Saadia's Tafsir on Shemot 37 (Parashat Vayakhel)

Shemot 37:1

וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת-הָאָרֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי אָרְכּוֹ וְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי רָחְבּוֹ וְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי קֹמָתוֹ

. . .

And Bezalel made the ark from acacia wood: two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

Shemot 37:2

וַיְצַפֵּהוּ זָהָב טָהוֹר מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב

. . .

And he overlaid it with pure gold, from within and from without; and he made for it a border of gold, encircling all around.

Shemot 37:3

וַיִּצֹק לוֹ אַרְבַּע טַבְּעֹת זָהָב עַל אַרְבַּע פַּעֲמֹתָיו וּשְׁתֵּי טַבָּעֹת עַל-צַלְעוֹ הָאֶחָת וּשְׁתֵּי טַבָּעֹת עַל-צַלְעוֹ הַשֵּׁנִית

. . .

And he cast for it four rings of gold, and set them on its four sides — two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side.

Shemot 37:4

וַיַּעַשׂ בַּדֵּי עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וַיְצַף אֹתָם זָהָב

.

And he made carrying-poles from acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Shemot 37:5

וַיָּבֵא אֶת-הַבַּדִּים בַּטַּבָּעֹת עַל צַלְעֹת הָאָרֹן לָשֵׂאת אֶת-הָאָרֹן

.

And he inserted the poles into the rings, on the two sides of the ark, so that it might be carried by them.

Shemot 37:6

וַיַּעַשׂ כַּפֹּרֶת זָהָב טָהוֹר אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי אָרְכָּהּ וְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי רָחְבָּהּ

. .

And he made a cover of pure gold: two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its width.

Shemot 37:7

וַיַּעַשׂ שְׁנֵי כְרֻבִים זָהָב מִקְשָׁה עָשָׂה אֹתָם מִשְּׁנֵי קְצוֹת הַכַּפֹּרֶת

. .

And he made two cherubim of gold — solid he made them — from the two ends of the cover.

Shemot 37:8

כְּרוּב-אֶחָד מִקָּצָה מִזֶּה וּכְרוּב-אֶחָד מִקָּצָה מִזֶּה מִן-הַכַּפֹּרֶת עָשָׂה אֶת-הַכְּרֻבִים מִשְּׁנֵי קצוותו (קְצוֹתָיו)

. . .

One of them from its right side, and the other from its left side — from the body of the cover itself he made them, from its two ends.

Shemot 37:9

וַיִּהְיוּ הַכְּרֻבִים פֹּרְשֵׂי כְנָפַיִם לְמַעְלָה סֹכְכִים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם עַל-הַכַּפֹּרֶת וּפְנֵיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל-אָחִיו אֶל-הַכַּפֹּרֶת--הָיוּ פְּנֵי הַכְּרֻבִים

. . .

And the two cherubim were spreading their wings upward, sheltering with them over the cover; and the face of one was toward the other, and toward the cover were their faces turned.

Shemot 37:10

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הַשֻּׁלְחָן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים אַמָּתַיִם אָרְכּוֹ וְאַמָּה רָחְבּוֹ וְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי קֹמָתוֹ

. .

And he made the table from acacia wood: two cubits its length, and a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

Shemot 37:11

וַיְצַף אֹתוֹ זָהָב טָהוֹר וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב

. .

And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made for it a border of gold, encircling all around.

Shemot 37:12

וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ מִסְגֶּרֶת טֹפַח סָבִיב וַיַּעַשׂ זֵר-זָהָב לְמִסְגַּרְתּוֹ סָבִיב

. . .

And he made for it a rim of the breadth of a fist, encircling all around; and he made for it a border of gold for its rim, encircling all around.

Shemot 37:13

וַיִּצֹק לוֹ אַרְבַּע טַבְּעֹת זָהָב וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-הַטַּבָּעֹת עַל אַרְבַּע הַפֵּאֹת אֲשֶׁר לְאַרְבַּע רַגְלָיו

. .

And he cast for it four rings of gold, and set the rings on its four sides — which were at its four legs.

Shemot 37:14

לְעֻמַּת הַמִּסְגֶּרֶת הָיוּ הַטַּבָּעֹת בָּתִּים לַבַּדִּים לָשֵׂאת אֶת-הַשֻּׁלְחָן

. . .

Alongside the rim were the rings — a place for the poles — so that the table might be carried by them.

Shemot 37:15

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הַבַּדִּים עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וַיְצַף אֹתָם זָהָב לָשֵׂאת אֶת-הַשֻּׁלְחָן

. .

And he made the poles from acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, so that the table might be carried by them.

Shemot 37:16

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הַכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר עַל-הַשֻּׁלְחָן אֶת-קְעָרֹתָיו וְאֶת-כַּפֹּתָיו וְאֵת מְנַקִּיֹּתָיו וְאֶת-הַקְּשָׂו‍ֹת אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן--זָהָב טָהוֹר

. . .

And he made the vessels that were upon it — the dishes, the drawers, the spoons, and the flagons with which it is covered — of pure gold.

Shemot 37:17

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הַמְּנֹרָה זָהָב טָהוֹר מִקְשָׁה עָשָׂה אֶת-הַמְּנֹרָה יְרֵכָהּ וְקָנָהּ--גְּבִיעֶיהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ מִמֶּנָּה הָיוּ

. . .

And he made the lampstand of pure gold — solid he made it: its base and its shaft, its cups, its pomegranates, and its blossoms were all of it.

Shemot 37:18

וְשִׁשָּׁה קָנִים יֹצְאִים מִצִּדֶּיהָ שְׁלֹשָׁה קְנֵי מְנֹרָה מִצִּדָּהּ הָאֶחָד וּשְׁלֹשָׁה קְנֵי מְנֹרָה מִצִּדָּהּ הַשֵּׁנִי

. . .

And six branches extending from its sides — three branches from one side of it, and three branches from the other side.

Shemot 37:19

שְׁלֹשָׁה גְבִעִים מְשֻׁקָּדִים בַּקָּנֶה הָאֶחָד כַּפְתֹּר וָפֶרַח וּשְׁלֹשָׁה גְבִעִים מְשֻׁקָּדִים בְּקָנֶה אֶחָד כַּפְתֹּר וָפָרַח כֵּן לְשֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים הַיֹּצְאִים מִן-הַמְּנֹרָה

. . .

Three cups fashioned in almond-shapes on each branch, a pomegranate and a blossom — thus he made it for the six branches extending from it.

Shemot 37:20

וּבַמְּנֹרָה אַרְבָּעָה גְבִעִים מְשֻׁקָּדִים--כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ

. .

And in the body of the lampstand itself, four cups fashioned in almond-shapes, with their pomegranates and their blossoms.

Shemot 37:21

וְכַפְתֹּר תַּחַת שְׁנֵי הַקָּנִים מִמֶּנָּה וְכַפְתֹּר תַּחַת שְׁנֵי הַקָּנִים מִמֶּנָּה וְכַפְתֹּר תַּחַת-שְׁנֵי הַקָּנִים מִמֶּנָּה--לְשֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים הַיֹּצְאִים מִמֶּנָּה

. .

And a pomegranate beneath each two branches of it — thus for the six branches extending from it.

Shemot 37:22

כַּפְתֹּרֵיהֶם וּקְנֹתָם מִמֶּנָּה הָיוּ כֻּלָּהּ מִקְשָׁה אַחַת זָהָב טָהוֹר

.

Its pomegranates and its shaft were of it — all of it was one solid piece of pure gold.

Shemot 37:23

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-נֵרֹתֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה וּמַלְקָחֶיהָ וּמַחְתֹּתֶיהָ זָהָב טָהוֹר

.

And he made for it seven lamps, and its tongs and its fire-pans of pure gold.

Shemot 37:24

כִּכָּר זָהָב טָהוֹר עָשָׂה אֹתָהּ וְאֵת כָּל-כֵּלֶיהָ

.

From a talent of pure gold he made it — it and all its vessels.

Shemot 37:25

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-מִזְבַּח הַקְּטֹרֶת עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים אַמָּה אָרְכּוֹ וְאַמָּה רָחְבּוֹ רָבוּעַ וְאַמָּתַיִם קֹמָתוֹ--מִמֶּנּוּ הָיוּ קַרְנֹתָיו

. . .

And he made the altar of incense from acacia wood: one cubit its length and one cubit its width — square — and two cubits its height; its horns were of it.

Shemot 37:26

וַיְצַף אֹתוֹ זָהָב טָהוֹר אֶת-גַּגּוֹ וְאֶת-קִירֹתָיו סָבִיב--וְאֶת-קַרְנֹתָיו וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב

. . .

And he overlaid it with pure gold — its top and its walls all around, and its horns; and he made for it a border of gold, encircling all around.

Shemot 37:27

וּשְׁתֵּי טַבְּעֹת זָהָב עָשָׂה-לוֹ מִתַּחַת לְזֵרוֹ עַל שְׁתֵּי צַלְעֹתָיו עַל שְׁנֵי צִדָּיו--לְבָתִּים לְבַדִּים לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ בָּהֶם

. . .

And two rings of gold he made for it beneath its border, on its two sides — thus on its two sides — as a place for the poles, so that it might be carried by them.

Shemot 37:28

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הַבַּדִּים עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וַיְצַף אֹתָם זָהָב

. .

And he made the poles from acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Shemot 37:29

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה קֹדֶשׁ וְאֶת-קְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים טָהוֹר--מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵחַ

. .

And he made the consecrated anointing oil, and the pure incense of resins — the work of a perfumer.