Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa 1 Mga Hari 7:26

When they said that Avraham’s daughter was called בכל, they did not refer to a biological daughter. They referred to a spiritual dimension called בת, “daughter.” Their statement is of a kabbalistic nature [elaborated on by Nachmanides in his commentary on this verse]. They meant that Avraham achieved a virtue known as כל. Anyone who attains this virtue will find himself blessed both on earth and in heaven. This is why these sages said that Avraham was blessed בכל, i.e. “with“ the virtue known as kol. The reason why these sages called this virtue “bat,” is that the greatest (hollow) measure known in the Bible (Kings I 7,26) was the so-called ים של שלמה, the copper basin in front of the Temple from which the priests washed their hands and feet. This basin had a capacity of 2000 bat [equal to 225 times the minimum size of a ritual bath. Ed]. The reason these sages used this measure as their terms of reference when alluding to Avraham’s achievement in the spiritual spheres is that the bat is a sub-category of the virtue (מדה) known as כל. Being a sub-category the name בת, “daughter” is appropriate (just as a subsidiary commercial company is called חברת בת in Hebrew; i.e. “daughter-company.”) In kabbalistic parlance this “virtue,” or “emanation,” is known as the “celestial tribunal of G’d.” This is the reason our verse did not commence with the customary ויברך ה' את אברהם, first describing the actvity, i.e. ויברך, but it first described who carried out the activity, i.e. השם. It is important to appreciate this rule, as it is one of the mystical dimensions of understanding a Torah text.

round about, encompassing it; ten cubits encompassing the sea It is not elucidated here what the thing that encompassed them was, but in I Kings (7:24) it is written: “And under the brim were ornamental knobs encompassing it round about, for ten cubits, encompassing the sea round about.” Knobs are like those made for cups, round pomels (apple-shaped) knobs, for the sake of beauty, and beneath its brim and round about, they stood in the three lowest cubits, which were square, and the two round upper ones. And it is impossible to contain [that which Scripture says] (ibid. verse 26): “it contained two thousand bath,” which are the equivalent of one hundred fifty purifying pools, except in this matter, as is delineated in Erubin (13a). And it is impossible to say that the upper ones were square and the lower ones were round, because that which is written: “it was round all about,” refers to its brim, and that which Scripture states about these knobs, “ten cubits” on each side, but where it was round, it is impossible to say, “ten cubits around.”

ויאמר פרעה הן רבים עתה עם הארץ, Pharaoh said: "now the people in the land are very numerous, etc." Pharaoh meant that in view of the large numbers of people involved it was impossible to convince all of them that they did not face a danger if they did not march to the desert to offer sacrifices to their G'd. This was why he held Moses and Aaron responsible for the work stoppage if it would occur. He directed this accusation exclusively at Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh meant that even a brief work stoppage was a major economic disaster considering the number of people involved.

it contained three thousand It contained this amount, but in I Kings (7:26) it is written: “It contained two thousand baths.” The heaped measure was a third, for a bath is three seah, as is said: (Ezek. 45:11): “The ephah and the bath shall have one volume.” Thus you have six thousand seah. This equals a hundred and fifty purifying pools for four thousand seah equal a hundred mikvaoth. And we find also for the remaining two thousand seah fifty mikvaoth, and even if you divide the vessel according to the measure that the Rabbis computed, namely a cubit by a cubit by the height of three cubits for a mikvah, you will find the same: for the height of three cubits, which was square, and which was ten by ten from its brim to its brim, are a hundred mikvaoth, and for the height of two cubits, where it was round, ten by ten from its brim to its brim around equal fifty mikvaoth, because a square is a fourth more than a circle.

and wine twenty thousand baths The expression of bath refers to a liquid measure, and kor is a dry measure.