Saadia's Tafsir on Shemot 40 (Parashat Pekudei)

Shemot 40:1

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

Then God spoke to Moses directly.

Shemot 40:2

בְּיוֹם-הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ תָּקִים אֶת-מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד

. .

In the first month, on the first day of it, erect the tabernacle of the tent of the assembly.

Shemot 40:3

וְשַׂמְתָּ שָׁם אֵת אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת וְסַכֹּתָ עַל-הָאָרֹן אֶת-הַפָּרֹכֶת

.

And place therein the ark of the testimony, and screen over it with the curtain.

Shemot 40:4

וְהֵבֵאתָ אֶת-הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְעָרַכְתָּ אֶת-עֶרְכּוֹ וְהֵבֵאתָ אֶת-הַמְּנֹרָה וְהַעֲלֵיתָ אֶת-נֵרֹתֶיהָ

. . .

Then bring in the table, and arrange its two rows; and bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps.

Shemot 40:5

וְנָתַתָּה אֶת-מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב לִקְטֹרֶת לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן הָעֵדֻת וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת-מָסַךְ הַפֶּתַח לַמִּשְׁכָּן

. .

Then place the altar of gold for incense before the ark of the testimony, and hang the screen of the entrance of the tent of the tabernacle.

Shemot 40:6

וְנָתַתָּה אֵת מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה לִפְנֵי פֶּתַח מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל-מוֹעֵד

.

Then place the altar of offerings before the tent of the assembly.

Shemot 40:7

וְנָתַתָּ אֶת-הַכִּיֹּר בֵּין-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבֵין הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְנָתַתָּ שָׁם מָיִם

. .

Then place the basin between the tent of the assembly and the altar, and put water in it.

Shemot 40:8

וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת-הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב וְנָתַתָּ אֶת-מָסַךְ שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר

.

Then pitch the courtyard enclosure all around, and hang the screen of its gate.

Shemot 40:9

וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת-שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת-כָּל-כֵּלָיו וְהָיָה קֹדֶשׁ

. . .

Then take from the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it, and all its vessels — and it shall become holy.

Shemot 40:10

וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת-מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה וְאֶת-כָּל-כֵּלָיו וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְהָיָה הַמִּזְבֵּחַ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים

. .

And anoint the altar of the offering and all its vessels, and consecrate it — and it shall become of the choicest of the holy things.

Shemot 40:11

וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת-הַכִּיֹּר וְאֶת-כַּנּוֹ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתוֹ

.

And anoint the basin and its base, and consecrate the two of them.

Shemot 40:12

וְהִקְרַבְתָּ אֶת-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת-בָּנָיו אֶל-פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְרָחַצְתָּ אֹתָם בַּמָּיִם

.

And bring forward Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of the assembly, and wash them with water.

Shemot 40:13

וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ אֶת-אַהֲרֹן אֵת בִּגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֹתוֹ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתוֹ וְכִהֵן לִי

.

And clothe Aaron in the garments of holiness, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may lead for Me.

Shemot 40:14

וְאֶת-בָּנָיו תַּקְרִיב וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ אֹתָם כֻּתֳּנֹת

.

And bring forward his sons, and clothe them in tunics.

Shemot 40:15

וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֹתָם כַּאֲשֶׁר מָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת-אֲבִיהֶם וְכִהֲנוּ לִי וְהָיְתָה לִהְיֹת לָהֶם מָשְׁחָתָם לִכְהֻנַּת עוֹלָם--לְדֹרֹתָם

. . .

And anoint them as you anointed their father, that they may lead for Me; and that anointing of theirs shall be for them a priesthood forever, unto their generations.

Shemot 40:16

וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֹתוֹ--כֵּן עָשָׂה

.

And Moses did according to all that God had commanded him therein.

Shemot 40:17

וַיְהִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית--בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן

. .

Then, when it was in the first month of the second year, on the first day of it, the tabernacle was erected.

Shemot 40:18

וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-אֲדָנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-קְרָשָׁיו וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-בְּרִיחָיו וַיָּקֶם אֶת-עַמּוּדָיו

. . . .

The first thing Moses did in erecting it: he set down its bases, and fitted upon them its planks, and placed in it its bars, and stood up its pillars.

Shemot 40:19

וַיִּפְרֹשׂ אֶת-הָאֹהֶל עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-מִכְסֵה הָאֹהֶל עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

. .

Then he spread the tent over it, and placed the covering over it from above — as God had commanded him.

Shemot 40:20

וַיִּקַּח וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-הָעֵדֻת אֶל-הָאָרֹן וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-הַבַּדִּים עַל-הָאָרֹן וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-הַכַּפֹּרֶת עַל-הָאָרֹן מִלְמָעְלָה

. . .

Then he took the testimony and placed it in the ark, and set the carrying-poles upon it, and placed the cover over it from above.

Shemot 40:21

וַיָּבֵא אֶת-הָאָרֹן אֶל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיָּשֶׂם אֵת פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ וַיָּסֶךְ עַל אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

. . .

Then he brought it into the tabernacle, and hung the screening curtain, and screened over it — as God had commanded him.

Shemot 40:22

וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-הַשֻּׁלְחָן בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן צָפֹנָה מִחוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת

. .

Then he placed the table in the tent of the assembly, on the northern side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain.

Shemot 40:23

וַיַּעֲרֹךְ עָלָיו עֵרֶךְ לֶחֶם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

. .

And he arranged upon it two rows of bread before God — as He had commanded him.

Shemot 40:24

וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-הַמְּנֹרָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד נֹכַח הַשֻּׁלְחָן עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן נֶגְבָּה

. .

Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of the assembly, opposite the table, on the southern side of the tabernacle.

Shemot 40:25

וַיַּעַל הַנֵּרֹת לִפְנֵי יְהוָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

.

And he lit the lamps before God — as He had commanded him.

Shemot 40:26

וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי הַפָּרֹכֶת

.

Then he placed the golden altar in the tent of the assembly, before the curtain.

Shemot 40:27

וַיַּקְטֵר עָלָיו קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

.

And he burned incense upon it from the incense of resins — as God had commanded him.

Shemot 40:28

וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-מָסַךְ הַפֶּתַח לַמִּשְׁכָּן

.

Then he hung the screen of the entrance upon the tabernacle.

Shemot 40:29

וְאֵת מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה שָׂם פֶּתַח מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל-מוֹעֵד וַיַּעַל עָלָיו אֶת-הָעֹלָה וְאֶת-הַמִּנְחָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

. . .

And he placed the altar at the entrance of the tent of the assembly, and offered upon it the offering and the gift — as God had commanded him.

Shemot 40:30

וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-הַכִּיֹּר בֵּין-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבֵין הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּתֵּן שָׁמָּה מַיִם לְרָחְצָה

. .

Then he placed the basin between the tent of the assembly and the altar, and put in it water for washing.

Shemot 40:31

וְרָחֲצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת-יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת-רַגְלֵיהֶם

. .

And from it Moses and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet —

Shemot 40:32

בְּבֹאָם אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבְקָרְבָתָם אֶל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ--יִרְחָצוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה

. .

upon their entering the tent of the assembly, and upon their approaching the altar, they would wash — as God had commanded Moses.

Shemot 40:33

וַיָּקֶם אֶת-הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב לַמִּשְׁכָּן וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-מָסַךְ שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר וַיְכַל מֹשֶׁה אֶת-הַמְּלָאכָה

. . .

Then he pitched the courtyard enclosure around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the screen of its gate; and Moses completed all the work.

Shemot 40:34

וַיְכַס הֶעָנָן אֶת-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה מָלֵא אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן

.

Then the cloud covered the tent of the assembly, and the light of God filled the tabernacle.

Shemot 40:35

וְלֹא-יָכֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד--כִּי-שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה מָלֵא אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן

. . .

And Moses was not able to enter the tent of the assembly, because the cloud had settled upon it and the light of God filled the tabernacle.

Shemot 40:36

וּבְהֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִסְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכֹל מַסְעֵיהֶם

. .

And whenever the cloud rose up from the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would journey through all their journeyings.

Shemot 40:37

וְאִם-לֹא יֵעָלֶה הֶעָנָן--וְלֹא יִסְעוּ עַד-יוֹם הֵעָלֹתוֹ

.

And if it did not rise, they would not journey — only on the day it rose.

Shemot 40:38

כִּי עֲנַן יְהוָה עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן יוֹמָם וְאֵשׁ תִּהְיֶה לַיְלָה בּוֹ--לְעֵינֵי כָל-בֵּית-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל-מַסְעֵיהֶם

. .

For a cloud from God was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire would be in it by night, before the sons of Israel throughout all their journeyings.