Wyjścia 30:34 Komentarz: Rashi, Chizkuni, Da'at Zekenim & Ramban

נטף is balsam. Because it is merely the sap which drips from the wood of the balsam tree it is called נטף, “dripping” (Keritot 6a). In old French it is called gomme; English gum. The balm itself, however, is called thériaque (cf., however, Ramban).

קח לך סמים, “take for yourself a variety of resins;” (alternate translation: sweet incense, presumably because how can one beat sticky resin?)” the latter varieties were not included in this list. [There are contradictory opinions regarding the list given here and that in verses 22-24, and their uses. Seeing we have no eyewitnesses of what was used when, I will not detail them except to point out that the group in verses 22-24 were described as בשמים, and the group mentioned here were all summed up under the heading סמים. Ed.]

בד בבד, “each is to have the same weight.” (customary translation) The Talmud, tractate k’ritut folio 5 understands this expression as based on the word בדד, “separate, isolated,” i.e. each individual unit of spice should have the same weight. The Talmud even discusses if when weighing it, it suffices to note that both scales of the scales are at the same level, or if the spice in question must actually tip the scale downwards a little. They also discuss if, as is customary, a stone or equivalent which had proved to be of the required weight can be used for weighing the next quantity of spice, or if each spice has to be weighed independently without any weights being used. According to Rashi in the Talmud there, weights must not be used instead, only spices must be placed on the scale. Our author does not understand why the use of weights should have been forbidden.