Chapter 40

אוסכת על הארן. לְשׁוֹן הַגָּנָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי מְחִצָּה הָיְתָה:

1וסכת על הארן means AND THOU SHALT SCREEN THE ARK — וסכת denotes screening and it is the correct term to use, for it (the veil) formed a partition (cf. Rashi on Exodus 35:12).

אוערכת את ערכו. שְׁתַּיִם מַעֲרָכוֹת שֶׁל לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים:

1וערכת את ערכו AND SET ITS ROWS — the two piles of the show-bread.

אויפרש את האהל. הֵן יְרִיעוֹת הָעִזִּים:

1ויפרש את האהל AND HE SPREAD THE TENT The אהל is the curtains of goats’ skins.

אאת העדת. הַלּוּחוֹת:

1את העדות THE TESTIMONY — the Tablets.

אעל ירך המשכן צפנה. בַּחֵצִי הַצְּפוֹנִי שֶׁל רֹחַב הַבַּיִת:

1על ירך המשכן צפנה UPON THE SIDE OF THE DWELLING NORTHWARD — i. e. in the northern half of the width of the house (not by the northern wall) (Yoma 33b).

בירך. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, צִדָּא, כַּיָּרֵךְ הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא בְּצִדּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם:

2ירך — This must be understood at the Targum renderd it: צדא. The real meaning is “thigh”, but the side of anything is just like the thigh which is at a person’s side.

אויקטר עליו קטרת. שַׁחֲרִית וְעַרְבִית, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת וְגוֹמֵר (שמות ל'):

1ויקטר עליו קטרת AND HE CAUSED THE INCENSE OF AROMATICS TO ASCEND UPON IT in the morning and in the evening, as it is said, (Exodus 30:7, 8) “[And Aaron shall cause incense of aromatics to ascend thereon in fumes] every morning when he trimmeth the lamps, [and when he trimmeth the lamps at even etc.]”.

אויעל עליו וגו'. אַף בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים, שֶׁהוּא יוֹם הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שִׁמֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה וְהִקְרִיב קָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר, חוּץ מֵאוֹתָן שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בוֹ בַיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר קְרַב אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְגוֹמֵר (ויקרא ט'):

1ויעל עליו וגו׳ AND OFFERED UPON IT etc. Not only during the first seven days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons during which Moses set the dwelling up and then dismantled it, but also on the eighth day of the consecration which was the day of the final erection of the dwelling for its ordinary purposes did Moses officiate and offer the congregational sacrifices except those which had been commanded exclusively for that very day, as it is said, (Leviticus 9:7) “[And Moses said to Aaron], approach unto the altar and offer etc.

באת העלה. עוֹלַת הַתָּמִיד:

2את העלה THE BURNT OFFERING — the daily burnt offering.

גואת המנחה. מִנְחַת נְסָכִים שֶׁל תָּמִיד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְעִשָּׂרֹן סֹלֶת בָּלוּל בְּשֶׁמֶן וְגוֹמֵר (שמות כ"ט):

3ואח המנחה AND THE MEAL OFFERING — The meal offering brought together with the libation which was made with the daily burnt offering, at it is said, (Exodus 29:40) “[And with the one lamb] (of the daily burnt offering) shall be brought a tenth deal of flour mingled with … oil; [and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a libation …]”.

אורחצו ממנו משה ואהרן. יוֹם שְׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים הֻשְׁווּ כֻלָּם לִכְהֻנָּה, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּמְקַדְּשִׁין מִנֵּהּ, בּוֹ בַיּוֹם קִדֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה עִמָּהֶם:

1ורחצו ממנו משה ואהרן AND MOSES AND AARON [AND HIS SONS] LAVED [THEIR HANDS] — On the eighth day of the consecration all of them mentioned here, including Moses, were alike in respect of the priestly office. The translation of ורחצו in the Targum should therefore be ומקדשין, and they were hallowing (i. e. they then hallowed their hands and their feet), for on that day Moses laved his hands together with them (Aaron and his sons).

אובקרבתם. כְּמוֹ וּבְקָרְבָם – כְּשֶׁיִּקְרְבוּ:

1ובקרבתם — This is equivalent to ובקרבם, and has an imperfect sense, the same as כשיקרבו. when they were approaching.

אולא יכל משה לבוא אל אהל מועד. וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (במדבר ז')? בָּא הַכָּתוּב הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם – כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן, אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה עָלָיו הֶעָנָן לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לָבֹא, נִסְתַּלֵּק הֶעָנָן נִכְנָס וּמְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ (ספרא):

1ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד AND MOSES WAS NOT ABLE TO COME INTO THE APPOINTED TENT — But another verse says, (Numbers 7:89) “And when Moses came into the appointed tent [to speak with Him then he heard the voice]”! There comes, however, a third verse and reconciles these apparently contradictory verses, for it says here כי שכן עליו הענן “For (or when) the cloud abode thereon (on the appointed tent)”. Hence you may say: so long as the cloud was upon it “he was not able to come into the appointed tent”, but as soon as the cloud disappeared he entered it and spoke with Him (Sifra, Braita d'Rabbi Yishmael 18).

אלעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מסעיהם. בְּכָל מַסָּע שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹסְעִים, הָיָה הֶעָנָן שׁוֹכֵן בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יַחֲנוּ שָׁם; מְקוֹם חֲנִיָּתָן אַף הוּא קָרוּי מַסָּע, וְכֵן וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו (בראשית י"ג), וְכֵן אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי (במדבר ל"ג), לְפִי שֶׁמִּמְּקוֹם הַחֲנִיָּה חָזְרוּ וְנָסְעוּ, לְכָךְ נִקְרְאוּ כֻלָּן מַסָּעוֹת:

1לעיני כל בית ישראל בכל מסעיהם [THE CLOUD WAS ON THE TABERNACLE] … IN THE SIGHT OF ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR JOURNEYS — At every מסע which they made (according to Rashi this means: at every station at which they stopped) the cloud rested upon the Tabernacle in the place where they encamped. A place where they encamped is also called מסע (the literal meaning of which is “journey”). Similar is, (Genesis 13:3) “And he went on to his resting places (למסעיו)“ (cf. Rashi on this verse); similar also is, (Numbers 33:1) “These are the מסעי” — “the places of encampment”. Because from the place of encampment they always set out again on a new journey therefore all the different stages of their journeys (including the places where they encamped) are called מסעות.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org