Saadia's Tafsir on Shemot 38 (Parashat Vayakhel)

Shemot 38:1

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת אָרְכּוֹ וְחָמֵשׁ-אַמּוֹת רָחְבּוֹ רָבוּעַ וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קֹמָתוֹ

. . .

And he made the altar of burnt-offering from acacia wood: five cubits its length, and five cubits its width, square, and three cubits its height.

Shemot 38:2

וַיַּעַשׂ קַרְנֹתָיו עַל אַרְבַּע פִּנֹּתָיו--מִמֶּנּוּ הָיוּ קַרְנֹתָיו וַיְצַף אֹתוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת

. . .

And he made its horns upon its four sides — its horns were from it — and he overlaid it with copper.

Shemot 38:3

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-כָּל-כְּלֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת-הַסִּירֹת וְאֶת-הַיָּעִים וְאֶת-הַמִּזְרָקֹת אֶת-הַמִּזְלָגֹת וְאֶת-הַמַּחְתֹּת כָּל-כֵּלָיו עָשָׂה נְחֹשֶׁת

. . .

And he made all its vessels: the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the forks, and the fire-pans; all of these he made of copper.

Shemot 38:4

וַיַּעַשׂ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִכְבָּר מַעֲשֵׂה רֶשֶׁת נְחֹשֶׁת תַּחַת כַּרְכֻּבּוֹ מִלְּמַטָּה עַד-חֶצְיוֹ

. . .

And he made for it a grating, fashioned after the manner of netting, of copper, below its ledge, from the bottom up to its midpoint.

Shemot 38:5

וַיִּצֹק אַרְבַּע טַבָּעֹת בְּאַרְבַּע הַקְּצָו‍ֹת--לְמִכְבַּר הַנְּחֹשֶׁת בָּתִּים לַבַּדִּים

. .

And he cast four rings upon the four sides of the copper grating, as a place for the poles.

Shemot 38:6

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הַבַּדִּים עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וַיְצַף אֹתָם נְחֹשֶׁת

.

And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with copper.

Shemot 38:7

וַיָּבֵא אֶת-הַבַּדִּים בַּטַּבָּעֹת עַל צַלְעֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ בָּהֶם נְבוּב לֻחֹת עָשָׂה אֹתוֹ

. . .

And he inserted the poles into the rings upon the two sides of the altar, to carry it by them — hollow planks he made it.

Shemot 38:8

וַיַּעַשׂ אֵת הַכִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וְאֵת כַּנּוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת--בְּמַרְאֹת הַצֹּבְאֹת אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד

. . .

And he made the laver and its base of copper, from the mirrors of the women who assembled at the entrance of the tent of the assembly.

Shemot 38:9

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת-הֶחָצֵר לִפְאַת נֶגֶב תֵּימָנָה קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר מֵאָה בָּאַמָּה

. .

And he made the enclosure on the side toward the direction of the south wind — the curtains of the enclosure of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits.

Shemot 38:10

עַמּוּדֵיהֶם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַדְנֵיהֶם עֶשְׂרִים נְחֹשֶׁת וָוֵי הָעַמּוּדִים וַחֲשֻׁקֵיהֶם כָּסֶף

. .

Its pillars were twenty, and their bases twenty of copper; and the clasps of the pillars and their overlay were silver.

Shemot 38:11

וְלִפְאַת צָפוֹן מֵאָה בָאַמָּה--עַמּוּדֵיהֶם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַדְנֵיהֶם עֶשְׂרִים נְחֹשֶׁת וָוֵי הָעַמּוּדִים וַחֲשֻׁקֵיהֶם כָּסֶף

. . .

And on the side of the north, one hundred cubits; its pillars were twenty, and their bases twenty of copper; and the clasps of the pillars and their overlay were silver.

Shemot 38:12

וְלִפְאַת-יָם קְלָעִים חֲמִשִּׁים בָּאַמָּה--עַמּוּדֵיהֶם עֲשָׂרָה וְאַדְנֵיהֶם עֲשָׂרָה וָוֵי הָעַמֻּדִים וַחֲשׁוּקֵיהֶם כָּסֶף

. . . .

And on the side toward the direction of the west wind, curtains of fifty cubits in length; their pillars were ten, and their bases ten; and the clasps of the pillars and their overlay were silver.

Shemot 38:13

וְלִפְאַת קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה

And on the side toward the direction of the east, fifty cubits.

Shemot 38:14

קְלָעִים חֲמֵשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה אֶל-הַכָּתֵף עַמּוּדֵיהֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה וְאַדְנֵיהֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה

. . .

Of these, curtains of fifteen cubits for the one shoulder; their pillars were three, and their bases three.

Shemot 38:15

וְלַכָּתֵף הַשֵּׁנִית מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה לְשַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר קְלָעִים חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה עַמֻּדֵיהֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה וְאַדְנֵיהֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה

. . .

And for the second shoulder, right and left of the entrance of the enclosure, curtains of fifteen cubits in length; their pillars were three, and their bases three.

Shemot 38:16

כָּל-קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר

.

All the curtains of the enclosure, all around, were of fine twisted linen.

Shemot 38:17

וְהָאֲדָנִים לָעַמֻּדִים נְחֹשֶׁת וָוֵי הָעַמּוּדִים וַחֲשׁוּקֵיהֶם כֶּסֶף וְצִפּוּי רָאשֵׁיהֶם כָּסֶף וְהֵם מְחֻשָּׁקִים כֶּסֶף כֹּל עַמֻּדֵי הֶחָצֵר

. . .

And the bases of the pillars were of copper; and the clasps of the pillars and their overlay were silver; and he overlaid their tops as well — for all of them were overlaid with silver.

Shemot 38:18

וּמָסַךְ שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵם--תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר וְעֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה אֹרֶךְ וְקוֹמָה בְרֹחַב חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת לְעֻמַּת קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר

. . . . .

And the screen of the entrance of the enclosure was the work of an embroiderer, of blue and purple and scarlet dye and fine twisted linen; and its length was twenty cubits, and its thickness — which is its width — five cubits, corresponding to the curtains of the enclosure.

Shemot 38:19

וְעַמֻּדֵיהֶם אַרְבָּעָה וְאַדְנֵיהֶם אַרְבָּעָה נְחֹשֶׁת וָוֵיהֶם כֶּסֶף וְצִפּוּי רָאשֵׁיהֶם וַחֲשֻׁקֵיהֶם כָּסֶף

. . . .

And its pillars were four, and their bases four of copper; and their clasps were silver; and he overlaid their tops and their overlay was silver.

Shemot 38:20

וְכָל-הַיְתֵדֹת לַמִּשְׁכָּן וְלֶחָצֵר סָבִיב--נְחֹשֶׁת

.

And all the pegs of the tabernacle and of the enclosure, all around, were of copper.

Shemot 38:21

אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל-פִּי מֹשֶׁה עֲבֹדַת הַלְוִיִּם בְּיַד אִיתָמָר בֶּן-אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן

. . . .

This is the count of what went into the tabernacle — the tabernacle of the testimony — which was reckoned by the command of Moses, as the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

Shemot 38:22

וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן-אוּרִי בֶן-חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה עָשָׂה אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

. .

That which Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made — according to all that God had commanded Moses.

Shemot 38:23

וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן-אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְמַטֵּה-דָן--חָרָשׁ וְחֹשֵׁב וְרֹקֵם בַּתְּכֵלֶת וּבָאַרְגָּמָן וּבְתוֹלַעַת הַשָּׁנִי וּבַשֵּׁשׁ

. . . .

And with him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan — a master and skilled craftsman, and an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet dye and linen.

Shemot 38:24

כָּל-הַזָּהָב הֶעָשׂוּי לַמְּלָאכָה בְּכֹל מְלֶאכֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ--וַיְהִי זְהַב הַתְּנוּפָה תֵּשַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים כִּכָּר וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שֶׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ

. . . . .

Now the gold that was used in the work, for all the work of the sanctuary — the total of the gold of the wave-offering was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.

Shemot 38:25

וְכֶסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה מְאַת כִּכָּר וְאֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים שֶׁקֶל--בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ

. . .

And the silver — the total of what was obtained from the counted ones of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.

Shemot 38:26

בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ--לְכֹל הָעֹבֵר עַל-הַפְּקֻדִים מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה לְשֵׁשׁ-מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים

. . . . .

A half-shekel for each head, half a shekel by the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one who passed through the counting, from twenty years of age and upward — for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

Shemot 38:27

וַיְהִי מְאַת כִּכַּר הַכֶּסֶף לָצֶקֶת אֵת אַדְנֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֵת אַדְנֵי הַפָּרֹכֶת מְאַת אֲדָנִים לִמְאַת הַכִּכָּר כִּכָּר לָאָדֶן

. . . . . .

And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil — one hundred bases from one hundred talents, one base from one talent.

Shemot 38:28

וְאֶת-הָאֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע הַמֵּאוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים עָשָׂה וָוִים לָעַמּוּדִים וְצִפָּה רָאשֵׁיהֶם וְחִשַּׁק אֹתָם

. .

And the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels — from them he made clasps for the pillars, and overlaid their tops and overlaid them.

Shemot 38:29

וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה שִׁבְעִים כִּכָּר וְאַלְפַּיִם וְאַרְבַּע-מֵאוֹת שָׁקֶל

.

And the copper of the wave-offering amounted to seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

Shemot 38:30

וַיַּעַשׂ בָּהּ אֶת-אַדְנֵי פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְאֵת מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְאֶת-מִכְבַּר הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ וְאֵת כָּל-כְּלֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ

. . . .

And from it he made the bases of the entrance of the tent of the assembly, and the copper altar, and the copper grating that belongs to it, and all the vessels of the altar.

Shemot 38:31

וְאֶת-אַדְנֵי הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב וְאֶת-אַדְנֵי שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר וְאֵת כָּל-יִתְדֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת-כָּל-יִתְדֹת הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב

. .

And the bases of the enclosure all around, and the bases of its entrance, and all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs of the enclosure all around.