민수기 4:7의 주석

קערת וכפת וקשות ומנקיות — I have already described these in the chapter dealing with the work of the Tabernacle (Exodus XXV).

AND THE CONTINUAL BREAD SHALL REMAIN THEREON. On the table itself was to be the bread,¹⁹⁴The verse reads: And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the pans … and the continual bread shall remain thereon. Ramban interprets the verse to mean: “and upon the table of showbread, on which the continual bread shall remain, they shall spread a cloth of blue etc.” and upon them [i.e., the twelve loaves of bread] a cloth of blue, and upon this cloth which was on the table they put all the vessels, and afterwards they spread upon the vessels and the table a cloth of scarlet.¹⁹⁵Verse 8. For in honor of the bread which was arranged on the table according to the precept [of the Torah], they spread this cloth of blue in order to divide between the table and its bread [beneath the cloth], and the vessels [which lay above the cloth]; and the upper cover was a cloth of scarlet, which was a hue of red, because the table is a sign of the crown of royalty, which is [manifested by] the attribute of justice. But the ark and the golden altar were [covered on top] with a cloth of blue,¹⁹⁶Verse 6 (the ark); Verse 11 (the golden altar). alluding to the attribute which is comprised of hakol (the All),¹⁹⁷See Vol. I, p. 292. and the altar of the burnt-offering [was covered] with a purple cloth,¹⁹⁸Verse 13. which is redder than the first [i.e., the cloth of scarlet which was upon the table], for it is there [on the altar of the burnt-offering] that the blood of the offerings, which is a ransom for the souls [of those who offer them], is sprinkled.

לחם התמיד עליו יהיה, “and the constant bread shall remain on it.” According to Nachmanides the meaning of the verse is that the show breads be remaining on the actual (flat surface of the) table, as opposed to the superstructure on which they rested when the Tabernacle was in its operational mode. The bread was then wrapped in the blue wool cover. The various appurtenances of the table, such as the spoons, dishes, shelving tubes, etc. (compare Exodus 25,29), would be placed above. This procedure was necessary in order to keep the actual breads and the appurtenances apart from one another when the people were on the move. The appurtenances were then covered with a cloth made of wool dyed scarlet. This colour was appropriate as the table symbolized the crown of a king, which in turn symbolizes the attribute of Justice. The other appurtenances that were wrapped in blue wool symbolized the crown of Torah. The cover of the main altar situated in the courtyard was made of purple wool, an intense red, as the altar upon which so much blood was sprinkled on a daily basis was close to that colour anyway.

V. 7. ולחם התמיד עליו יהיה. Obgleich alles was מקודש בכלי, durch ein Heiligtumsgefäß für das Heiligtum aufgenommen worden, durch Entfernung aus dem räumlichen Bereiche des Heiligtums als ihm entfremdet פסול יוצא wird (siehe zu Schmot 22, 30), so bleibt doch selbst auf der Wanderschaft das Brot auf dem Tisch in seiner engen Beziehung zum Heiligtum und wird nicht נפסל ביוצא (Menachot 95 a; siehe zu Kap. 1, 17).

ועל שולחן הפנים, “and on the table of the showbreads; ”from this wording (the prefix letter ה in the word הפנים) we may assume that there were also other tables in the Sanctuary on which the sacred flesh was placed. (that flesh was removed daily as opposed to the showbreads. Ibn Ezra)

הנסך means, “covering”, — having the same meaning as מסך, the screen, — as it is written, (Exodus 25:29) “the covers by which they shall be covered (יסך)” (cf. Rashi on that verse and the Note thereon).

ולחם התמיד עליו יהיה, “the continual bread shall remain on it constantly.” How could these showbreads stay upright and not fall down during the journeys? [Our verse is G-d’s assurance that it would.]