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The
Accounting
These are
the accounts of the Tabernacle of Testimony, which were calculated
by Moses' order by the Levites under Ithamar, son of Aaron the
priest.
Betzalel
son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Judah, used these
materials to make all that Hashem had commanded Moses. With him was Oholiav son of Achisamakh, of the tribe of Dan, who was a skilled
carpenter, and was also expert in brocading and embroidering with
sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool, and fine linen.The
Materials
All the
gold was used in the work to complete the sacred task. The amount
of gold donated as a wave offering was 29 talents and 730 shekels
by the sanctuary standard.
The silver
census money collected from the community came out to 100 talents
and 1775 shekels by the sanctuary standard. This consisted of a
beka, which was a half shekel by sanctuary standards, for each of
the 603,550 men over 20 years old included in the census.
The 100
talents were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and the
cloth partition. There were a total of 100 bases made out of the
100 talents, one talent for each base.
Out of the
remaining 1775 shekels, the hooks, caps and inlaid hoops for the
pillars were made.
The copper
donated as a wave offering came out to 70 talents and 2400
shekels. It was used to make the bases for the Communion Tent's
entrance, the copper altar along with its copper screen and all
the altar's utensils, the bases for the surrounding enclosure, the
bases for the enclosure's entrance, the stakes for the tabernacle,
and the stakes for the surrounding enclosure.
From the
sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool, they made the packing cloths
for sacred use. They also made the sacred vestments for Aaron, as
HaShem had commanded Moses.
Making the
Ephod
He made
the ephod out of gold thread, sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool,
and twined linen. They beat out thin sheets of gold, and cut them
into threads, which were then included in the sky-blue, dark red
and crimson wool, and the fine linen.
The ephod
was made as a patterned brocade. They made shoulder pieces for it,
sewn to its two corners. The ephod's attached belt, woven together
with it, was made in the same manner, also out of gold thread,
sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool, and twined linen. It was thus
made as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Setting
the Sardonyxes
They
prepared the sardonyx stones to be placed in the settings. The
stones were engraved as on a signet ring with the names of
Israel's sons. He placed them on the ephod's shoulder pieces as
remembrance stones for Israel's sons. It was done as HaShem had
commanded Moses.
Making the
Breastplate
He made
the breastplate out of brocaded work, just like the ephod. It was
also made from gold thread, sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool,
and twined linen.
The
breastplate was made to be a square when folded over. It was a
span long, and when folded over, a span wide. The
breastplate was set with four rows of precious stones:
The first
row: carnelian, emerald, topaz.
The second
row: carbuncle, sapphire, beryl.
The third
row: jacinth, agate, amethyst.
The fourth
row: chyrsolite, onyx, jasper.
The stones
contained the names of Israel's sons. There were twelve names,
engraved as on a signet ring, one for each of the twelve tribes.
Matched pure gold cables, braided like cords, were attached to the
breastplate. They made two gold settings and two gold rings,
and they
placed the two rings on the breastplate's two upper
corners.
The two
gold braids were then attached to the two rings on the
breastplate's corners. The two braids on the two corners were
attached to the two settings, and they were thus attached to the
ephod's shoulder pieces toward the front.
They made
two gold rings and placed them on the breastplate's two lower
corners, on the edge toward the inside of the ephod.
They made
two gold rings, and placed them on the bottoms of the ephod's two
shoulder pieces toward the front, near where they were attached,
above the ephod's belt.
They laced
the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a
twist of sky-blue wool, so that the breastplate would remain above
the ephod's belt. The breastplate would thus not be displaced from
the ephod.
All this
was done as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Making the
Robe
He made
the robe for the ephod, weaving it completely out of sky-blue
wool. The robe's opening was in the middle, like the opening of a
coat of mail, with a border all around so that it not be left
open.
On the
skirt of the robe, they made pomegranates out of twined sky-blue,
dark red and crimson wool. They made pure gold bells, and placed
the bells between the pomegranates. The bells were thus all around
on the bottom of the robe between the pomegranates. There was a
bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the
bottom of the robe.
It was
thus made for the divine service, as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Making the
Other Vestments
They made
the tunics for Aaron and his sons by weaving them out of fine
linen. They made the linen turban, the fine linen hats, and the
line pants, all out of twined linen. They made the belt,
embroidered out of twined linen, and sky-blue, dark red and
crimson wool.
It was all
done as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Making the
Head-plate
They made
the head-plate as a sacred coronet, out of pure gold. Written on
it, in the same manner as a signet ring's engraving, were the
words, 'Holy to G-d.'
They
placed a twist of sky-blue wool on the head-plate, so that it
could be placed over the turban. It was all done as HaShem had
commanded Moses.
The
Tabernacle is Completed
All the
work on the Communion Tent Tabernacle was thus completed. The
Israelites did exactly as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Moses
Approves
They
brought the Tabernacle to Moses. There was the Communion Tent
along with its equipment, its fastenings, beams, crossbars,
pillars and bases; the roof of reddened rams' hides, the roof of
blue processed hides, the cloth partition; the Ark of
Testimony and its carrying poles, the ark cover, the table and its
equipment, the showbread, the pure gold menorah along with its
prescribed lamps, all its utensils, and the illuminating
oil; the golden altar, the anointing oil, the perfumed
incense, the Communion Tent's drape; the copper altar along
with its carrying poles and all its equipment; the washstand and
its base; the hangings for the enclosure, its poles and
bases, the drape for the enclosure's entrance, its tying ropes and
stakes, all the equipment used in the Communion Tent Tabernacle's
service, the packing cloths for sacred use, the sacred
vestments
for Aaron the priest, and the vestments that his
sons would wear to serve.
The
Israelites had done all the work exactly in the manner that HaShem
had commanded Moses.
When Moses
saw that all the work had been done exactly as HaShem had ordered,
he blessed all the workers.
Orders for
Erecting the Tabernacle
HaShem
spoke to Moses, saying: On the first day of the first month,
you shall erect the Communion Tent Tabernacle. Place the Ark of
Testimony there, and shield the ark with the cloth partition.
Bring in the table and set it up, and bring in the menorah and
light its lamps. Place
the gold incense altar directly in front of
the Ark of Testimony, and then set up the drape at the
Tabernacle's entrance. Place the sacrificial altar in front of the
entrance of the Communion Tent Tabernacle. Then place the
washstand between the Communion Tent and the altar, and fill it
with water. Set up the enclosure all around, and place the drape
over the enclosure's entrance. Take the anointing oil, and anoint
the tabernacle and everything in it. You will thus sanctify it and
all its equipment making it holy. Anoint the sacrificial altar and
all its equipment. You will thus sanctify the altar, and it will
be holy of holies. Anoint the washstand and its basin, and make
them holy.
Bring
Aaron and his sons to the Communion Tent's entrance, and have them
immerse in a mikvah. Then have Aaron put on the sacred vestments,
and anoint him, thus sanctifying him as a priest to Me.
Bring
forth Aaron's sons and place the tunics on them. Then anoint them,
just as you anointed their father, so that they will be priests to
Me. It will be done so that their anointing will make them an
eternal hereditary priesthood for all generations.
Moses
proceeded to do exactly as HaShem had commanded him.
The
Tabernacle is Erected
In the
first month of the second year of the Exodus, on the first of the
month, the Tabernacle was erected.
Moses
erected the Tabernacle. He did this by setting up the bases,
placing the beams in them, and fastening them together with the
crossbars. He then set up the pillars. He spread the tent over the
tabernacle, and placed the tent's roof over it. It was all done as
HaShem had commanded Moses.
Placing
the Ark
He took
the Tablets of Testimony and placed them in the Ark. He then
placed the carrying poles in the ark, and set the cover on top of
the ark. He brought the ark into the Tabernacle, and set up
the cloth partition so that it would shield the Ark of Testimony.
It was all done as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Placing
the Table
He placed
the table in the Communion Tent, outside the cloth partition, on
the north side of the Tabernacle. Then he placed the prescribed
arrangement of bread on it before HaShem. It was all done as
HaShem had commanded Moses.
Placing
the Lamp
He placed
the menorah in the Communion Tent directly across from the table,
on the southern side of the Tabernacle. He then lit the lamps
before HaShem. It was all done as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Placing
the Incense Altar
He placed
the golden altar in the Communion Tent in front of the cloth
partition. Then he burned perfume incense on it. It was all done
as HaShem had commanded Moses.
The Drape
and the Altar
He placed
the drape over the Tabernacle's entrance. He then placed the
sacrificial altar in front of the entrance of the Communion Tent
Tabernacle, and he sacrificed the burnt offering and meal offering
on it. It was all done as HaShem had commanded Moses.
Placing
the Washstand
He set the
washstand between the Communion Tent and the altar, and he filled
it with water for washing.
Moses,
Aaron, and Aaron's sons, washed their hands and feet from it. They
would wash in this manner whenever they came to the Communion Tent
or offered sacrifice on the altar. It was all done as HaShem had
commanded Moses.
Setting up
the Enclosure
He set up
the enclosure surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and he placed
the drape over the enclosure's entrance. With this, Moses
completed all the work.
The Cloud
on the Tabernacle
The cloud
covered the Communion Tent, and HaShem's glory filled the
Tabernacle.
Moses
could not come into the Communion Tent, since the cloud had rested
on it, and HaShem's glory filled the Tabernacle.
Later,
when the cloud would rise up from the Tabernacle, it would be a
signal for the Israelites to move on, and this was true in all
their travels. Whenever the cloud did not rise, they would not
move on, waiting until the day it did. HaShem's cloud would then
remain on the Tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night. This
was visible to the entire family of Israel, in all their travels.
Next Week's
Parsha :
VaYikra Leviticus 1:1
- 5:26
Next
Week's Haftara:
Isaiah 43.21-44.23 |
