that the making of the Tabernacle is only a preparation for something that will only be holy after its making. However, there is no need to say that Shabbat is intrinsically holy...

THESE ARE THE THINGS WHICH THE ETERNAL HATH COMMANDED, THAT YE SHOULD DO THEM. 2. SIX DAYS SHALL WORK BE DONE. The expression, these are the things which the Eternal hath commanded refers to the construction of the Tabernacle,⁷And not as Ibn Ezra explains [in his short commentary on the Book of Exodus], that these are the words refers to the law of the Sabbath, it being mentioned in the plural “words” because the Sabbath is as important as all the other commandments. But according to Ramban, the reference is to the building of the Tabernacle, and the plural is used because the allusion is also to all its vessels, etc. all its vessels and all its various works. He preceded [the explanation of the construction of the Tabernacle] with the law of the Sabbath, meaning to say that the work of these things should be done during the six days, but not on the seventh day which is holy to G-d. It is from here that we learn the principle that the work of the Tabernacle does not set aside the Sabbath, and not from the interpretation of the word ach (but — ‘but’ you shall keep My Sabbaths),⁸Above, 31:13. as I have explained in the section of Ki Thisa.⁸Above, 31:13.

אלה הדברים וגו', “these are the things, etc.” Some commentators feel that the words אלה הדברים focus on the Sabbath legislation which follows immediately. The reason the Torah used the plural mode אלה instead of זה הדבר, is to make the point that the Sabbath and all it entails is a commandment that is considered as weighty as the remainder of the laws of the Torah. [Deliberate violation of the Sabbath makes one a heretic, even if one conscientiously observes all the other commandments. Ed.] Alternatively, the fact that the Sabbath legislation includes the prohibition of 39 categories of activities known collectively as אבות מלאכות, makes the plural mode אלה perfectly appropriate. Nachmanides writes that the words אלה הדברים refer to the instructions relating to the building of the Tabernacle, and its various components. The reason why the Torah mentioned the sanctity of the Sabbath before proceeding with the details of the Tabernacle, was to stress that the work for the Tabernacle was not to override the laws of resting on the Sabbath.

It ( ויקהל ) is in the causative form. . . Explanation: Rashi’s main proof is that it is vowelized וַיַּקְהֵל rather than וַיִּקְהַל . The pasach indicates the causative form, as in וַיַּסַּע משה את העם (15:22), and אשר המה מַלִינִים (Bamidbar 14:27), which are also in the causative form.

Another reason for the word כל, all, may be similar to what I explained on Exodus 25,2 "from every man, etc." The word included orphans, minors, women, etc. Moses actually used two expressions of amplification, i.e. את כל. The reason Moses used only two amplifying statements here, namely את כל, and not a third one representing the wealthy (see page 756), is simple. There was no reason why the wealthy person would not come even if not especially invited seeing he would be happy to be part of the community.

Ganz vor allem dürfte aber dieses, dem ersten Tempelbau vorangegangene Erlebnis durch die Erwägung bedeutsam werden, dass hier bereits das größte Nationalverbrechen begangen und die höchste Gottesgnade wieder erlangt worden: ohne Tempel und ohne Opfer. Wenn die Wahrheit, dass Tempel und Opfer nicht an sich die Gnade Gottes erwirken, sondern nur die Wegweiser zur Gewinnung der Gottesgnade sein sollen und sein wollen, noch irgend eines Beweises bedürfte, so liegt dieser Beweis in diesem, dem ersten Tempelbau vorangehenden und in dessen Geschichte tiefverwebten Erlebnis in eklatantester Weise dokumentiert.

אלה הדברים, “these are the words;” he wished to tell them that he had authorization to proceed with the building of the Tabernacle in which G-d would have his residence on earth. He warned them that in spite of what appears to be a task of the highest priority, even that task must not interfere with the regular observance of the Sabbaths and the restrictions to perform creative activity on that day. The rationale of this was to teach the people that just as the Tabernacle is G-d’s, so the Sabbath is G-d’s, i.e. it is the holiest day in the universe, and that is why on occasion the Day of Atonement is called שבת שבתון, “the Sabbath in its ultimate degree.” The Torah applies that same definition to the Sabbath here. Work on the Tabernacle cannot override the sanctity of the Sabbath.

The correct version of this in Onkelos is: ואכניש . Re”m writes: “I do not understand what Rashi means by this.” Nachalas Yaakov writes: It seems to me that Rashi wrote this because he saw two versions of Onkelos. Therefore he proves that the correct version is [the causative form] ואכניש , not וכנש . Similarly in Bamidbar 16:19, וַיַקְהֵל עליהם קרח , Onkelos writes ואכניש . But in Bamidbar 20:10, וַיַּקְהִילוּ . . . אל פני הסלע , Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan both say וכנשו .

We are told in the Zohar volume 3 page 196 that Moses assembled the men separately in order to separate them from the women seeing that Satan was present and Moses wanted to forestall giving Satan a pretext to harm the Israelites during such an assembly. Since women were not normally present when Moses explained Torah legislation to the people except when they brought the donations for the building of the Holy Tabernacle, Moses did not normally have to take measures to counteract the presence of Satan, the seducer. We have proof of what the Zohar wrote in verse 22 where the arrival of the men and of the women is reported separately, i.e. ויבאו האנשים על הנשים, "the men came in addition to the women." This is only emphasised because it was not the norm for women to participate in these assemblies. The best proof that in our instance Moses assembled the men and women separately is in the word בני, the males. If the men and women had been assembled jointly, the Torah should only have written: את כל עדת ישראל, and not את כל עדת בני ישראל.

אלה הדברים וגו׳: Indem V.4 die Aufgabe des Heiligtumsbaues nochmals durch: זה הדבר אשר צוה ד׳ eingeleitet wird, so kann das אלה הדברים וגו׳ dieses ersten Verses auf diesen Bau nur mit Rücksicht auf das unmittelbar darauf wiederholt zu gebietende Schabbatgesetz hinweisen, und damit lehren wollen, dass selbst zum Behufe der Ausführung dieses, doch von Gott angeordneten und gebotenen Baues, der Schabbat nicht verletzt werden dürfe (siehe Kap. 31, 13). Sofort ergibt sich aber daraus, dass die zur Ausführung dieses Baues erforderlichen Tätigkeiten den Begriff der am Schabbat verbotenen מלאכה konstituieren. Vergleichen wir nun aber diese das Schabbatgesetz einleitende Erwähnung der Bauaufgabe mit der dieser Bauaufgabe selbst vorangehenden Einleitung, so heißt es dort V. 4: זה הדבר אשר צוה ד׳, hier aber, V. 1: אלה הדברים dort: Singular, hier: Plural, und zwar durch Wiederholung ,אשר צוה ד׳ לעשות אותם ganz besonders hervorgehobener Plural, nicht: אלה הדברים אשר צוה ד׳ לעשות, sondern: לעשות אותם. Dort wird der Bau in seiner Einheit, als ein Ganzes, ein Werk begriffen, dem sich alle dazu erforderlichen Dinge und Tätigkeiten nur als Teile unterordnen. Hier aber, zur Einleitung des Schabbatgesetzes, wird der Blick auf die Pluralität aller durch den Bau bedingten einzelnen Gegenstände und Tätigkeiten gerichtet. Wir werden aufgefordert, uns die einzelnen Gegenstände, אלה הדברים, und die für die Herstellung eines jeden derselben erforderlichen Tätigkeiten, לעשות אותם, zu vergegenwärtigen, um uns dann zu sagen: ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וגו׳, dass eine jede solche Tätigkeit nur in den sechs Tagen der Woche, nicht aber am Schabbat geübt werden dürfe. Damit ist denn eine jede einzelne der zur Herstellung des Baues des Heiligtums erforderlichen Tätigkeiten, am Schabbat geübt, eine Verletzung des Schabbats. In der Tat spricht auch die Halacha zur Stelle den Satz aus: לפי שנאמר ויקהל משה וגו׳ אלה הדברים וגו׳ ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה דברים הדברים אלה הדברים אלו שלשים ותשע מלאכות שנאמרו למשה מסיני (Schabbat 70 a u. 97 b) und liest am Bau der Stiftshütte neununddreißig produktive Tätigkeiten ab, deren Verrichtung eine am Schabbat verbotene מלאכה ist. Der Bau der Stiftshütte ist, wenn nicht vom Standpunkt der Kunst, so doch sicherlich vom Standpunkt der Idee und des darin verwirklichten Zweckes: ,der höchste Vorwurf für die kunstfertige Tätigkeit des ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם Menschen. Die in der Gewinnung, Produzierung und produzierenden Umwandlung der Stoffe sich bekundende Herrschaft des Menschen über die Erdwelt, erhält im Tempel ihre höchste Bestimmung. Der Mensch unterwirft sich die Welt, um sich und seine Welt Gott zu unterwerfen und seine Welt zu einer Stätte des Gottesreiches, zu einem Tempel zu umwandeln, in welchem Gottes Herrlichkeit auf Erden weilt. Der Tempelbau ist eine Heiligung der Menschenarbeit, und unsere Stelle stellt ihn als eine Vereinigung aller verschiedenen schaffenden Werktätigkeiten des Menschen dar, durch welche die im Schabbat durch שביתה, durch Einstellung aller מלאכה, zu vollziehende Gotteshuldigung ihren präzisierten Inhalt erhält. Jede beim Tempelbau zur Anwendung gekommene produktive Tätigkeit wird dadurch zu einer אב מלאכה, zu einer Produktionskategorie, die viele unter denselben Begriff sich fassende Tätigkeiten, als תולדות, als Ableitungen unter sich begreift. Wenn z. B. זורע ונוטע, Säen und Pflanzen, ein אב, eine Produktionskategorie bildet, so ordnet sich dieser זומר, das Beschneiden der Bäume, und so auch das Begießen der Pflanzen, überhaupt jede Wachstumsförderung, als הולדה unter usw. (Schabbat 73 b). Wie unser Text uns zur Präzisierung des כל העשה בו מלאכה יומת zuerst הרכרים אשר צוה ד׳ und לעשות אותם, die Dinge und die sie mit Absicht produzierenden Tätigkeiten ins Auge fassen lässt, so kommt auch überall bei מלאכת שבת das Produkt, die produzierende Tätigkeit, und nicht nur die Absicht im allgemeinen, sondern die das Produkt beabsichtigende Tätigkeit in Betracht. Nur schaffende, nicht zerstörende Tätigkeit bildet den Begriff, מקלקלין פטורין, und nur, wenn nicht nur überhaupt die Tätigkeit mit Absicht geübt wird, nicht דבר שאין מתכוין ist, sondern wenn zugleich die Absicht auf das der Tätigkeit eigentümliche Produkt gerichtet ist, wie diese Absicht beim Tempelbau hervortrat, sie somit nicht מלאכה שאינה צריכה לגופה ist, gestaltet sich eine volle Verletzung des Schabbats, von der der Ausspruch gilt: כל העושה בו מלאכה יומת. Überall liegt der Hinblick auf מלאכת המשכן zu Grunde (siehe Tossefot Schabbat 94 a ר׳׳ה ר׳ שמעון פוטר). Vergl. oben (Kap. 20, 10). Die sich durch den Hinweis auf מלאכת המשכן ergebenden 39. Produktionskategorien (אבות מלאכה) sind nach Schabbat 73 a: Säen, Pflügen, Schneiden, Auflesen, Dreschen, Schwingen, Lesen, Mahlen, Sieben, Kneten, Backen; — Scheren, Waschen, Krempeln, Färben, Spinnen, Ketten aufspannen, Lizmaschen machen, Weben, Fadenspalten, Knüpfen, Lösen, Nähen, Reißen um zu nähen (siehe zu Kap. 20, 10); — Fangen, Töten, Fellabziehen, Gerben, Liniieren (siehe Schabbat 75 b), Glätten, Schneiden, Schreiben, Auslöschen um zu schreiben (siehe zu Kab. 20, 10); — Bauen, Einreißen (um zu bauen, siehe Schabbat 31b); — Löschen (um anzuzünden, das.), Anzünden; — letzter Hammerschlag (מכה בפטיש, Ausdruck für jede Werkvollendung Schabbat 75); Hinaustragen aus einem Besitzraum in den andern. — Betrachten wir diese Kategorien, so erscheinen sie sämtlich als wirkliche Produktionen, d. h. als solche Tätigkeiten, durch welche ein Objekt eine wirkliche Veränderung erleidet, durch deren absichtliche Erzeugung sich die Herrschaft des Menschen über die irdischen Dinge bekundet, deren Unterlassung am Schabbat somit die Huldigung des einen einzigen wirklichen Schöpfers und Herrn, dessen Lehnsträger und Diener der Mensch in seiner Weltherrschaft nur ist, zu bekunden sich eignet. Selbst Auflesen von Bodenprodukten und Fangen eines freien Tieres, obgleich sie die Frucht und das Tier an sich nicht verändern, bewirken jedoch den so wesentlichen und für die hier gegebene Beziehung so bedeutsamen Übergang aus dem freien Naturzustande in das Gewaltbereich des Menschen. Nur die letzte Tätigkeit, הוצאה, das Versetzen eines Gegenstandes aus einem רשות in den andern, aus רשות היחיד in רשות הרבים und umgekehrt, sowie das מעביר ד׳ אמות ברה׳׳ר, das vier Ellen weite Versetzen eines Gegenstandes innerhalb des רה׳׳ר, erscheint als מלאכה גרועה, lässt sich kaum unter den Begriff einer Werk schaffenden Tätigkeit fassen, und würde unter den beim Bau des Mischkans vorkommenden Tätigkeiten gar nicht als מלאכה sich dargestellt haben, wenn dies nicht, und zwar nicht nur für die Kategorie überhaupt, sondern auch für die derselben unterzuordnenden תולדות, speziell nachgewiesen wäre (siehe תוספו׳ Schabbat 2a ד׳ה פשט). Und gleichwohl muss gerade diese, in ihrer konkreten Äußerlichkeit sich so "gering" darstellende מלאכה, doch andererseits so bedeutsam sein, dass, als Jeremias (Kap. 17, 19 ff.) in den letzten Tagen des jüdischen Staates die Erhaltung desselben, ja dessen segensreichstes Aufblühen um den Preis der Schabbatheiligung verkünden sollte, er außer der Gesamtheiligung des Schabbats ganz besonders die Unterlassung des "Tragens", die Unterlassung der הוצאה zu fordern hatte. "So hat Gott zu mir gesprochen", heißt es daselbst, "gehe und stelle dich in das Tor der Söhne des Volkes, durch welches Judas Könige ein- und ausgehen, und in alle Tore Jerusalems, und sprich zu ihnen: Höret das Wort Gottes, Könige Judas und ganz Juda, und alle Bewohner Jerusalems, die durch diese Tore kommen, so hat Gott gesprochen: Hütet euch um eurer Seelen willen und traget nichts am Schabbattage und bringet nichts hinein in die Tore Jerusalems, und bringet aus euren Häusern nichts hinaus am Schabbattage und heiligt den Schabbat, wie ich euren Vätern geboten, die mir aber nicht gehorcht, ihr Ohr nicht geneigt und hartnäckig nicht hören und nicht Belehrung annehmen wollten. Wenn ihr nun mir ernst gehorchen werdet, nichts durch die Thore dieser Stadt am Schabbattage zu bringen, und den Schabbat zu heiligen, an ihm keinerlei Werk zu schaffen, so wird es geschehen, spricht Gott, dass in die Tore dieser Stadt auf Davids Throne sitzende Könige und Fürsten kommen werden, fahrend in Wagen und auf Rossen, sie und ihre Fürsten, Judas Bevölkerung und Jerusalems Einwohner, und es wird diese Stadt für immer bleiben. Von Judas Städten, von Jerusalems Umgebungen, aus Benjamins Land, aus der Niederung, vom Gebirge, vom Süden werden sie kommen, Emporopfer und Mahlopfer, Huldigungsopfer und Weihrauch bringend, und Dankopfer bringend in das Haus Gottes. Werdet ihr aber mir nicht gehorchen, den Schabbattag zu heiligen und nicht etwas tragend einzugehen durch Jerusalems Tore am Schabbattage, so lasse ich Feuer an ihre Türe zünden, es verzehrt Jerusalems Paläste und verlöschet nicht."

אלה הדברים אשר צוה השם, These are the words which G'd has commanded, etc. We need to analyze the need for the unusual introduction: "these are the words." In Shabbat 97 Rabbi deduces from the word אלה that there are 39 basic categories of forbidden activities on the Sabbath. The numerical value of the word אלה is 36, the word דברים (pl) counts as 2, and the letter ה which is superfluous counts as 1 making a total of 39. This is obviously not the plain meaning of the verse. We also need to know why the Torah had to write the extraneous words: לעשות אותם. How can the word אותם, "them", be applied to the performanace of a single commandment, i.e. the Sabbath?

Wir haben diese ganze Rede ausgezogen, um das ganze Gewicht zu veranschaulichen, welches das Prophetenwort dem איסור הוצאה am Schabbat beilegt, namentlich aber erkennen zu lassen, wie derselbe da nicht sowohl als ein integrierender Teil des איסור מלאכה sondern als ein diesem zur Seite stehender Begriff erscheint. Die Huldigung des Schabbats umfasst nach dem Propheten איסור הוצאה und לא תוציאו ,איסור מלאכה משא מבתיכם וכל מלאכה לא תעשו (V.22). Suchen wir den Gesamtbegriff, in welchem alle anderen מלאכות zusammengehen, so bezeichnen sie sämtlich die Herrscherstellung des Menschen zu den Dingen der physischen Welt. הוצאה jedoch bewegt sich rein im sozialen Gebiete. Wohl nicht vollständiger lässt sich das ganze Staatsleben darstellen als: die Beziehung des Individuums zur Gesamtheit, der Gesamtheit zum Individuum, d. h. die Leistung des einzelnen an die Gesamtheit, der Gesamtheit an den einzelnen und endlich die Förderung der Gesamtheitszwecke im Gebiete der Gesamtheit, Beziehungen, die wohl in prägnantester Weise durch: הכנסה מרשות הרבים לרשות היחיד ,הוצאה מרשות היחיד לרשות הרבים ,העברה ד׳ אמות ברשות הרבים ihren Ausdruck finden dürften. Wenn demnach der איסור aller übrigen מלאכות den Menschen in seiner physischen Weltstellung unter Gott unterordnet, so dürfte איסור הוצאה die Unterordnung des Menschen auch mit seiner sozialen Weltstellung unter Gott zum Ausdruck bringen, jenes ist die Huldigung Gottes in der Natur, dieses seine Huldigung in der Geschichte, jenes stellt das Menschenwirken in der Natur, dieses das Menschenwirken im Staate unter die Herrschaft Gottes, und so gewiss, wie erst Natur und Staat zusammen den Begriff: "Welt" konstituiert, so gewiss begreift die Weltherrschaft Gottes sein Walten und Gebieten in Natur und Geschichte zusammen, und das durch die Schabbathuldigung zu erbauende Reich Gottes auf Erden ist erst dann ein volles und wirkliches, wenn der Mensch sich mit seinem Natur- und Staatenleben dem Gehorsam des göttlichen Willens unterstellt. Nunmehr dürften auch die beiden Tatsachen, welche das göttliche Gesetz als Motiv des Schabbats aufführt, בריאת שמים וארץ und יציאת מצרים in ihrer sich einander wesentlich ergänzenden Bedeutung hervortreten. Die Weltschöpfung ist die Tatsache für die Herrschaft Gottes in der Natur, wie sie durch alle übrigen מלאכות zum Ausdruck kommt, die Erlösung aus Ägypten die Tatsache für die Herrschaft Gottes im Staatenleben, wie dies durch איסור הוצאה seinen Ausdruck gewinnt. איסור הוצאה stellt somit den jüdischen Staat, das Wirken des jüdischen einzelnen für die Gesamtheit, der Gesamtheit für den einzelnen, sowie die Wirksamkeit der Regierenden im Staatsgebiete, gehorsam unter die Herrschaft Gottes, und wir begreifen, wie in dem zitierten Prophetenworte die Erhaltung des Staates vor allem von der Schabbathuldigung durch איסור הוצאה abhängig gemacht und sein Untergang durch Verletzung des Schabbats durch הוצאה angekündigt wird. איסור הוצאה drückt dem ganzen Staatsleben Gottes Siegel auf, הוצאה am Schabbat reißt das Gotteswappen vom Staate und von dem sozialen Leben im Staate.

Perhaps we may best understand this after reading a comment in Horiot 8 concerning Numbers 15,22 where the Torah speaks about the Israelites committing the sin of idolatry, albeit inadvertently. The Torah writes: "If you err and not observe all of the commandments of the Lord, etc." [The reader of these words must surely wonder how one could inadvertently fail to observe all of G'd's commandments. Ed.] The Talmud concludes that the Torah refers to the violation of a single commandment, that of idolatry. If one violates that commandment it is as if one had violated all the commandments, seeing the violation implies that one denies the authority of G'd and His Torah. In view of the fact that the Israelites had been guilty of precisely this sin, they needed to compensate for all the 613 commandments which they had violated. This is obviously very difficult if not impossible. The Torah therefore offers them an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves by means of the observance of the Sabbath. This is the reason this commandment is repeated here once again. When Moses speaks of לעשות אותם, he refers to the multiple תקוו, rehabilitation, which the observance of the Sabbath in all its details entails. What precisely are "these words?" They are on the one side that we are to work for six days, ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה, and by contrast to treat the seventh day as holy, וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש. All of this explains why the Sabbath legislation is mentioned here again seeing it has already been mentioned many times. On the subject of Sabbath observance being an antidote to the sin of idolatry, the Talmud Shabbat 118 quotes Isaiah 56,2 where the prophet praises the person observing the Sabbath. The Talmud says that even if (prior to having become a Sabbath observer) a person had been guilty of the kind of idolatry performed in the days of Enosh G'd will forgive him or her.

Rabbi Elazar bar Prata provides us with another dimension of this wording לעשות אותם in the Mechilta on Ki Tissa. He queries: "Whence do we know that everyone who observes the Sabbath is accounted as if he had created the Sabbath? He quotes the line in Exodus 31,16 where Moses also spoke of לעשות את השבת, "to make the Sabbath." According to Rabbi Elazar, observing the Sabbath is equivalent to creating it. Moses repeats the same thought in our verse when he speaks of לעשות אותם, "to make them." In my commentary on Parshat Ki Tissa I have offered a variety of explanations as to the meaning of the words לעשות את השבת. The explanation I am about to offer now belongs here rather than in chapter 31, as it relates to the meaning of the words אלה הדברים אשר צוה ה׳ לעשות אותם, "these are the things which you are to make;" by doing these things you make the Sabbath."

The verse wishes to teach us yet another lesson. Although you might have thought that inasmuch as the Sabbath laws consist primarily of prohibitions and one cannot expect reward for what one has not done, the Torah corrects such an impression by telling us "these are the things (abstention from work) which G'd commanded and for which you will receive a reward." I have explained the reason for this in my commentary on Exodus 31,16. The word אלה is meant to alert us that this שמירה is different from other instances in which the Torah demands שמירה.

אלה הדברים אשר צוה ה' לעשות אותם, “these are the things G’d commanded to do them.” These words are followed by the instruction to work during six days. This teaches that construction work of the Tabernacle was not to override the work prohibitions of the Sabbath and should be carried on only on the six weekdays (Mechilta Vayakhel 1).The reason that the Torah writes the verb תעשה in the passive form, i.e. te-asseh instead of ta-asseh, is to teach the Jews that if they observe the laws of the Torah faithfully, the work to be performed on the six days of the week will be performed for them by Gentiles. If, however, the Israelites would not observe the commandments of the Torah, not only will they have to perform their own menial tasks but they will also have to perform menial tasks for others (Mechilta Ki Tissa 1).

There is a Yalkut Shimoni, 408 which understands the reason why the Torah chose the word ויקהל as an allusion to the same word in Deut. 31,12. The message is that on the Sabbath there are to be large assemblies of the people in order to teach them Torah and especially אלה הדברים, the details about the ordinances connected with true Sabbath observance. The words לעשות אותם also had special significance for the generation of the golden calf as it holds out the hope that by "doing them" the people could make atonement for their participation in that sin, as per the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael in that Midrash.

...Moshe gathers all the Jewish people and tells them 6 days to work, 7th day is holy. I have explained early the virtue of a tzadik, the foundation of the world. Since the beginning of creation, Gd's desire, may He be blessed, is that there should in every generation a tzaddik of the generation. As we say in our prayer, the "Creator of the worlds, [provides someone who is] righteous in all generations." The virtue of a tzaddik is very great, he brings benefits to all those who are associated with him. Anyone who touches him is purified, he is the pure mikvah of the Jewish people. This will enable us to understand the words of the Mishna. In Chapter 6 of Pirkei Avot, "anyone who studies Torah for its own sake will become like a fountain that flows with ever increasing strength." Although all the water in the world passes over a wellspring, it still remains pure because the wellsprings purifies all that immerses in it. There's water that drips and there's water that flows so even if there is more dripping water than flowing water it is still considered pure because it is flowing with an ever increasing strength. The wellspring alludes to the tzaddik. Everyone who comes to him to get purified from all blemishes, to all those who are associated with him and trust in him, he is like a fountain that flows with ever increasing strength despite all the water that goes upon him. Even though there are more dripping water than the flowing water. The flowing water, the yetzer hara, as it says in the Torah "it crawls on the earth" [see the Hebrew for the explanation]. This is the meaning of the posuk "a pure man should take a hyssop and dip in the water and sprinkle it on the what became impure." This hints to that whoever comes to the tzaddik must be humble, like the hyssop, and then will be able to dip in the water, which is the Torah of the tzadik. This is the meaning of the Mishna "how fortunate are you Jewish people in front of whom do you purify yourself and who purifies you? your Father in Heaven. For the mikvah of the Jewish people in Hashem." What this hints to, in order to become pure, you have to get sprinkled by red heifer water on third and seventh day for the impurity and then you go into the mivkah. First, you're pure on the outside and then within. Likewise, the tzadik purifies all those who enter within him and that is why is compared to a fountain that flows with ever increasing strength. The word 'wellspring' (mayon) relates to 'taste' (meyen) he is a taste of the World to Come. All of his effort is for the sake of the Jewish people as it says about the coming of Moshiach "a redeemer will come for the life of the World to Come". This also alludes to the fact that the redeemer is willing sacrifice his World to Come for the Jewish people. This is the meaning of the verse in Judges "the heart goes out to the dignitaries of Israel who offer themselves willingly among the people. Bless you Hashem." Those who are who offer themselves willingly what we will understand the difference between a neder and nedava. What's the difference? A neder is "I'm responsible" and nedava is "this animal is going to be a sacrifice." Nedava means that the people who offering themselves willingly that they are ready to be sacrificed [like the animal]. And this is the meaning of the "those who give..Blessed be Hashem." They have the ability to bring down the blessings to the Jewish people. "Moshe gathers the Jewish people..." the tzadik has within the Daas [connection] of the generation what is known during the golden calf is they sinned with their thoughts and blemished their Daas and Moshe took from them a 1000 lights. The Arizal writes that on Shabbat they are returned as it say in davening "Moshe will rejoice in his gift." This is the relationship of the 6 days and the 7th day, why does Moshe preface the commandment of Shabbat to the commandment of the Tabernacle. So, according to the explanation, Moshe was hinting to them that while he was alive he could've fixed their daas as the Torah concludes "all the adas [commuity] left before Moshe." This alludes that the Jewish people could be corrected through Moshe Rabbeinu so Moshe knew he wouldn't always be with them, therefore he said Shabbat before Tabernacle since Shabbat rectifies daas as it says in the Torah "in order that you should know that I, Hashem, sanctify you." Why? The power of Shabbat is the power of Moshe, who has an extension of Moshe in every generation. Shabbos can therefore be a pure mikvah to fix the daas of the Jewish people.

ששת ימים SIX DAYS [MAY WORK BE DONE] — He intentionally mentioned to them the prohibition in reference to the Sabbath before the command about the building of the Tabernacle in order to intimate that it does not set aside (supersede) the Sabbath (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 35:1:1).

וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש, and you may not violate the Sabbath even in order to complete the Tabernacle sooner, although the work on the Tabernacle is also a sacred task.

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה, "during six days work shall be performed, etc." The reason the Torah emphasises the work to be performed on the weekdays may simply be a hint that if one observes the seventh day as a holy day, the work required for our maintaining ourselves during the subsequent six days will take care of itself.

כל העושה בו מלאכה יומת, “anyone performing forbidden categories of work on that day deserves to be executed.” Even if the person concerned was busy doing work sanctioned by heaven, it does not take precedence over the legislation governing the rules of the Sabbath. One of these rules, for instance, is what follows:

וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קודש שבת שבתון, “and the seventh day shall be holy for you, a day of complete rest.” In this passage Moses does not warn the people that they are to observe the Sabbath, i.e. ושמרתם את השבת “you shall observe the Sabbath” (Exodus 31,14 or 31,13).
It appears therefore that we derive from here that the mystical dimension of the Sabbath is not to be revealed to the masses. When the Torah used the expression ושמרתם את השבת instead of ושמרתם את יום השבת, this is an indication that in chapter 31 the Torah addressed itself to the philosophical and hidden meanings of the Sabbath. Seeing that in our paragraph Moses spoke to all the people, including women and children, this was not the time and place to reveal hidden meanings of the Sabbath. In 31,13, on the other hand, G’d had instructed Moses with the words דבר אל בני ישראל, “speak to the Children of Israel,” implying that he should reveal to them both the obvious as well as the hidden meanings of the Sabbath legislation. The manner in which the Torah phrases what went on here is a hint to us not to reveal hidden meanings of the Torah to people who are not on the spiritual level enabling them to appreciate such meanings.
There is another proof for what we just said from the Talmud in Megillah 3. The Talmud says that when Onkelos was engaged in translating the Torah, a heavenly voice was heard to exclaim: “who is this who reveals the hidden dimensions of the Torah?” If restrictions are in place when one merely translates the written text of the Torah, how much more so must one be careful not to reveal the mystical dimensions of the Torah which have not been spelled out for all to see in the text to people not on the appropriate spiritual level? Anyone who becomes guilty of violating this principle is known as a מגלה סתרים, someone revealing mysteries. Only slanderers do something like that (Proverbs 11,13).

Saying . . . it does not supersede . . . Rashi is answering the question: Why are they admonished again here concerning Shabbos? They had already been admonished. You might ask: On the contrary, perhaps the admonition of Shabbos is repeated here to tell us that the work of the mishkon supercedes Shabbos, even though it is written [pertaining to Shabbos], “You must not do any work” (Shemos 20:9)? The answer is: The section of Shabbos is written before the section dealing with the work of the mishkon. And the section written first is surely the more important one, and supersedes the one written afterward. The proof is that otherwise, a question arises: why did Moshe change the order here? In parshas Ki Sisa, Hashem stated the admonition of Shabbos to Moshe after having stated the work of the mishkon. And that is why it is written there, “Still ( אך ), you must keep My Shabbos” (31:13). As Rashi explains there, “Every time the term אך or רק appears, it conveys limiting or excluding. And here, אך apparently excludes Shabbos from any work of the mishkon.” Thus, the question arises: why did Moshe not state this matter to Yisrael in the same way that Hashem had commanded him? Perforce, Moshe put [the section of Shabbos] first, in order to teach that the work of the mishkon does not supercede Shabbos.

ששת ימים, “during six days, etc;” the Torah repeats itself so as to make clear that this rule applies also to the work on the Tabernacle.

כל העושה בו מלאכה יומת, “anyone performing (forbidden) work on it will be executed.” This line is immediately followed by the prohibition of lighting a fire on the Sabbath. It is possible to interpret these two verses as examples of forbidden work on the Sabbath. First the Torah prohibits the performance of certain categories of activities called מלאכה; the Torah describes the lighting of fire as an example of such a forbidden category of activity. The expression מלאכה applies primarily to activities connected to the building of the Tabernacle which are forbidden to be performed on the Sabbath. This is the reason the Torah does not speak here of כל מלאכה, “any manner of work,” as it does on other occasions when the work-prohibition on the Sabbath is mentioned (compare Exodus 20,10). Following the prohibition to perform such work on the Sabbaths during which the construction of the Tabernacle was in progress, the Torah goes on to prohibit such activities on the Sabbath for all future generations also. This is the meaning of the additional words בכל מושבותיכם, “in all your dwellings” (as opposed to G’d’s “dwelling’). The example of lighting a fire is merely representative of all the other categories of activity which are prohibited on the Sabbath.
Making fire is an appropriate example of basic human activity seeing that most of the principal activities we are engaged in cannot be performed satisfactorily if one were not able or allowed to make fire. This is the reason that the sages instituted the benediction over fire during the הבדלה ritual at the end of the Sabbath to signify that this crucial activity (as well as other activities) which was prohibited on the Sabbath is once again permitted. Fire, i.e. light, was the first of the activities G’d engaged in when creating the universe (Genesis 1,2).
The ritual known as הבדלה comprises a total of four benedictions (wine, fragrances, fire/light, and the benediction reminding us of the difference between the holy and the profane). This number corresponds to the letters in the holy name of the Lord, the tetragrammaton. The benediction over wine is alluded to in Genesis 1,1 in the word הארץ, a reference to Gan Eden. The grape vine was one of the trees in that garden. The benediction over the fragrances is also alluded to in the word רוח אלו-הים, “the spirit (whiff) of the Lord” in the same verse. Fragrance is central to wind, i.e. the wind carries the fragrance, the odor. It represents the air man breathes through his nostrils, the organ of smell. Finally, fire is represented in that same verse we quoted from Genesis 1,2 where the word “light” has a dual connotation, also meaning “fire,” i.e. the source of warmth. In the ritual of the הבדלה we refer to the whole concept of fire and light as a separation between light and dark.

The Torah may also wish to remind us that performance of work on the Sabbath is prohibited regardless of whether it is performed by a Jew or by a Gentile on his behalf. The vocalisation of the word te-asseh (passive form), is intended to convey that whereas it is permissible for a Jew to have his work performed by Gentiles during the week, on the Sabbath it must not be performed at all. This would correspond to the opinion expressed in the Talmud that if one tells a Gentile to perform work for one on the Sabbbath, one violates a biblical prohibition (Mechilta Parshat Bo). The reason the Torah writes ששת instead of בששת, is to remind us that work performance during the six days of the week is a מצוה, a positive commandment.

There is also a lesson here that the success of the work performed during the six days of the week depends on the observance of the seventh day as a holy day. The reason is that the Sabbath is the soul of the world as we explained in our introduction to Genesis on Genesis 2,2.

לא תבערו אש YE SHALL NOT KINDLE A FIRE [THROUGHOUT YOUR HABITATIONS ON THEE SABBATH DAY] — There are some of our Rabbis who say that the law about kindling fire is singled out (more lit., goes forth from the general proposition; i. e. it is specially mentioned here although it is included in לא תעשה כל מלאכה, the law prohibiting all work on Sabbath) in order to constitute it a mere negative command (thus indicating that, like all other negative commands, its infringement is punishable by lashes but does not make the offender liable to death as does the doing of other work on Sabbath). Others, however, say that it was singled out in order to separate the various kinds of work comprised in the term כל מלאכה (thus indicating that each transgression of the Sabbath law is to be atoned for separately if several of them have been committed at the same time and under the same circumstances) (cf. Shabbat 70a; Yevamot 6b; Sanhedrin 35b; cf. also Pesachim 5b).

YE SHALL KINDLE NO FIRE THROUGHOUT YOUR HABITATIONS UPON THE SABBATH DAY. The meaning of this verse is clearly to prohibit also on the Sabbath doing any work necessary for the preparation of food, since He said, whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death,⁹Verse 2. and He further explained that they should also not kindle fire, in order to bake bread and boil meat, for fire is needed in the preparation of all food. This had to be stated because He did not say here: “whosoever doeth ‘any manner’ of work,” just as He said in the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not do any manner of work,¹⁰Above, 20:10. but instead He merely said “work” without specifying any type. Therefore we might have excluded from the general statement [whosoever doeth work …] all activity necessary for the preparation of food, for we find it said about the feast of unleavened bread, thou shalt not do work therein,¹¹Deuteronomy 16:8. and yet the preparation of food is not included [in the scope of its prohibition]. It is for this reason that here He mentioned expressly that the preparation of food is also forbidden on the Sabbath.
I have found a similar text in the Midrash:¹²Mechilta here. “Rabbi Nathan says: Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath-day. Why is this said? Because it is stated, And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel.¹³Verse 1. — Reference here in the Mechilta is of course to Verse 2: whosoever doeth work therein…, and as Ramban explained above. The insertion of the word “etc.” at the end of the verse mentioned in the text of Ramban, would clarify the matter completely. It is present in texts of the Mechilta. I might think that one should be allowed to light a candle, to put away food to be kept warm, and to make a fire on the Sabbath. Therefore Scripture says, Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath-day.” This corresponds closely to that which we have said, that these works [mentioned in the Mechilta], since they are of direct benefit to the body, were not included in the first prohibition. Thus Rabbi Nathan wanted to say that the purpose of the verse here is not to prohibit baking, cooking, and the rest of the activities involved in the preparation of food, for these have already been prohibited to them by the verse, Bake that [on the sixth day of the week] which ye will bake [i.e., which ye intend to bake on the Sabbath], and seethe that which ye will seethe.¹⁴Above, 16:23. But yet I might think that all activities which benefit man in such a way that the benefit is only to the body — such as lighting a candle, making fire, or washing one’s whole body in hot water — should be allowed, for these are part of the delight of the Sabbath.¹⁵See Isaiah 58:13. Therefore it says, Ye shall kindle no fire — to prohibit all [mentioned activities even if done for these purposes].
Our Rabbis in the Talmud¹⁶Shabbath 70a. have yet another Midrash on this verse, because it does not say: “whosoever doeth any manner of work therein shall be put to death,” or: “whosoever kindles fire throughout your habitations shall be put to death.” Therefore they said that the kindling of fire was singled out in order to make it punishable in a less stringent manner, [namely by stripe], since it is a mere negative command, [whereas violation of the Sabbath by doing any of the other kinds of work is punishable by death]. But another Sage¹⁷This is Rabbi Nathan. holds that it was singled out in order to separate it, since it was included in the prohibition, thou shalt not do any manner of work.¹⁸Above, 20:10. It was thus singled out to indicate a general principle: just as in the case of kindling, which is specifically mentioned although it is included in the prohibition, thou shalt not do any manner of work in it, one becomes liable to punishment for transgressing it alone, so also in the case of all the other thirty-nine categories of forbidden work on the Sabbath, one becomes liable upon transgressing each one of them by itself. For otherwise we might have thought that only if one has done all thirty-nine main classes of “work” he is liable to punishment; therefore kindling of fire was singled out in order to teach that the punishment applies even if he has done but one kind of “work” (Rashi, Yebamoth 6 b). For it is one of the thirteen rules of interpretation of the Torah: “If anything is included in a general proposition and is then made the subject of a special statement, that which is predicated of it is not to be understood as limited to itself alone, but is to be applied to the whole of the general proposition.” Similarly we might have thought that if one has done all thirty-nine main classes of “work” on the Sabbath through error he is liable to bring but one sin-offering, therefore kindling of fire was singled out to teach that he is liable to bring such an offering for each of the main classes of “work” he has done.

לא תבערו אש, even though generally speaking, lighting a fire is not a productive but a destructive activity, seeing that it is an almost indispensable ingredient in most activities the Torah prohibited it as unsuitable for the Sabbath.

לא תבערו אש, seeing that in connection with the festivals the Torah wrote that work in connection with the preparation of food was permitted on such days, meaning that the handling of fire was permitted. (Exodus 12.16) Moses had specifically permitted baking and cooking (Exodus 16,23). In view of this the Torah considered it as necessary to repeat the prohibition of handling fire on the Sabbath. If this kind of work was prohibited on the Sabbath, other work which was far less urgent was certainly prohibited also.

לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם, “do not kindle any fire in any of your dwellings;” we find a disagreement between the scholars of the Talmud (Shabbat 70) concerning this particular verse. Some hold that the reason why this particular work prohibition is the only one specifically mentioned in the Torah, is to place it in a different category from the other prohibited categories of activities, i.e. all the others are subject to the death penalty, whereas this one is punishable only by thirty nine lashes, (according to Rashi, not even that) as are most other negative commandments when violated deliberately. [the technical term for this view by Rabbi Yossi is ללאו יצאה, “it was singled out as a lesser transgression.” The other opinion views this prohibition as an example, לחלק יצאה, “singled out, [as representative of the rules applying to all thirty nine categories. Ed.] The thirty-nine categories themselves are based on activities without which the work on the Tabernacle could not have been carried out successfully; hence they are appropriate as guidelines as to what is and what is not prohibited on the Sabbath. Some scholars feel that the reason why kindling a fire had to be mentioned especially, is that the general public does not view this activity as “work,” seeing that it is permitted on the festivals when used to prepare food. Still other commentators feel that a basic activity, such as kindling a fire, is so necessary that people could not have imagined that it was forbidden on pain of death if the Torah had not spelled it out for them specifically. Nachmanides writes that seeing the Torah does not add here that anyone performing forbidden work will be put to death, we might have thought that when this kindling of fire is performed in order to enable us to have hot meals on the Sabbath, that this is not forbidden, just as it is not forbidden on Passover or the other festivals, although the Torah writes that no work may be performed on those festivals. By specifically stating that lighting a fire on the Sabbath, for whatever reason, is forbidden, we are reminded that the Sabbath is different from the festivals in this respect.

Some of our Sages say: Kindling. . . Rashi is answering the question: Is kindling not already included in the prohibition, “You must not do any manner of work”?

V. 3. לא תבערו אש וגו׳. Feueranzünden stellt sich einerseits an sich nicht als eine produktive, schaffende, vielmehr zunächst als eine zerstörende Tätigkeit dar. Andererseits ist aber die Hervorbringung des künstlichen Feuers eben jene Fähigkeit, die erst dem Menschen in Wahrheit seine Herrschaft über die Dinge der Erdwelt gebracht und gesichert. Nur durch Feuer schafft er sich sein Werkzeug und dringt er trennend und gestaltend in das Innere der Dinge. Wir begreifen daher, wie die besondere Hervorhebung der Kategorie הבערה aus allen anderen אבות מלאכה in diesem Verse nach einer Auffassung (Schabbat 70 a). ללאו יוצאת, das Feueranzünden als lediglich verboten, aber nicht unter die im vorangehenden Verse mit Todesstrafe bedrohten מלאכות begreift, nach einer anderen, als Halacha rezipierten (ebendaselbst), jedoch gerade als mustergültig für alle anderen, לחלק יוצאת — nach dem hermeneutischen Grundsatze: דבר שהיה בכלל ויצא מן הכלל ללמד לא ללמד על עצמו יצא אלא ללמד על הכלל כלו יצא, dass das an einem aus einem Kollektivbegriff hervorgehobenen Fall Gelehrte exemplifikatorisch für den ganzen Kollektivbegriff gilt — für den ganzen איסור מלאכה des Schabbats die bereits durch אלה הדברים וגו׳ des V. 1 vorbereitete Bestimmung präzisiert, dass die Schabbatheiligung sich in jeder einzelnen verbotenen Werktätigkeit also selbständig wiederholt, dass, wenn am Schabbat verschiedene מלאכות in Fahrlässigkeit, בשגגה, geübt worden, eben so viele Schabbatverletzungen, als verschiedene מלאכות geübt worden, zur Sühne dastehen und durch eben so viele חטאות zum Bewusstsein zu bringen sind. Hätte z. B. jemand geackert, gesäet und geschnitten am Schabbat, so hat er für jede Produktionskategorie ein חטאת, somit drei חטאות zu bringen. Dies heißt חלוק מלאכות לשבת, und unterscheidet sich darin charakteristisch der איסור מלאכה am Schabbat von dem des יש חלוק מלאכות בשבת ואין חלוק מלאכות בי׳׳ט :י׳׳ט Mackot 21 b). Am Jomtob ist) die Werkeinstellung lediglich Konsequenz des Moedbegriffes; עבודת ד׳, zu der wir berufen, schließt מלאכת עבודה aus. Es ist dies ein Totalbegriff, der durch jede מלאכה in gleicher Weise verletzt wird. Am Schabbat aber ist שביתת מלאכה das Bekenntnis, dass die dem Menschen innewohnende Fähigkeit der Schöpferherrschaft über die Dinge eine ihm von Gott verliehene und nur in seinem Dienste zu übende sei. Dieses Bekenntnis wiederholt sich selbständig in Beziehung auf jede einzelne Kategorie dieser Fähigkeiten. Erwägen wir, dass nicht die verschiedenen Gegenstände, sondern die verschiedenen Produktionsarten die Wiederholung der Schabbatverletzung konstituieren, wenn z. B. Korn und Wein und Baumfrucht geschnitten worden, nur ein חטאת, dagegen wenn Korn gesäet, geschnitten und aufgesammelt drei חטאות zu bringen wären, so haben wir den Schabbatbegriff nicht sowohl als eine gotthuldigende Zufüßenlegung der Welt, sondern vielmehr als eine gotthuldigende Zufüßenlegung des Menschen in Beziehung auf seine Welt zu begreifen.

לא תבערו אש, “do not kindle fire;” the reason that the Torah singled out lighting a fire on the Sabbath as a forbidden activity by naming it, is that to the average person lighting a fire seems hardly as something that can be called “work.” If it had not been specifically singled out, people might have said that they would certainly not perform activities even remotely connected to creative activity, but they would never have dreamt that lighting a match would be considered by the Torah as on a par with that of sowing, ploughing, or kneading a dough, for instance. In the Talmud, tractate Shabbat folio 70, there is a dispute about whether this activity has been mentioned specifically in order to tell us that the penalty for violating it is not the same as for other work prohibitions, or that it has been singled out to tell us that even such an activity is forbidden on pain of the death penalty.

לא תבערו אש, “do not kindle a fire;” some of our Rabbis claim that the reason that of all the work prohibitions on the Sabbath, only the act of kindling a fire has been singled out by name, is to teach us that lighting a fire is the only one of these prohibitions which, instead of being punishable by death when performed knowingly, is punishable only by 39 lashes, as are other negative commandments when violated on purpose. This is the view of Rabbi Yossi in the Talmud, tractate Shabbat folio 70. Rabbi Nathan, on the other hand, holds that the reason why this mode of activity has been singled out by name is: לחלק, i.e. to give us a definition of the nature of the activities that are prohibited on the Sabbath. It was singled out as a basic activity. Just as this activity is prohibited on the Sabbath on pain of death, so are all the other activities which were indispensable for building a Tabernacle equally forbidden to be performed on any Sabbath for any purpose. Any activity required to be performed for building or functioning of the Tabernacle is considered a basic activity, or אב מלאכה, in Hebrew, and is punishable separately even if performed as part of a number of activities. We have a rule in the Talmud, that if something had at one time been part of a number of items under the same heading, and had subsequently been singled out, it was singled out as an example in order to teach that what applies to it now, also applies to the other items that it had been part of under the same heading, i.e. been under the same “umbrella.” In our situation it means that the other 38 types of basic activities connected with the construction of the Tabernacle or its functions must also not be performed on the Sabbath, each such on pain of death. This is the way in which Rashi explains the verse in general terms. The reason why just the activity of kindling light was chosen by the Torah as the example in question, is that lighting a fire is something that for the onlooker hardly seems like an activity at all, involving neither skill, nor physical strain. If you were to say that granted that actually lighting a fire on the Sabbath is forbidden, but activities preparatory to lighting a fire after the Sabbath are permitted, this too is prohibited. The Sabbath is not a day to be used as a preparation for the activities on the six weekdays. A different interpretation: the reason that the legislation about work prohibition is repeated here is in order that people would not say that just as in Parshat Bo (Exodus 12,16) certain kinds of work were prohibited on the festivals, but preparation of foodnecessitating lighting a fire was exempted, the same was true during the Sabbaths during which work on the Tabernacle was in progress. The Torah therefore categorically prohibited this kind of work, implying that, of course, all other kind of work would be prohibited also.

“Went out” to be a לאו . I.e., it is not a principle category of labor, punishable by kareis and stoning, but merely a negative precept.

בכל מושבותיכם, in all of your dwellings, i.e. the Tabernacle was exempt from all of these restrictions as it was not a residence for human beings. Communal sacrifices were offered as usual. (Mechilta Vayakhel 7)

Others say it “went out” to separate. I.e., we would have thought that if someone did all thirty-nine types of labor within one lapse of awareness, he is obligated to bring only one sin offering. Therefore, it “went out” to separate: [just as kindling was singled out here, so should all the thirty-nine types of labor be singled out one from another, each requiring its own sin offering].

זה הדבר אשד צוה ה׳ THIS IS THE THING WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED me, לאמר TO TELL you.

אל כל עדת בני ישראל לאמור, "to the entire community of the children of Israel, to say;" In view of the word לאמור, we are entitled to ask to whom the Israelites were to tell these laws seeing all of them were assembled when they were informed of them?

Me, to tell you. [Rashi knows this] because the verse seems to mean: This is the word which He has commanded to all of Israel to say ( לאמר ) to others. [Yet, it cannot mean this]. Therefore Rashi explains: He commanded me to tell you this in an assembly, as opposed to the other instructions which were not in an assembly.

We may have to look for the answer in something Rabbi Meir is quoted as saying in the Sifri 131 on Deut. 23,22 that it is better not to make vows at all than to fail to honour them, but that best of all is he who does not make any vows at all. Rabbi Yehudah counters by saying that it is best to vow and to honour one's vow. We are taught in Nedarim 9 that Rabbi Meir may have agreed that certain types of vows called Nedavah as opposed to Neder are welcome to G'd even according to the view of Rabbi Meir. The former is the type of vow which is totally within the control of the donor to fulfil so that there exists no danger of defaulting. The Talmud quotes an example in which Hillel brought the animal he meant to sacrifice to the Temple before sanctifying it as a potential sacrifice. There was therefore no danger that the animal would become disqualified and his (Hillel who vowed to offer it as a sacrifice) being unable to fulfil his vow. On the other hand, the opinion is expressed that when Rabbi Yehudah described the person who fulfils his vow as the most commendable person, he referred to just such a situation, i.e. a נודב, someone who makes a vow at a time and in circumstances when he does not risk inability to honour his undertaking. Rabbi Yehudah would agree that someone who makes his vow in the form of a נדר would be better off if he had not made such a vow at all. According to the above, our verse comes to teach us that seeing that the Torah has told us in verse five קחו מאתכם תרומה לה׳ כל נדיב לבו, "take from among you an offering for G'd, everyone who is of a generous heart, etc.," it is clear that the Torah refers to the kind of vow called נדבה. G'd warned the people זה הדבר…לאמור, to be careful to phrase the commitment in such way that they could not become guilty of not honouring it. Our interpretation is compatible with both the viewpoints expressed in Nedarim as to what Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah had meant.

נדיב לבו [WHOSOEVER] IS OF A WILLING HEART — Because his heart prompts one to generosity, he is called נדיב לב, one who is prompted to generosity by the heart. I have already explained the various materials which formed the contribution towards the Tabernacle and the work done for it in the passages where the commands about them were given.

Y’VI’EHA’ (LET HIM BRING IT), THE ETERNAL’S OFFERING. This is like “yavi (let him bring) the Eternal’s offering.” But Scripture mentions a pronoun and then returns to explain it. Similarly: And she opened and saw him, the child;¹⁹Above, 2:6 when he went in, the man;²⁰Ezekiel 10:3. It should have said: b’vo ha’ish — when the man went in. the nation and the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar;²¹Jeremiah 27:8. which I do give to them, the children of Israel.²²Joshua 1:2. There are many similar instances.
By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], the phrase here is like “let him bring it ‘with’ the Eternal’s offering,” meaning that he is to bring the higher offering as alluded to in the secret of and they take for Me an offering.²³Above, 25:2. I have already explained it.²⁴Ibid., Verse 3. Our Rabbis have a Midrash²⁵Sotah 12b. on the verse, and she opened and saw him, the child,¹⁹Above, 2:6 that she saw with him the Divine Glory.
Now it was necessary for Moses to tell the whole congregation all the work which G-d had commanded him, in order to let them know that they had to bring large donations, for the work is great.²⁶I Chronicles 29:1. That is why he told them, The Tabernacle, its tent, and its covering etc.,²⁷Verse 11. mentioning all in a general way. The reason for the definite article in ‘eth hamishkan’ (the Tabernacle),²⁷Verse 11. ‘eth ha’aron’ (the ark),²⁸Verse 12. ‘eth hashulchan’ (the table),²⁹Verse 13. and all those mentioned with the definite article, is as if to say: “the Tabernacle and the vessels which we will explain to the wise men doing the work in their details and measurements,” but speaking now to the whole congregation, he told them only their names in general.

קחו מאתכם, you shall select from amongst yourselves men to collect the donations for G’d.

יביאה את תרומת השם, "let him bring it, i.e. the offering for the Lord." This verse clearly demonstrates that in the building of the Tabernacle we encounter both tangibles, perceptibles, and intangibles, imperceptibles. This is what is meant in Tikkunim 21 where we read that the תרומה, the donations for the Tabernacle, contained an intangible element, i.e. a contribution from the שכינה. The Torah calls this element תרומת השם, "G'd's contribution." It was this intangible contribution that enabled the tangible parts to be joined together and to form a sustainable whole, a tent that would not collapse. The most essential part in the construction was G'd's goodwill, i.e. an intangible. When the Torah writes יביאה, "he (the generously minded donor) is to bring it," this means that the donor is to elevate his gift to such a spiritual level that it may merge with the תרומת השם, G'd's contribution. When the Torah speaks of the כל נדיב לבו, it defines the kind of person whose gift will be of the calibre that can merge with G'd's intangible gift. If the human donor does not possess the spirit the Torah describes as נדיב לב, then the gift of such a person has no chance of merging with the Divine contribution described here as the invisible contribution תרומת השם.

יביאה את תרומת ה', “he shall bring it as his contribution to Hashem.” The meaning is the same as if the Torah had written יביא, without the letter ה at the end. It happens quite frequently in Scripture that the pronoun is used, as in this case, prematurely, and only afterwards does the Torah explain to what this pronoun [in this instance the letter ה for “it” referred. Another such example is found in Exodus 2,6 ותפתח ותראהו, “She opened it and saw him, את הילד, “the boy.” Moses now proceeds to tell the entire congregation all the details of the work to be performed, not because all the people would participate in it, but to make them aware of the gigantic nature of this project, undertaken in the desert in the absence of workshops, etc. It was also to bring home to them that substantial contributions were required to ensure the successful conclusion of the project. Interestingly, when referring to the Tabernacle as well as to its furnishings, Moses uses the definitive article, i.e. the letter ה, making it sound as if all these phenomena were already familiar to the people whom he addressed. By use of this definitive article, he intimated that the details would be conveyed to the artisans commissioned to actually carry out the work.

Take from among yourselves. Before the making of the calf it is written, “Have them take for Me a terumah-offering from every man whose heart impels him” (25:2). But now they were commanded, “Take from among yourselves”—to exclude the mixed multitude who were the instigators of the sin.

Since it is his heart that inspires him. . . Rashi is answering the question: Why did Scripture choose to write, “Generous of heart”? Rashi answers: “Since it is his heart that inspires him.”

V. 5. נדיב לבו Wir haben schon die Verwandtschaft נדב mit נטף bemerkt, nach welcher נדב ein Herausquellen aus dem Innern bedeutet. Ebenso wie נדב die aus dem Innern quellende Tat bezeichnet, also kommt auch נטף von der aus dem Innern quellenden Rede vor: והטף אל דרום Jechesk. 21, 2 usw. Eine andere Nuance des Wortes und des Begriffs ist נדף, das die Bewegung durch eine unsichtbare aber starke Kraft bedeutet: אשר תדפנו רוח. (Ps. 1, 4) u.f. נָדִיב ist der, dessen Handlungen nur unter dem Diktat seines Innern stehen: der Freie, Unabhängige. Während somit schon נריב an sich den freiwilligen Charakter der Handlung bezeichnen würde, ist diese Freiwilligkeit noch durch Beifügung des נריב לב ,לב und in noch höherem Grade durch נדיב לבו "von seinem Herzen bewegt" ganz besonders hervorgehoben. Es ist damit all und jeder nötigende, oder auch nur von außen bestimmende Einfluss zurückgewiesen. Schebuoth 26 b wird hieran der Satz gelehrt, dass für תרומת המשכן, sowie für קדשים überhaupt, in Beziehung auf welche der Ausdruck כל נדיב לב עולות (Chron. II. 29, 31) vorkommt, גמר בלבו אינו צריך להוציא בשפתיו, d.h. der auch unausgesprochene, nur im Innern gefasste Vorsatz bindend sei, während für alle anderen Gelobungen nur der auch ausgesprochene Vorsatz bindet, גמר בלבו צריך להוציא בשפתיו. übertragen kann die bindende Kraft des unausgesprochenen Vorsatzes von תרומת המשכן und קדשים auf andere Gelobungen nicht werden, weil, wenn die Bestimmung נדיב לב exemplifikatorisch für alle Art Gelobungen sein sollte, sie nur bei einer der beiden Weihungen stehen würde; dass sie bei תרומת המשכן und קדשים steht, beweist, dass sie nur auf diese Fälle beschränkt bleibt — שני כתובין הבאים כאחד אין מלמדין. Es gibt eine Auffassung, die den exemplifikatorischen Charakter einer Gesetzesbestimmung erst durch dreimalige Wiederholung negiert ansieht, ג׳ כתובין וכו׳ אין מלמדין. Allein auch dann würde diese Bestimmung nicht auf andere Gelobungen zu übertragen sein, weil חולין מקדשין לא גמרינן, weil sich eine solche Bestimmung von Weihegelobungen von Heiligtümern nicht auf andere Verhältnisse übertragen lässt. (נדרי צדקה, Almosen-, überhaupt Wohltätigkeitsgelobungen haben nach Joreh Deah 258, 13 Anm. in dieser Beziehung den Charakter von נדרי הקדש). Chagiga 10 a wird noch in dem Satze כל נדיב לבו יביאה das von der Halacha tradierte Prinzip des היתר נדרים, d. i. der Lösbarkeit von Gelobungen, die sonst פורחין באויר, in der Luft schwebend, d. h. ohne Nachweis im schriftlichen Gesetzesworte schienen, nachgewiesen, יש להם על מה שיסמכו. Danach erklärte sich das sonst überflüssig scheinende Suffixum in יביאה. Selbst im Momente des Bringens soll der Bringende נדיב לבו, noch völlig Herr seines Entschlusses, somit nicht absolut von seinem gelobenden Weihevorsatz gebunden sein. Gereut ihn die Gelobung, so kann sie selbst im Momente des Bringens noch gelöst werden. (Im Texte, Chagiga 10, wird die Stelle freilich nur כל נדיב לב zitiert, und wird dies in Raschi כל נדיב לב הביאו ergänzt, welches V. 22 sein würde. Allein die Erläuterung daselbst: ואם מתחרט יתירו לו scheint mehr auf den Satz: כל נדיב לבו יביאה hinzuweisen. Jedenfalls findet durch diese Halacha das pleonastische Suff. unseres Verses seine volle Erklärung. אם עודנו גלבו נודבו עליו יביאו.)

כל נדיב לבו, the donations must not be forced contributions.

זהב וכסף, "gold and silver." I have given special attention to the manner in which the various items listed as materials required for the Tabernacle are connected to one another by the conjunctive letter ו. At first glance, the presence of that letter and the absence of that letter seem arbitrary. There are 13 items (verses 5-9) all of which are joined together with the conjunctive letter ו. On the other hand, sometimes three different kinds of materials are lumped together and joined by only a single conjunctive letter ו (compare verse 11). In verse 13 the Torah resumes the method of presenting each item by joining it to the following item with the conjunctive letter ו. What prompted the Torah to be so selective in the use of the conjunctive letter ו?

'יביאה את תרומת ה, he shall bring the voluntary donation together with the terumat Hashem which is mandatory (the half shekel). The latter is known as beka lagulgolet.

In order to comprehend this we have to quote a statement by our sages in Shemot Rabbah 30,3 that the letter ו indicates an addition to something that was recorded previously whereas the absence of such a letter where one could have expected it suggests that what is introduced at that point has no connection with what had been reported previously. Having learned this, we can proceed to evaluate the respective presence or absence of the letter ו in different parts of this paragraph. The paragraph begins by listing contributions for the construction of the Tabernacle, listing thirteen different materials and joining each one to the other with the conjunctive letter ו to show that each of these materials was of equal importance in the construction of the Tabernacle and was equally indispensable. All of these materials could be subsumed under the heading תרומת השם. The Torah considered someone who had contributed copper as on the same level as someone who had contributed gold, for instance. According to Menachot 110 the Torah describes the person who offered a bird as a total offering as having offered a ריח ניחוח, no less so than a person who offered a four-legged mammal as an עולה, a total offering. The evaluation is based on the principle אחד המרבה ואחד ההמעיט, that the quantity of a contribution does not determine how G'd evaluates it but the intent does. As long as the intent is to please Heaven that is all that matters. In this connection, you may wish to read what I have written on Leviticus 1,17.

Another reason that these 13 items are joined together in the Torah by the conjunctive letter ו is that all of these materials were indispensable. The Tabernacle could not function if any of these materials had been absent. The aforesaid applied only from the point of view of the materials which had to be contributed; it did not mean that furnishings or other parts of the Tabernacle constructed out of, say gold, were of the same significance as parts made of copper, for instance. Different parts of the Tabernacle each represented different levels of sanctity.

ולקטורת, you should bring various kinds of spices in order to prepare the incense.

את המשכן את אהלו, the materials which Moses had already told the people about in 34,32.

All those who are wise in heart. This included not only scholars but all who feared Heaven. If they would come to participate in the making of the Tabernacle, Hashem would assist them even if they had never learned a skilled craft prior to this.

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).

ואת פרכת המסך means THE CURTAIN OF (that serves for) PARTITIONING — Everything that screens an object, whether it hangs above or in front of it is called מָסָךְ or סְכַךְ. Of similar meaning are: (Job 1:10) “[Hast Thou not] put a partition in front of him?” (שכת = סכת); (Hosea 2:8) “Behold I will partition off (סך = שך) thy way [with thorns]”.

את הארון ואת בדיו, The Holy Ark and its staves, etc. The Torah lists the most sacred of the furnishings of the Tabernacle first just as it started by mentioning the most sacred of the various covers of the Tabernacle, the ones made of twisted linen first in 36,8. The reason that the staves are mentioned next with the conjunctive letter ו is that they formed an integral part of the Holy Ark and were not allowed to become detached from it as we have been told in 25,16. The Torah next mentions the lid of the Holy Ark, omitting the conjunctive letter ו, seeing that it was not as sacred as the Holy Ark itself. The fact that it was not attached permanently to the Holy Ark also suggests that it was not as sacred as the Ark itself. On the other hand, the dividing curtain, פרוכת המסך is introduced by the Torah with the conjunctive letter ו, indicating that it was of the same level of sanctity as the lid on the Ark.

Paroches of the partition . . . Rashi is answering the question: Does פרוכת not mean a curtain hung at the entrance, while מסך means a covering spread out as a roof? Therefore Rashi explains that מסך means “partition.” And so it must be understood in several places in this section. The term מסך sometimes means “roofing,” and sometimes it means “partition,” as in: “You have protected ( סכת ) him” (Iyov 1:10), and: “Behold I will protect ( סך ) your road” (Hoshe’a 2:8).

לחם הפנים THE SHOW BREAD — I have already explained (Exodus 25:29) that it was so called because it had two faces turning in this direction and in that, because it was made like a case open on two sides.

את השלחן ואת בדיו, The table and its staves, etc. The level of sanctity of the table was lower than the sanctity of the furnishings listed previously. This is the reason the Torah introduces it with the word את, suggesting it is auxiliary. The same is the case with all the other items listed from here to the end of verse 19. All the items up to the end of verse 15 are joined by the conjunctive letter ו to emphasize that all were of comparable degrees of sanctity. The Torah introduces the candlestick with the conjunctive letter ו, i.e. ואת מנורת המאור ואת כליה, to make plain that all the parts of the candlestick were of the same level of sanctity as the candlestick itself. The Torah goes on to say ואת מזבח הקטורת, and the golden altar, to indicate by the letter ו that its sanctity was equivalent to that of the candlestick and the table. The same applies to the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The copper altar (verse 16) is introduced without the conjunctive letter ו to indicate it was not of the same level of sanctity as the furnishings listed previously. Its very position outside the Sanctuary makes this clear already. The copper grating is introduced with the letter ו indicating it was of the same degree of sanctity as the altar itself. The staves by which the altar was carried were not of the same degree of sanctity as the altar itself and that is why the Torah omits the letter ו when mentioning it. Other appurtenances of the altar were of the same category as its staves. The basin from which the priests washed their hands and feet is introduced without the letter ו as its sanctity was of a lower order, serving priests who had to sanctify themselves. Its stand was of the same order as the basin itself, seeing the Torah uses the letter ו when introducing it. The hangings of the courtyard, i.e. "walls," are introduced in verse 17 without the letter ו, as of a still lesser degree of sanctity, followed by mention of the pillars supporting those hangings, again without the letter ו. The sockets for these pillars are introduced with the letter ו to indicate that they were of the same degree of sanctity as the pillars which they supported. The same applied to the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. The pegs (verse 18) fastening the various hangings or coverings of the Tabernacle itself to the ground are introduced without the letter ו as, understandably, they were of a lower order of sanctity. The various cords shared the same degree of sanctity as the pegs which were attached to them. Finally, in verse 19, the Torah lists the בגדי השרד, the plaited covers for the holy furnishings to be used when they were transported. If you will read what I have written on Exodus 25,7 you will find that someone who made profane use of the priestly garments was not subject to a penalty whereas if one did so with any of the holy vessels one was liable to a penalty. When the Torah mentions the priestly garments of Aaron and those of his sons, they are connected by the use of the conjunctive letter ו to show they were both of equal levels of sanctity.

Because it had a face . . . Rashi is answering the question: Any woman can bake bread. [Why did it say (v. 10), “All those who are wise in heart among you shall come and make”?] Thus Rashi explains, “I have explained. . . it had a face in two directions. . ..” Therefore it needs “wise in heart” [to bake it].

ואת כליה AND ITS VESSELS — the tongs and snuff-dishes.

נרתיה ITS LAMPS — luces in old French — bowls into which the oil and the wicks were placed.

ואת שמן המאר AND THE OIL ALSO FOR THE LIGHT — This also required wise-hearted men for preparing it (and therefore Scripture mentions it also after its statement v. 10 “And every wise hearted man … shall make…”), for it was different from other oils, as it is explained in Menachot 86a: he lets it (the olive) ripen on the top of the olive-tree etc. and thus it (the oil) is “beaten and yet clear” as Scripture prescribes (Exodus 27:20).

מסך הפתח THE SCREEN FOR THE ENTRANCE — the curtain that was in front of the east side of the Tabernacle, for there were neither boards nor curtains there.

V.15. Auch hier erscheint das שמן המשחה und das קטרת in engem Zusammenhange. (Siehe zu Kap. 25, 6.)

את עמדיו ואת אדניה ITS COLUMNS AND ITS SOCKETS — עמדיו has a masculine and אדניה a feminine suffix; thus חצר is here used as (lit., called) masculine and feminine noun. Similar it is with many things (cf. Rashi on Genesis 32:9).

V. 17. את אדניה: Überall sonst werden die Füße auf die Säulen bezogen, hier werden sie als Basis des Vorhofes bezeichnet und tritt dabei חצר, sonst masc., weiblich auf. Der Vorhof bildet die Übergangslinie aus dem Volksleben zum Heiligtum und sein Charakter drückt sich wesentlich aus in dem Stoff seiner Füße, dem noch völlig ungeadelten Metall: Kupfer (siehe zu Kap. 22, 8). Diese seine Bedeutung ist hier dem Volke gegenüber hervorgehoben. Alle, selbst die noch Unveredeltsten, sind zum Eingehen in das Heiligtum geladen, und der חצר ist selbst nicht der selbständige, das Ziel der Heiligung abschließende, er ist ein "weiblicher" Raum, durch das wirkliche Heiligtum bedingt und zu ihm führend. So auch bei der Ablieferung des vollendeten Heiligtums, Kap. 39, 40, wo ebenfalls die Füße auf den Vorhof selbst bezogen werden und dieser weiblich bezeichnet und nur bei den völlig untergeordneten Seilen männlich genannt ist.

את עמדיו ואת אדניה, “its pillars and its sockets.” Anything which is not a living creature is sometimes referred to in the masculine mode and other times in the feminine mode. The following examples are proof of this rule: המחנה האחת והכהו, “one of the camps, and he smites it” (Genesis32.8) המחנה הנשאר, “the remaining camp;” (same verse) רוח גדולה וחזק, “a great and powerful wind,” (Kings I 19,11). והרים ממנו מקמצו מסולת המנחה; our author quotes more examples; he adds that on occasion even living creatures are referred to sometimes as feminine and sometimes as masculine; example: אם בהמה אשר יקריבו ממנה כל אשר יתן ממנו, “and if the beast (feminine) from which he will offer parts as a sacrifice, every part that he will give from it (masculine), etc.” (Leviticus27.9) . An alternate explanation of our verse: the word: עמודיו refers to the posts supporting the קלעים, ‘the hangings” around the courtyards, and the word: אדניה, refers to the courtyard itself, the חצר, that word being feminine, (as we know from Kings I 6,36)

ואת מסך שער החצר AND THE SCREEN FOR THE GATE OF THE ENCLOSURE — the curtain which was hanging on the east side covering the twenty middle cubits in the width of the enclosure which latter was fifty cubits wide. Of this fifteen cubits on the north side were closed by hangings and so, too, on the south side, as it is said, (Exodus 27:14, 15) “The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits … [and on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits]”.

יתדת THE PINS — in order to insert them into the ground and to fasten thereby the edges of the curtains that they should not be moved about by the wind.

מיתריהם THEIR CORDS to bind with.

בגדי השרד THE KNITTED GARMENTS — to cover up the Ark, the table, the candelabrum and the altars at the time of removing and packing up the articles in the Tabernacle when they set out on their journeyings.

לשרת בקודש, to cover the various furnishings of the Tabernacle during the periods the Israelites were traveling.

V. 19. את בגדי השרד (siehe Kap. 31, 10).

ויצאו כל עדת בני ישראל מלפני משה. The whole congregation of Israelites departed from the presence of Moses. The Torah emphasises that they all left simultaneously, eager to bring their contributions for this sacred project.

ויצאו כל עדת בני ישראל ...ויבואו, “the whole of the assembly of the Children of Israel departed...and they came, etc. This verse describes the eagerness with which the Jewish people responded to Moses’ request, and how they brought their respective gifts immediately.

V. 20. מלפני משה: Sie waren לפני משה versammelt und gingen nun aus der vor Mosche stattgehabten Versammlung.

מלפני משה. From the presence of Moses. This is mentioned to indicate that contrary to general practice, the Israelites did not wait for Moses to formally give them permission to leave this assembly. This was in contrast to a halachic ruling recorded in Yuma 53 according to which a disciple must not leave the presence of his teacher without first obtaining permission to do so. The Israelites reasoned that seeing Moses had said: "take from yourselves a gift, etc." the fact that he stopped addressing them was equivalent to his having dismissed them. Alternatively, the Israelites' love to contribute to the sacred project made them forget their good manners. They may have been anxious to contribute what they could before Moses himself would anticipate them. Moses personally was very wealthy and certainly sufficiently motivated to contribute so much of his own that little would be left for the average Israelite to contribute.

AND THEY CAME, EVERY ONE WHOSE HEART STIRRED HIM UP. This is said with reference to the wise men who did the work, for we do not find the use of this phrase, “the stirring up of the heart,” in connection with those who merely brought the donations; Scripture rather mentions “generosity of heart” with reference to them. Now the reason for using such a phrase, whose heart stirred him up, is because they undertook to do the work, although there was no one amongst them who had learned these crafts from an instructor, or had trained his hands at all to do them. Rather, a person who felt in his nature that he knew how to do such skills, his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Eternal³⁰II Chronicles 17:6. to come before Moses and say to him, “I will do all that my lord speaks.” I have already mentioned this in another section.³¹Above, 31:2. Thus Scripture is stating that there came before Moses every one whose heart stirred him up to undertake the work, and every one whom his spirit made willing brought the offering. Then Moses said to all of them that G-d had called by name Bezalel,³²Further, Verse 30. and Oholiab.³³Ibid., Verse 34. Afterwards Moses called them and every wise-hearted man³⁴Ibid., 36:2. to come before him, and he gave them the whole donation [brought by the people so that they could proceed to do the work].

ויבאו כל איש ישראל אשר נשאו לבו, Every Israelite whose heart had elevated him came, brought, etc. The Torah alludes to two different categories of donors. 1) A person who donates as a result of an urge to do so in accordance with his means, both physically and financially. The Torah describes such a person as נדבה רוחו, to stress that such a donor does not feel that he deprives himself of something by giving it away. 2) The second type of donor is one who loses his sense of proportion because of his enthusiasm for the project for which he donates. As a result he contributes more than he can afford. The Torah describes this second type of person as נשאו לבו, "he is carried away by his heart." At the time he donates, such a person considers himself as possessing far more economic resources than he actually does. The Torah spoke of both of these types in our verse to show that there were both of these kinds of donors among the Israelites. The Torah first mentions the overly enthusiastic donor, i.e. אשר נשאו לבו, describing such individuals as איש, as people of distinction. Next the Torah mentions the וכל אשר נדבה רוחו, anyone moved to donate by his spirit. In this instance, the Torah avoids describing these individuals as איש, an honorary title. Although such people are to be commended for their noble gestures, they do not compare to the first category. We know that there are far inferior reasons for donating to charity or to public causes, such as social pressures, etc. The fact that the Torah speaks of only these two categories mentioned is a great compliment to the Israelites, something the Torah underlines when repeating הביאו את תרומת השם, they brought the Lord's offering. By writing these words the Torah testifies that all the donors were sufficiently highly motivated to enable G'd's contribution to attach itself, את, to their own, as we have described in our commentary on verse 5.

למלאכת אוהל מועד, the carpets of the Tabernacles and the dividing curtain.

ויבאו כל איש אשר נשאו לבו, “Every man whose heart inspired him came;” Nachmanides draws our attention to the change in expression here. In connection with the donations, (25,2) the Torah had described the individual’s motivation with the words אשר נדבנו לבו, “whose heart motivates him,” whereas here we are told about a different level of generosity, enthusiasm, i.e. אשר נשאו לבו, “whose heart inspired him.” Men who had no training in performing any of these tasks were inspired and suddenly were able to perform tasks they had never considered themselves capable of performing. Artisans who were skilled in performing tasks but had never trained others to do so, now became skilled at teaching their art, and men or women who had never displayed skill with their hands were suddenly inspired to do so. They came to Moses volunteering to perform the tasks that were required.

V. 21. ויבאו וגו׳. Sowohl nach dem Akzente, als in Folge des Waw copul. des folgenden וכל ist dies ויבאו וגו׳ als selbständiger Satz aufzufassen. Es ist auch נשאו לבו keineswegs mit נדבה רוחו אותו identisch. Während נדבה וגו׳ vorzugsweise den inneren Antrieb zu einer sachlichen Spende bedeutet, bezeichnet נשאו לבו die innere Erhebung zu einer das Niveau des Gewöhnlichen oder Bisherigen überragenden persönlichen Leistung. ויבאו וגו׳ scheint demnach zuerst den Gesamteindruck und Erfolg zu bezeichnen, den die Aufforderung hervorgerufen. Es ward der Zweck in der ganzen Höhe seiner Bedeutung gefasst. Jeder, der dazu, sei es an Spende oder Tätigkeit, zu leisten sich fähig glaubte, fühlte sich durch die Mitwirkung zu einem solchen Zwecke persönlich gehoben. In dieser Gesinnung kamen sie und stellten sich, jeder nach seinen Kräften und Fähigkeiten, für das Werk bereit.

לכל עבודתו, the curtains around the courtyard and the sacred vessels.

ולכל עבודתו, and for all the service thereof. The Torah reveals with this verse that all the 13 types of materials which were indispensable for making the Tabernacle were in fact donated. Moses did not have to take money, even donated money, to go out and acquire any of the materials because they had not been contributed in sufficient quantity or not at all.

נדבה רוחו ist auch etwas anderes und mehreres als לב .נדבה לבו ist zunächst das Denkende und Wollende im Menschen. רוח ist aber der ganze innere Mensch, das ganze bewegende Innere. Aus dem ganzen Wesen des Menschen floss die Spende, der ganze Mensch war dabei. — ולכל עבדתו: der Ausdruck עבדה kehrt wiederholt in diesem Kapitel in solchem Zusammenhange wieder. Es steht ganz in eigentlichem Sinne: dienen, d. i. ja: den Zwecken eines andern förderlich sein, es ist buchstäblich unser: zweckdienlich, nur im scharfen Grade des Dienens, so dass es nicht bloß das Dienliche, sondern das Erforderliche, Notwendige ausdrückt. Siehe V. 24.

על הנשים means with the women and closely following them.

AND THE MEN CAME ‘AL HANASHIM’ (WITH THE WOMEN). The meaning of this expression is that because donations of ornaments were more common amongst women, and they all had these jewels [cited in the verse: nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and golden beads, all jewels of gold], therefore they immediately pulled off their ear-rings and signet-rings and were the first to come to Moses, and [afterwards] they brought with them those men with whom they found ornaments. For the phrase al hanashim indicates that they were there first, while the men joined them later. Similar usage of the word al is found in these verses: Aram is confederate ‘al’ Ephraim,³⁵Isaiah 7:2. for that war [against Judah] was mainly led by Ephraim [i.e., the kingdom of Israel]; and he did not put them ‘al’ (unto) Laban’s flock;³⁶Genesis 30:40. ‘v’alav’ (and next unto him) shall be the tribe of Manasseh.³⁷Numbers 2:20. There are other similar instances. Thus Scripture is stating that all — men and women — came with nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and golden beads, and with all jewels of gold, such as bracelets and ear-rings, as all of the people found some jewelry to bring. It further states that some of them brought an offering of gold, in some broken form or as coin.

ויבואו האנשים על הנשים, together with the women who were contributing voluntarily. The men accompanied the women to indicate that the women had their approval.

ויבאו האנשים על הנשים; They came, both men and women. The expression על הנשים needs further analysis. Besides, why does the Torah repeat once more that the people who brought the materials were כל נדיב לבו, "all motivated by a generous heart?" Perhaps the Torah wanted to describe the nature of the generosity of these men, i.e. the אנשי החיל, the men of valour. People are attached to their earthly possessions in different degrees. We may perceive of this attachment in a descending order. 1) One is attached most strongly to possessions that serve one in the home, jewelry, household utensils, furniture, etc. This attachment is based on sentimental rather than monetary considerations. 2) One is attached to one's gold, seeing it represents the most enduring of one's possessions and does not require expense for its upkeep. 3) One is attached to possessions which are one's exclusive property, no one else in the world possessing anything like it, such as a rare painting by a painter already deceased. 4) One is attached to all the other kinds of possessions one owns.

ויבאו האנשים על הנשים, “The men came together with the women;” the meaning of the word על הנשים is that the men “played second fiddle” to the women, who had been the primary movers in getting the whole project off to a flying start. One of the reasons the women were so quick in contributing, was that they had plenty of jewelry with which they were in the habit of adorning themselves. They did not have to go searching for things to contribute. All they had to do was to take off part of their jewelry and to hand it to Moses.

על הנשים means with the women . . . Rashi is answering the question: [Why were the donations accepted?] Only a small amount of tzedakah may be accepted from a [married] woman, [unless the husband approves]. Thus Rashi says that the men came with the women, [showing they approve]. (Nachalas Yaakov)

V. 22. Das ויבאו des vorigen Verses wird hier noch näher präzisiert: es kamen nicht nur die Männer, sondern auch die Frauen, und zwar gingen hier die Frauen voran. Zum עגל hatten die Frauen ihre Geschmeide verweigert. Hier waren sie die ersten, und die Männer erschienen in zweiter Linie, sie kamen על הנשים, von den Frauen geleitet, wie ועליו מטה מנשה (Bamidbar 2, 20). — כל נדיב לב וגו׳, die vorhergehenden Sätze hatten die Beteiligung des Volkes im allgemeinen geschildert, nun folgt das einzelne. — חח: wir finden חוֺחַ als Dorn: כשושנה בין החוחים (Hohel. 2,2) als bohrende Spitze: ובחוח תקוב לחיו (Job 40, 26), als festhaltendes Mittel: וילכדו את מנשה בחחים (Chron. II 33, 11). חח als Geschmeide bedeutet daher wohl eine zum Zusammenhalten der Gewänder dienende Nadel. — כומז: die Lautverwandtschaft mit קמש, das ebenso wie חוח eine Dornart bezeichnet, קמוש וחוח Jes. 34, 13), zeugt von) der begrifflichen Verwandtschaft von כומז mit חח. Die fernere Verwandtschaft mit כמס: verbergen, קמץ: Zusammengreifen, weist auf ein zusammenhaltendes oder bergendes Geschmeide hin, etwa: Halter, Schloss.

ויבואו האנשים על הנשים, “and the men came to the women intending to deny them to offer their jewelry such as חח ונזם nose rings and ear rings; however the women were quite anxious to donate even these pieces of jewelry, seeing that it was for holy purpose. This is why the Torah gives them special credit for their general attitude in verse 26: וכל הנשים אשר נשא לבם אותנה, “and all the women whose heart stirred them, etc.” According to our sages, this is the reason why they were given a holiday each Rosh Chodesh by being allowed to treat it as a sort of holiday, not having to perform tedious activities. This was also in recognition of the fact that they had refused to part with any of their jewelry during the episode of the golden calf. (Compare Exodus 32,2, as interpreted by Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer in chapter 45). According to our author, they were given off on the first day of the month of Nissan during that year, as that was the day when the Tabernacle was put up. Subsequently, every Rosh Chodesh became a semi-holiday for the women.

ויבואו האנשים על הנשים, the men came “upon” the women, to take away their jewelry in order to use them for building the Tabernacle, as we will read presently. A different interpretation: the word על in this verse means: “with;” in other words, the men did no volunteer their own jewelry as gifts for to building the Tabernacle until after the women had already done so by removing their own jewelry. The use of the word על as meaning “with,” we know already from Leviticus 25,31 על שדה הארץ יחשב, “it will be considered as belonging with the open country.” Or, Numbers 19,5: על פרשה ישרף, “it will be burned together with its dung.”

חח is a circular golden ornament placed upon the arm; it is the צמיד which is often mentioned in Scripture (cf. e. g., Numbers 31:50).

And every man, with whom was found blue-purple and red-purple.³⁸Verse 23. The reason for this expression is that these items were found only amongst a few of the people. Then Scripture states again, and every man, with whom was found acacia-wood,³⁹Verse 24. because the people who had this kind of wood were still fewer in number. It states, Every one that did set apart an offering of silver and brass,³⁹Verse 24. because most people had silver and brass in coins or vessels. Scripture, however, did not mention this above together with all jewels of gold, because it mentioned there the women, and they did not have silver and brass ornaments but gold ones, just as Aaron said, Pull off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives.⁴⁰Above, 32:2.

וכל איש אשר הניף תנופת זהב, together with the women who had donated golden jewelry also every male who donated such golden offerings. The Torah states simply that donations of different materials were not all lumped together but that all silver donations irrespective of by whom, as well as all donations of gold whether by men or by women, were kept together based on the raw material they consisted of.

וכל איש אשר הניף תנופת זהב לה', “and any man who raised up an offering of gold for G’d.” Seeing that the Torah had already reported that all kinds of golden vessels had been donated, here we must think in terms of either gold coins or remnants of golden vessels that had somehow disintegrated.

Worn on the arm . . . ]Rashi knows this] because Onkelos translates חח as שירין . And so does he translate אצעדה in Bamidbar 31:50, and צמידים in Bereishis 24:These [latter two] are clearly ornaments worn on the arm.

In our verse the Torah describes how the men brought the kind of possessions normally worn by women, i.e. their most cherished possessions. The donors' generosity was such that they donated the most precious jewelry of their wives, nose-rings, ear-rings, signet-rings, etc.. The Torah distinguished between a נדיב לב, and between a נשאו לבו, as we have already explained. When the Torah speaks about people donating כל כלי זהב, it is to tell us that the people did not donate the golden utensils they had duplicates of which they could use instead. The word כל is a reminder that they did not retain a duplicate or substitute golden vessel for the ones they donated for the Tabernacle. It is also possible that the expression על הנשים means that this jewelry was still being worn by the wives of the men when they came to Moses to hand over their donations. They took off the jewelry only after Moses could see that this jewelry represented something very dear to them.

תנופת זהב ist wohl eine Spende von Goldmetall, im Gegensatz zu כלי זהב das verarbeitetes Gold bezeichnet. — Hier heißt es: תנופת זהב, V. 24: תרומת כסף ונחשת, Kap. 38, 24: זהב התנופה :V.29: נחשת התנופה und sonst der gewöhnliche Namen für Weihespenden: תרומה. Der Grund dieses Wechsels der Ausdrücke scheint der Ermittlung wert. Kommt doch ebenso konstant חזה התנופה und שוק התרומה vor, obgleich beide Weihebewegungen, die horizontale (תנופה) und die perpendikuläre (תרומה) mit beiden vorgenommen wurde. Bei der horizontalen Weihebewegung, תנופה, erscheint der zu weihende Gegenstand mit dem Zielgegenstand der Weihe in einer Ebene. Er befindet sich bereits in der Richtung seines Zieles und wird seiner Bestimmung hingegeben. Die hebende Weihebewegung, הרומה, lässt das Weiheziel in einer den bisherigen Standpunkt des zu weihenden Gegenstandes überragenden Höhe denken. Der zu weihende Gegenstand wird durch die Weihe gehoben. Gold (siehe zu Kap. 25, 8), als das edelste Metall, das Reinste und Gediegenste bezeichnend, findet im "Heiligen" seine eigentlichste Verwendung, daher: זהב התנופה ,תנופת הזהב. Kupfer und Silber jedoch (siehe das.), den unveredelten, der Läuterung so bedürftigen als fähigen Zustand ausdrückend, findet im "Heiligen" das anzustrebende Höheziel, daher: תרומת כסף ונחשת. Ebenso: חזה התנופה und חזה .שוק התרומה, das geistige Gesamtvermögen des Menschen umschließend, findet in der Hingebung an Gott und sein Heiligtum ihre naturgemäßeste, nächstliegende Bestimmung, daher: שוק .חזה התנופה jedoch, das leiblich Starke repräsentierend, wird durch die Weihe an Gott und sein Heiligtum gehoben, daher: שוק התרומה. Fällt dieses alles nicht von der Wahrheit, so ist es bedeutsam, dass, während in Verbindung mit Silber Kupfer: תרומת הכסף ונחשת heißt, es für sich allein Kap. 28, 29 נחשת התנופה genannt wird. Es wäre damit die tiefe, das ganze jüdische Heiligtum tragende Wahrheit ausgesprochen, dass in tiefem wahrhaftem Grunde das Bereich des jüdischen Heiligtums kein transzendentales, das gewöhnliche Leben und seine Verhältnisse negierend überragendes sei; sondern, wie der Altar unmittelbar auf den Boden der Erde, der Altar des Gesetzes nicht auf den blühenden Gerisim, sondern auf den kahlen Ebal zu errichten war, so überhaupt das Gesetzesheiligtum die ganz konkrete Wirklichkeit des menschlich-irdischen Daseins voraussetze, unmittelbar an dieses anknüpfe, unmittelbar in ihm verwirklicht werde, und das höchste Ziel und die höchste Weihe in letztem Grunde nur eben das sei, wofür das Irdischste der irdischen Beziehungen seine durchaus ursprüngliche und eigentliche Bestimmung und Verwirklichung finde. Die Läuterungsweihe des Unedlen, die תרומה des נחשת selbst, ist in Wahrheit seine תנופה.

חח, jewelry worn in the ear;

כומז was a golden ornament worn by the women upon their private parts, Our Rabbis explain the name כּוּמָז as [an acrostic]: כַּאן מְקוֹם זִמָּה, [meaning] here is the place of licentiousness. (cf. Shabbat 64a).

Our Sages explained . . . Rashi is answering a question on his own explanation: Does this not imply that כומז is a noun referring to something [in the form] of one’s private parts? But, our language is called the Holy Tongue because it has no specific word for one’s private parts! Therefore Rashi brings our Sages’ explanation [that it is not a noun, but an abbreviation for “here is the place of lewdness”].

Then there was the kind of gold which had not served as jewelry. When describing people who donated that kind of gold the Torah wrote: וכל איש אשר הניף תנופת זהב לשם, and any man who brought an offering of gold for G'd. The third category of possessions donated by people, i.e. the items which a person knew was one of a kind seeing these things were unobtainable in the desert, is described by the Torah with the words וכל איש אשר נמצא אתו תכלת וארגמן, וגו and any man who had in his possession blue wool, purple wool, etc. Finally, the the fourth category of donors, the people who donated silver and other valuable possession are described as כל מרים תרומת כסף ונחושת, any man donating silver or copper.

And every man that ‘heinif tenufath’ (brought an offering of) gold. This is so phrased because the number of these people was not as great as those who brought silver and brass. Thus the amount of gold brought was not as much as that of silver and brass. It is for this reason that the gold donation is called tenufah (waving), whilst that of silver and brass is called terumah (offering),⁴¹Thus in Verse 24: Every one that ‘meirim terumath’ (set apart an offering of) silver and brass… for one who brings gold waves it with his hand to show the importance of the donation, or it may be that those who take it from him wave the gold to show up the donor in a praiseworthy light for having brought such a donation. However, in the section of Eileh Pekudei Scripture calls the donations of both gold and brass tenufah,⁴²Further, 38:24: And the gold of ‘hatenufah’… And in Verse 29: And the brass of ‘hatenufah’… because there it does not mention at all terumah (free-will offering,) but only the silver of them that were numbered.⁴³Ibid., Verse 25. And since everyone had to give the half-shekel in order to be counted, it is not called terumah which indicates a free-will offering. See Ramban above at beginning of Seder Ki Thisa. It is possible that brass also was called tenufah because it was more important to them than silver, since they did not have much of it. Or it may have been very important on its own merit, similar to that which is said, and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold.⁴⁴Ezra 8:27.

נזם, jewelry worn in the nose;טבעת, jewelry worn on the fingers;

When the Torah continues and describes people who possessed and brought acacia wood, the term נדבה, a donation, is omitted seeing that according to Tanchuma Parshat Terumah Jacob had foreseen the need for such wood and had planted such trees for use in the Tabernacle when required. The people with whom these trees or planks were found and who now brought them to Moses had only been trustees. These trees had only been "on deposit" with their keepers. They did not give up something that was theirs. Their contribution then could not qualify for the description "donation." לכל מלאכת עבודת הביאו, they brought it to be used for any work connected to the service (in the Tabernacle). The fact that the Torah stresses לכל מלאכת עבודה, is proof that the people bringing these trees or planks had kept them only for that purpose, otherwise these words are quite superfluous seeing that all the donations were brought for the same purpose. When you consider our explanation about the different types of possessions a person owns and what he feels for his various possessions, you will understand why the Torah repeated the word הביאו separately for each of the items listed.

כומוז, jewelry worn on the arms.35, 27. והנשיאים הביאו, “and the princes had brought;” they had taken these things with them at the time when theIsraelites had “emptied” Egypt of all their valuables (Exodus 12,36) each taking items appropriate to their social status.

וכל איש אשר נמצא אתו AND EVERY MAN WITH WHOM WAS FOUND blue purple, or red purple, or crimson, or rams’ skins, or tachash skins — all of them brought whatever they had.

וכל איש אשר נמצא אתו תכלת וארגמן, “as well any man in whose possession there was blue wool and purple wool.” Finding such cloth dyed in the required colours was more difficult, as not many people owned such. We find a similar expression later when people who happened to own shittim wood for the beams of the Tabernacle are described as אשר נמצא אתו, “who possessed such.” On the other hand, when speaking of contributions of metal such as silver and copper, the Torah uses the word כל “all,” as if to hint that everyone possessed such metals in abundance, so that there was no problem in raising the contributions necessary in the required quantities or even more than that. This expression כל had not been used when the Torah spoke of contributions of gold, seeing that the gold was primarily donated by the women who had golden jewelry, but who did not own silver and copper in their own right. [they could not legally donate what belonged to their husbands. Ed.] In Parshat Pekudey the Torah refers to both gold and copper as תנופה, “a raised up” offering. The reason for this may be the absence of any reference to a donation, i.e. תרומה[the word תרומה from the root הרים, to elevate something, obviated the need for reference to תנופה when gold was mentioned earlier. Ed.] Silver donated is described there without being defined as either תרומה or תנופה, presumably because the half shekel silver coins contributed by all the males above 20 years of age were mandatory contributions, not the result of any feeling of generosity on the part of the donor who had to atone for a serious sin he had been guilty of. [seeing that there is a confusion in the text of the author’s manuscript about this, I have substituted my own interpretation. The Torah, after all, did write that the silver was the proceeds of the people numbered. (38,25,) Ed.] Copper may have qualified for a distinctive adjective as it was not common and much in demand, so that giving it away represented an act of special generosity.

Or rams’ skins or tachash skins — they all brought. Some ask: Why does Rashi not list them as they are written — “Greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, fine linen, goats’ hair, red dyed rams’ skins”? [Rather, Rashi omits fine linen and goats’ hair.] It seems to me that Rashi may be explained by first asking another question on Rashi: Why does he [need to] explain that the verse means or this, or that? Why would we [otherwise] have thought that only someone who has all these items should bring, and someone who does not, should not bring [anything]? A poor person who has only one item would be excluded! Yet Scripture said (25:2), “From every man whose heart impels him to generosity shall you take My terumah-offering.” Perforce, [Rashi explains this] because throughout the work of the mishkon and the garments of the Kohein Gadol, we find that the three items of greenish-blue wool, dark red wool and crimson wool are always [mentioned together]. Similarly, the red dyed rams’ skins and the tachash skins together formed the cover of the tent, as Rashi explains in 26:14. Thus we might think that whoever has all these things, [i.e., the three wools, or the two skins,] should bring. But he who has only one, should not. This is because all three are needed for the work; nothing is made of one without the other. Whereas the garments of ordinary kohanim are made of fine linen alone, and so are the four garments of the Kohein Gadol used for the inner service of Yom Kippur and for some other services. Similarly, goats’ hair was used only for the drapes of goats’ hair, [never together with other materials]. Therefore it is obvious that one could bring fine linen or goats’ hair by itself, and Rashi does not [need to] mention it because this is obvious. Furthermore, it is written: “All the women whose hearts inspired them. . . spun the goats’ hair” (v. 26), implying that goats’ hair was brought by itself. And “fine linen” (end of v. 25) is juxtaposed [specially] to “goats’ hair.” Throughout Scripture, fine linen is mentioned at the beginning [of the items], but here, it is [mentioned at the end,] next to goats’ hair. This comes to teach that fine linen should be compared to goats’ hair, which is brought by itself. This is why Rashi did not need to explain that fine linen and goats’ hair may be brought by themselves, [and he therefore omitted them].

V. 24. לכל מלאכת העבדה. Die ganze Herstellung des Heiligtums heißt: עבודה. Sie ist eine von höchster Seite gebotene Aufgabe, an deren Lösung die Nation ihre Kräfte hinzugeben hatte; das מקדש ist der gebotene und über die Kräfte der Nation gebietende Zweck, den sie als עבדים zu lösen haben; die Lösung ist: עבודה. So oben Kap. 30. 16: ונתת אתו על עבודת אהל מועד. So Kap. 31, 6: לעשות את כל מלאכת עבודת הקדש.

כל מרים תרומת כסף ונחושת, “Every man who donated a gift of silver or copper, etc.” No doubt silver was more plentiful than gold, not to mention copper of which the people must have owned an abundance. Presumably, the gold owned by the people was concentrated mostly in the hands of the women who used it as jewelry, whereas silver and copper were used mostly by the men, both as tools and as coins, i.e. money. This is why in connection with the silver the Torah speaks of תרומה, an expression of raising, separating, whereas in connection with donations consisting of gold the Torah speaks of תנופה, something which is lifted up. When someone donates gold he considers himself as having raised himself to a higher level. The recipients of a gift consisting of gold generally make a point of lauding the generosity of the donor. Still, on occasion we find the word תנופה used in connection with copper vessels when there is a reason to emphasise the value of that particular item such as in 38,29 where the Torah in mentioning the total weight of the copper donated (which collectively represented substantial value) describes it as “seventy talents, 2400 shekel worth.” The copper in question was highly polished, capable of acting as a mirror, therefore it deserved to be described as נחושת התנופה. Copper of that quality was even rarer than gold.

חכמת לב, a wise woman. When the word חכמת is vocalized with the chataf kametz, it is a noun. The word occurs in that sense in Kings I 5,10 חכמת מצרים.

V. 25. בידיה טוו. Was die Männer als Rohstoff, oder von andern gesponnen brachten, das beeiferten sie sich, mit eigenen Händen zu spinnen und freuten sich dieser Selbsttätigkeit für das Werk des Heiligtums. טוה, lautverwandt mit טפח: (nach und nach?) vergrößern, ausdehnen, und dem rabbinischen טפה, wovon טפי: mehr. Vergl. ארך :ארג. (Merkwürdig ist die parallele Lautverwandtschaft: הרג ארג und טבח טפח; heißt beides: Hinstrecken?)

בידיה טוו, each of these women spun with her own hands.

THEY SPUN. As in (Jud. 5:26), "Her hand reached for the tent pin" [Lit.: "Her [sing.] hand for the tent peg they stretched forth [plural]."]

טוו את העזים [AND THE WOMEN] SPUN THE GOATS’ HAIR (lit., the goats) — This required extraordinary skill, for they spun it (the goats’ hair) from off the backs of the goats (whilst it was still on the living animals) (Shabbat 99a).

טוו את העזים, while the wool was still on the goats, as per Shabbat 99. The reason was to lend an additional sheen to the yarn spun from this hair. There are many materials which suffer a reduction in appearance once they are separated from their original habitat. We all are aware of this phenomenon with bees’ honey. [The author cites other examples of a similar nature occurring with products that I am not familiar with. Ed.]

V. 26. אשר נשא לבן וגו׳. Indem hier das בחכמה als Beifügung zu נשה לבן וגו׳ steht, kann es füglich nicht die Kunstfertigkeit bezeichnen, sondern charakterisiert den Entschluss, zu welchem ihr Herz sie erhoben. Während die anderen kunstfertigen Frauen sich beeilten, die zu den Prachtteppichen des Heiligtums erforderlichen Stoffe anzufertigen, wählten die Weiseren für sich die Anfertigung der Stoffe zu den bescheideneren, aber die Erhaltung des Ganzen bedingenden Ziegenhaarteppichen, dem eigentlichen אהל, in welchem ja sich ganz eigentlich das Wesen der Weiblichkeit konzentriert, und legten damit sowohl ihren denkenden Geist, als ihren echt weiblichen Sinn, beides zusammen hier: הכמה, an den Tag. Daher auch die Prägnanz in der Form אתנה. Schabbat (99a) wird jedoch auch die in dem Gespinnste dieser Ziegenhaare angewandte Kunstfertigkeit als eine ungewöhnliche bezeichnet, deren Verfahren שטוף בעזים וטווי מן העזים, d. h. wörtlich: "abgeschwemmt von den Ziegen und gesponnen an den Ziegen" angegeben wird, und nach (ebendaselbst 74 b) in einem Abspinnen unmittelbar vom Körper der Tiere bestand. Das שטוף וכו׳ scheint dabei ein schmerzloses Trennen der Haare vom Körper zu bezeichnen, in der Weise, wie Haare sich in der "Schwemme" vom Tierkörper schmerzlos lösen.

והנשאם הביאו AND THE PRINCES BROUGHT [ONYX STONES] R. Nathan asked, “What reason had the princes to give their contributions at the dedication of the altar (Numbers 7:12ff.) first of all the people, whereas at the work of the Tabernacle they were not the first, but the last to contribute?” But — replied he — the princes spoke thus: “Let the community in general contribute all they with to give and what will then be lacking we shall supply” But when the community gave everything needed in its entirety — as it is said, (Exodus 36:7) “For the stuff they had was enough [for all the work to make it, and some was left]” — the princes asked, “What can we now do?” therefore הביאו את אבני השהם וגו׳ THEY BROUGHT THE ONYX STONES etc. That is why they were the first to contribute at the consecration of the altar. Because, however, they were dilatory at the beginning, a letter is missing here from their title (thus intimating that something, viz., zeal was lacking in them): for it is written והנשאם instead of והנשיאים (Numbers Rabbah 12:16).

והנשיאים הביאו את אבני השהם, and the princes brought the onyx stones, etc. The reason that these precious stones are listed only after such relatively inexpensive contributions as the spun goats' hair by the women is, that the princes tarried and were the last ones to make their contributions.

והנשיאים הביאו את אבני השוהם, these were the gemstones on which the names of the tribes were inscribed.

והנשיאים הביאו, “and the princes had brought (gemstones).” According to Ibn Ezra when the people at the time of the Exodus asked their Egyptian neighbours for valuables, each person asked for things commensurate to his station in society. The princes therefore had asked for jewels, which they now contributed for use in the breastplate of the High Priest. According to a comment by the Targum Yonatan ben Uziel, and a note in the Tanchuma, the word נשיאים here is rendered as ענני שמיא, “celestial clouds,“ i.e. a kind of angel? And these angels came and contributed these jewels for the breastplate and Ephod of the High Priest. In Yuma 75 the word נשיאים is also used in that sense. (based on Proverbs 25,14 )

V. 27. והנשאם. Im מ׳ רבות נשא (und ebenso im ספרי das.) zu Kap. 7, 2 wird tadelnd angemerkt, wie sich die Fürsten durch die an das Volk ergangene Aufforderung zur Tempelspende in ihrer Stellung verletzt gefühlt und sich deshalb von der נדבה in der Erwartung zurückgezogen hätten, es werde die Weihespende des Volkes unzureichend ausfallen, und ihnen dann ehrenvoll die Spende des Fehlenden zukommen, in welcher Erwartung sie gleichwohl der Eifer des Volkes getäuscht hatte, so dass ihnen nichts übrig blieb, als die Edelsteine zu den hohepriesterlichen Gewändern und die Spezereien zum Salböl und zum Räucherwerk zu liefern. Das Tadelnswerte einer solchen Gesinnung, die sich bei diesem höchsten nationalen Werke lieber über dem Volke und das Volk repräsentierend, als mitten im Volke und als die edelsten Söhne und Brüder des Volkes fühlen mochte, und so die Fürsten, welche voranleuchtend im Volkeseifer die ersten hätten sein sollen, die letzten sein ließ, wird bezeichnend durch die mangelhafte Schreibweise הנשאם, statt הנשיאים, angedeutet. Sie haben sich bei dieser Gelegenheit nicht als die נשיאים des Volkes bewährt.

והנשיאים, “and the princes, etc.; the Talmud in tractate Yuma folio 75 claims that the word נשיאים here refers to clouds, quoting as its source Proverbs 25,14: נשיאים ורוח וגשם אין, “like clouds and wind that do not bring rain.” It is explained there that when the manna would fall from the sky it was accompanied by precious stones falling alongside as well as pearls. This is the meaning of Exodus 36,3: והם הביאו אליו עוד נדבה אליו בבוקר בבוקר, “and they kept bringing to him voluntary offerings every morning.” It was the manna which has been described in the Torah as coming down בבוקר בבוקר (Compare Exodus 16,21). Rabbi Yochanan on that folio adds that all the donations for the Tabernacle were contributed on two mornings, and even that quantity was more than was required. [He interpreted the words: בבוקר בבוקר, as referring only to two mornings. Ed.[

והנשיאים הביאו, “and the princes had brought;” they had taken these things with them at the time when the Israelites had “emptied” Egypt of all their valuables (Exodus 12,36) each taking items appropriate to their social status.

'את אבני השהם וגו.” And the shoham stones;” each prince brought the type of jewel that was used for his tribe on the High Priest’s breastplate. They also contributed the oil for anointing the Tabernacle.

ולשמן המשחה, the hin of pure olive oil.

למאור. “for lighting.” The letter ל, has a semi vowel sh’va under it. [instead of a kametz]

הביאו בני ישראל נדבה לה׳. The children of Israel brought a free-will offering unto the the Lord. The Torah sums up all the donations previously listed as in the category of a "free-will offering."

V. 29. Der im V. 27 angedeutete Mangel an echter nationaler Gesinnung der Fürsten bei dieser Gelegenheit dürfte die sonst auffallende Konstruktion des Satzes: כל איש ואשה וגו׳ הביאו בני ישראל erklären. בני ישראל erscheint als Apposition zu איש ואשה, und drückt im Gegensatz zu den נשיאים die Gesinnung aus, in welcher die Volksgesamtheit die Spenden brachte. Alle fühlten sie sich Gott gegenüber als בני ישראל, als die ganz gleichen Söhne der Nation, und als solche brachten sie Ihm ihre Spende. ועוד יש לומר שמסרום לצבור כראוי.

חור HUR was the son the Miriam (Sotah 11b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 24:14).

He was Miriam’s son. Rashi is answering the question: Why does the Torah trace Betzalel back only as far as Chur? Alternatively, why does it not say, “Betzalel, son of Uri, of the tribe of Yehudah”? Rashi answers that Chur was the son of Miriam, who was a prophetess — and that is why Betzalel merited all this [honor].

ראו קרא, “see! He has called upon, etc.” What does the word: ראו mean here? When Moses had told the people that Betzalel would be the chief architect/craftsman, and that he would be constructing the Tabernacle, (beginning of chapter 31, where he had been told about Betzalel and Oholiov by name by G–d) there was murmuring among the Israelites who charged Moses with nepotism and assigning every position of importance to members of his family. He therefore repeated here that these men had not been chosen by him but by G–d, personally. In fact, Moses, personally, had originally thought that he himself had been charged with the whole task, seeing that G–d had said to him: ועשית , “you will make,” etc., chapter 25,17, and subsequently. The plural impersonal mode had been reserved for the construction of the Holy Ark (Exodus 25,10). G–d explained to him then already that on the contrary, not as he had thought, he would not build the Tabernacle but a descendant of Chur, who had given his life trying to stop the Jewish people from making a golden calf would be charged with that task. By doing so he would help atone for the murder of his grandfather and for the sin of the golden calf. This is why the Torah traces Betzalel’s ancestry to Chur, i.e. Betzalel son of Uri, son of Chur. (Compare Exodus 31,2)

בחכמה, “with wisdom;” as is written in Proverbs 3,19: בחכמה יסד הארץ,

בתבונה, “with understanding,” as is written there,” כונן שמים בתבונה, “He establishes the heavens with understanding.”

בדעת, “with knowledge;” as is written there in verse 20: בדעתו תהומות נבקעו, “by His knowledge the depths were broken up.” These attributes were used again when Solomon built his Temple as we know from Kings I 7.14. They will be used once more when the third and final Temple will be built as we know from Proverbs 24,3-4: בחכמה יבנה בית ובתבונה יתכונן, ובדעת חדרים ימלאו כל-הון יקר ונעים, “a house will be built by wisdom; it is established through understanding. Its rooms are filled with all kinds of precious and beautiful riches.”

V. 33. מלאכת מחשבת, wörtlich: Werk des Gedankens, oder: Werk eines Gedankens, ist der spezifische Ausdruck, der als Gesamttätigkeit der kunstfertigen Herstellung des Heiligtums das wesentlichste Merkmal enthält und daher auch für den Begriff der am Schabbat verbotenen Werktätigkeiten maßgebend ist, für welche ja das Werk des Heiligtumsbaues als maßgebende Norm festgestellt ist (siehe Kap. 34, 1). Es wird damit die menschliche מלאכה in ihrer höchsten Potenz als die bewusstvoll schaffende Verwirklichung eines Gedankens durch menschliche Kunstfertigkeit bezeichnet. Für den Begriff der מלאכה des Schabbatgesetzes ergibt sich hieraus, dass das Werk nicht מתעסק und nicht דבר שאין מתכוין, nicht bewusst- und absichtlos, nicht מלאכה שאינה צריכה לגופה, nicht ohne Beabsichtigung des eigentlichen Produkts, nicht כלאחר יד, nicht kunstgerechtwidrig geschehen und nicht מקלקל, nicht zerstörender, sondern schaffender Natur gewesen sein müsse, wenn es voll unter die Kategorie der am Schabbat verpönten מלאכה fallen solle. (Siehe חורב Kap. 21.)

ואהליאב AND OHOLIAB — he was of the tribe of Dan, of one of the lowest of the tribes, of the sons of the handmaids, and yet the Omnipresent placed him with regard to the work of the Tabernacle on a level with Bezalel although he was a member of one of the noble tribes (Judah)! in order to confirm what Scripture says, (Job 34:19) “He regardeth not the rich more than the poor” (Midrash Tanchuma 2:10:13).

ולהורות נתן בלבו, and He equipped his heart with the ability to teach, etc. There are many great scholars whose wisdom is locked up in their hearts due to their inability to transmit it successfully to outsiders. The ability to teach is a great gift, and this is why the Torah testifies that G'd granted this gift to Betzalel. There is also a moral lesson contained in this verse not to act like certain members of the family of Bet Gormu who wanted to preserve their monoply on the intricacies of preparing the show breads by not teaching their craft to any non-family member. The Talmud severely critised their behaviour (Yuma 38). People who do teach their crafts qualify for the blessing expressed by Solomon in Proverbs 10,7: "The memory of a righteous person is a source of blessing."

ולהורותם, and to teach others.

ולהורות, “and to give instruction,” (to others.)