Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 25:10/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ה:י׳
אועשו. בעבור שאמר בתחלה ועשו לי, החל ככה ועשו ארון:
1AND THEY SHALL MAKE. Scripture begins by saying, And they shall make an ark because it had at first said, And let them make Me a sanctuary (v. 8).74 for the ark as it did for the sanctuary. It does so because it is the first vessel to be named. With regard to the making of the other articles of furniture, Scripture states, And thou shalt make (see Ex. 25:23,31; Ex. 26:1,31; Ex. 27:1,9. Hence I.E.’s comment. See Shemot Rabbah 33:3.
בולא ידענו אם זאת המדה בחוץ או בפנים, והנה אם היא בחוץ יהיה עבר הארון מצופה מבית ומחוץ מב' העברים חצי אמה עד שתהיה מדת כל לוח הברית אמה אורך ואמה רוחב, ואם אמרנו שגם הקומה חצי אמה תהיה כל אבן כבדה מאד, אולי נתן השם כח רב לידי משה שהיו כבדים להוריד לוח אבן ביד אחת, וכתוב משני עבריהם (למטה לב טו) אולי כן היה, כי הלוח הוא גוף מעוקב שיש לו ששה עברים, וככה כתוב כי שלשה ארונות היו ויש לתמוה על הכבדות, ועוד כי עובי הכפורת טפח, ועוד כי ראינו שלא היה זהב התנופה רק פחות מן חלק אחד מג' אלפים וארבע מאות מהזהב שהניח דוד, והנה הכרובים היו עצי שמן גם מזבח הקטרת לא היה כולו זהב, והיה שוה לפי הסברא כי הציפוי למראה העין הוא ומעט הזהב יכנס בציפוי, הלא כי הקרשים והבריחים והשולחן ומזבח הקטורת כלם מצופים, ואין דבר שיהיה זהב כלו רק המנורה, ואחר שעשו הארון זהב מה צורך לעץ, ויוכיח על הציפוי כי הנה האולם והבית ציפה שלמה זהב:
2[TWO CUBITS AND A HALF SHALL BE THE LENGTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF THE BREADTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF THE HEIGHT THEREOF.] We do not know if these measurements refer to the outside or to the inside of the ark. Now if the reference is to the outside of the ark,75 then the width of the two sides of the ark,76 each of which was covered by gold on the inside and the outside, added up to half a cubit,77 making the size of the tablets a cubit in width and a cubit in length.78 Now if we say that the height of the ark79 as referring to the ark plus its legs. Indeed, this is the way I.E. interprets this clause in chapter 9 of his Yesod Morah. See note 80. was also half a cubit thick, then each tablet was extremely heavy.80 Perhaps81 where I.E. says that we do not know the height of the tablets or of the ark. He argues that the height for the ark given in our Torah portion does not relate only to the ark but to the ark plus the legs which he assumes the ark had. I.E. argues thus because he believed that it would be impossible for Moses to hold in his hands tablets of stones which measured a cubed cubit. God gave strength to the hands of Moses, which were “heavy”82 to begin with, so that he was able to bring down a tablet of stone in one hand.83 Now Scripture states, tables that were written on both their sides (Ex. 32:15).84 Perhaps it was so,85 for a tablet is a cube having six sides.86 We similarly find it written87 that there were three arks.88 72b. “Bezalel made three arks, two of gold, and one of wood…He placed the ark of wood inside the ark of gold, and the ark of gold inside the ark of wood. He covered its upper rim with gold. It was consequently overlaid within and without with gold.” Its weight raises questions.89 Furthermore, the width of the ark cover90 was a handbreadth91 5a. This too would add to the ark’s weight. Additionally, we read in Scripture that the gold which was donated92. came to less than one thousand and four hundred parts of the gold which king David left.93 [David] have prepared for the house of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold. I.E. questions whether Moses had enough gold available to construct two arks of gold of the size described in our chapter. Observe, the cherubim were made of olive wood.94 The incense altar was also not completely made of gold.95 If we look at it logically, then it appears that the ark was covered with gold for appearance sake96 and that very little gold actually went into the covering.97 Were not the boards, the bars, the table, and the incense altar all covered with gold? Nothing except for the menorah was made entirely of gold. Now once they made an ark out of gold, what need was there for wood?98 The fact that Solomon covered the porch and the house with gold demonstrates how the covering was actually done.99