וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה הַקְהֵ֑ל אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
E reúne toda a congregação à entrada da Tenda do Encontro."
Kli Yakar
And to the elders of Israel. We do not find that he spoke anything to the elders, and if as the commentators say that he spoke to Aaron in front of the elders of Israel so that they would not say that Aaron entered into the service on his own initiative, it was already stated in Parshat Tzav (8:3), And gather all the congregation, etc., and there he was inducted into the service in front of the entire congregation, so why was this necessary here a second time? It seems to me that it is because it is stated (Leviticus 4:13–15), And if the entire congregation of Israel shall err… and the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. Similarly, regarding these communal offerings that came for atonement for and they slaughtered a goat (Genesis 37:31) and for the sin of the Golden Calf, presumably they followed all the instructions detailed in Parshat Vayikra regarding the communal sin-offering, therefore he called for the elders. And although it is not mentioned here that they laid their hands [on the offerings], nevertheless they presumably performed the laying of hands. And although every communal sin-offering is a bull, this case is different because they sinned with a goat and a calf, therefore God wanted them to bring a goat and a calf.
Ramban
TAKE AARON. “This section [concerning the seven days of consecration of the priests] was said seven days before the [final] erection of the Tabernacle [which took place on the first day of Nisan],167During each of the seven days of consecration Moses set the Tabernacle up and then dismantled it. But on the eighth day [which was the first of Nisan] the final erection took place, and it was no longer dismantled until they journeyed from Mount Sinai. for there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah.”168Since the final erection of the Tabernacle is already mentioned at the end of the Book of Exodus (40:17), and the section before us, according to Rashi, was said seven days before the final erection, we must perforce say that there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah. In other words, chronologically the proper place of this section here in the Book of Leviticus is before Exodus, Chapter 40! Ramban will strongly dissent to this interpretation of Rashi. Thus the language of Rashi. But why should we invert the words of the living G-d! Moreover, in the section of On the first day of the first month,169Exodus 40:2. He commanded concerning the erection of the whole Tabernacle, the clothing of Aaron and his sons and the anointing of all of them, and there He narrated Moses’ deeds in the matter of the erection of the Tabernacle,170Ibid., Verse 17-33. but did not mention anything concerning Aaron and his sons till here. And how could it be that He separated one subject into two sections, [as follows from Rashi], placing the later one [i.e., the final erection of the Tabernacle which took place on the first of Nisan, as recorded in the Book of Exodus], before the earlier one [i.e., the seven days of consecration that began on the twenty-third of Adar which He placed here in the Book of Leviticus]!
Rather, the correct interpretation is that we say that Moses was commanded about the erection of the Tabernacle on the twenty-third day of Adar, and he erected it [on that day]. As soon as the Tabernacle stood in its position G-d, blessed be He, Who sitteth upon the cherubim171I Samuel 4:4. called Moses and commanded him about the actions involved in the bringing of the offerings — all those sections from the beginning of the Book of Vayikra until here. [This was because] He wanted to teach him the actions and statutes of all the offerings before he offered up any of them, since among the initiation-offerings were the sin-offering, burnt-offering and peace-offering, and they could only know all their laws from these sections with which He preceded [to command him]. Afterwards He said to him, Take Aaron and his sons with him etc., to urge him on when the time came for performing what He had told him at first — And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me etc.,172Exodus 29:1. adding here, And assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting,173Verse 3 here. so that it should be done in the presence of all of them, that they should know that G-d, blessed be He, chose Aaron and his sons [to minister unto Him].
By way of the proper interpretation of Scripture, Moses was commanded about the building of the Tabernacle prior to the incident of the golden calf [as is the order of these chapters in the Book of Exodus],174The commandment concerning the building of the Tabernacle is in Seder Terumah (Chapters 25-27), and the story of the golden calf is in Seder Ki Thisa (Chapter 32). — This is unlike Rashi’s statement (ibid., 31:18) that the incident of the golden calf happened a considerable time before the command regarding the work of the Tabernacle. Hence Ramban preceded this discussion with the expression, “by way of the proper interpretation …” in order to indicate that his view is different than that stated elsewhere in Rashi’s commentary. and when the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled to him and promised him that He would cause His Divine Glory to dwell among them, Moses understood of his own accord that the command concerning the Tabernacle remained valid as before, and he then commanded Israel regarding it, as I have explained in the section of Vayakheil.175Ibid., 35:1. After they had completed the work, he was then told the section of On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting,176Ibid., 40:2. and he was then told, And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the Tent of Meeting etc.177Ibid., Verse 12. Thus Moses knew that Aaron and his sons also remained in their esteemed and beloved position before G-d. Here He urged them again on the first day of the consecration, at the time of performing the command [And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons etc.]177Ibid., Verse 12. Thus all the sections of the Torah are in chronological order, except that He placed before its sequence the verse, And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting,178Ibid., Verse 34. which in the opinion of our Rabbis179Torath Kohanim, at the beginning of Seder Shemini. was on the eighth day of the initiation, in order to arrange in order the whole matter of the erection of the Tabernacle, it being the customary way of Scripture in all places to finish a subject that it has started to explain.180See Vol. I, p. 431, for a similar instance.
Rather, the correct interpretation is that we say that Moses was commanded about the erection of the Tabernacle on the twenty-third day of Adar, and he erected it [on that day]. As soon as the Tabernacle stood in its position G-d, blessed be He, Who sitteth upon the cherubim171I Samuel 4:4. called Moses and commanded him about the actions involved in the bringing of the offerings — all those sections from the beginning of the Book of Vayikra until here. [This was because] He wanted to teach him the actions and statutes of all the offerings before he offered up any of them, since among the initiation-offerings were the sin-offering, burnt-offering and peace-offering, and they could only know all their laws from these sections with which He preceded [to command him]. Afterwards He said to him, Take Aaron and his sons with him etc., to urge him on when the time came for performing what He had told him at first — And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me etc.,172Exodus 29:1. adding here, And assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting,173Verse 3 here. so that it should be done in the presence of all of them, that they should know that G-d, blessed be He, chose Aaron and his sons [to minister unto Him].
By way of the proper interpretation of Scripture, Moses was commanded about the building of the Tabernacle prior to the incident of the golden calf [as is the order of these chapters in the Book of Exodus],174The commandment concerning the building of the Tabernacle is in Seder Terumah (Chapters 25-27), and the story of the golden calf is in Seder Ki Thisa (Chapter 32). — This is unlike Rashi’s statement (ibid., 31:18) that the incident of the golden calf happened a considerable time before the command regarding the work of the Tabernacle. Hence Ramban preceded this discussion with the expression, “by way of the proper interpretation …” in order to indicate that his view is different than that stated elsewhere in Rashi’s commentary. and when the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled to him and promised him that He would cause His Divine Glory to dwell among them, Moses understood of his own accord that the command concerning the Tabernacle remained valid as before, and he then commanded Israel regarding it, as I have explained in the section of Vayakheil.175Ibid., 35:1. After they had completed the work, he was then told the section of On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting,176Ibid., 40:2. and he was then told, And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the Tent of Meeting etc.177Ibid., Verse 12. Thus Moses knew that Aaron and his sons also remained in their esteemed and beloved position before G-d. Here He urged them again on the first day of the consecration, at the time of performing the command [And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons etc.]177Ibid., Verse 12. Thus all the sections of the Torah are in chronological order, except that He placed before its sequence the verse, And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting,178Ibid., Verse 34. which in the opinion of our Rabbis179Torath Kohanim, at the beginning of Seder Shemini. was on the eighth day of the initiation, in order to arrange in order the whole matter of the erection of the Tabernacle, it being the customary way of Scripture in all places to finish a subject that it has started to explain.180See Vol. I, p. 431, for a similar instance.
Or HaChaim
והקהל העדה, the community was assembled, etc. Perhaps when the people saw Moses taking Aaron, his sons, and the priestly garments, they assembled spontaneously. It is also possible that the verse tells us that G'd ordered the people to assemble around the entrance to the Tabernacle as explained by Vayikra Rabbah 10,9 on the word הקהל in verse 3 and that our verse reports that the people did so.
Rashi
ויקטר המזבחה [AND MOSES TOOK THEM FROM OFF THEIR HANDS] AND CAUSED THEM TO ASCEND IN FUMES AT THE ALTAR — Moses (though a non-priest) was officiating during the seven days of installation [in a white garment] (Avodah Zarah 34a).