Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 25:29/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ה:כ״ט

אועשית. מה שאמרו רז"ל ידוע הוא:

1AND THOU SHALT MAKE. What the rabbis said is known.²²¹ 97a) said that “ke’arotav (its dishes) are the molds; kapotav (its pans) are dishes (of frankincense); kesotav (its jars) the props; menakki’otav (its bowls) the rods; asher yussakh ba-hen (wherewith to pour) wherewith the bread was covered.” Also see Rashi. Contra to what Krinsky, Meijler, and others write, it appears that I.E. does not accept the Rabbinic interpretation. In fact, in the short commentary he renders kesotav as cups (kosot).

בומלת אשר יסך בהן. שבה אל וקשותיו לא אל הקרובה אליה שהיא ומנקיותיו, וכמוהו משה ואהרן בכהניו ושמואל בקוראי שמו (תה' צט ו) וכתוב בעמוד ענן ידבר אליהם (שם פ' ז) שהם משה ואהרן לא שמואל, והעד כי במעשה הזכיר הקשות אשר יסך בהן (למטה לז טז), ועוד ואת קשות הנסך (במד' ד ז) ומלת נסך לטעמים רבים, לא יסכו לה נסך (הושע ט ד) הפסל נסך חרש (ישעי' מ יט), ואני נסכתי מלכי (תה' ב ו), אמר רב נתן שהוא בעל הערוך, כי הקשוות דמות קנים, כי כן יקראו בלשון ישמעאל, והמגיד לו לא ידע לשון ערבי כי נלעג היה כי הקנים יקראו קצ"ב בצד"י גם בבית ויש שבוש בדברי הימים שהזכיר תחת הקערות מזרקים, ותחת הכפות כפורים, והזכיר הקשוות כאשר הם, ותחת המנקיות אמר מזלגות והכל זהב לצורך השלחן, אולי כלים אחרים צוה דוד לשומם בשולחנות שיעשה שלמה:

2[WHEREWITH TO POUR OUT.] The phrase wherewith to pour out refers to the jars thereof (kesotav).²²² are jars used in pouring. It does not relate to and the bowls thereof, which immediately precedes it.²²³ The following is similar: Moses and Aaron among His priests, And Samuel among them (Ps. 99:6). Scripture then goes on to say, He spoke unto them in the pillar of cloud (Ps. 99:7). The latter refers to Moses and Aaron, not to Samuel.²²⁴ The fact that Scripture says with regard to the making of the vessels, the jars thereof (ha-kesot) wherewith to pour out (Ex. 37:16) proves that wherewith to pour out²²⁵ refers to the jars thereof. So does and the jars (kesot) wherewith to pour out (Num. 4:7). The word nasakh (pour) has many meanings. We thus read, They shall not pour out wine-offerings (nesekh) to the Lord (Hos. 9:4);²²⁶) to the Lord. I.E. either paraphrased or quoted from memory and erred. The image perchance, which the craftsman hath melted (nasakh) (Is. 40:19); and Truly it is I that have established (nasakhti) My king (Ps. 2:6).²²⁷ (pour out) in our verse. Yussakh is the pu’al form of nasakh. It is noteworthy that none of the meanings that I.E. quotes for this word fit in with the Rabbinic interpretation of yussakh. As it will be recalled, the rabbis interpreted yussakh to mean was covered. See note 221. Rabbi Nathan,²²⁸. the author of the Arukh,²²⁹ says that kesavot (jars) are rods,²³⁰ (jars) were “semitubular-shaped rods placed three in a row upon each of the twelve loaves of showbread, so as to separate one from the other and allow air to pass through them to save them from becoming moldy” (Cohen). as that is how they are referred to in Arabic.²³¹.” However, the one who told this to him did not know the Arabic language and spoke it laughably. Rods in Arabic are referred to as katzab, which is spelled with a tzadi and a bet.²³², the singular of kesavot, is spelled kof, sin, vav, heh. There is an error²³³ (error). Filwarg would like to emend to shinu (a difference). However, he has no manuscript evidence to back up his emendation. S.Y. Rapaport does not believe that I.E. would have uttered such a word. In keeping with his theory that the long commentary was composed by students of I.E. from notes taken at their master’s lectures, he claims that the students misunderstood what I.E. said (See Toledot Rabbenu Natan, S.Y. Rapaport, p. 30). Unlike Filwarg and Rapaport, Nahmanides had no doubts that I.E. uttered these words. He comments, “Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: ‘There is an error in Chronicles…’ The error, however, is in Rabbi Abraham’s words (not in the Book of Chronicles)” (Chavel translation). Nahmanides goes on to say that I Chron 28:17 does not speak only of the utensils made for the table but also of other utensils made for the altar. It should be noted that I.E. goes on to reconcile I Chron. 28:17 and our verse. However, Nahmanides did not accept his interpretation. in the Book of Chronicles.²³⁴ Chronicles mentions basins in place of dishes, bowls in place of pans. It mentions jars as Scripture does here. In place of the bowls it mentions forks.²³⁵ They were all made of gold for use at the table. It is possible that David commanded that other utensils be placed upon the tables which Solomon would make.²³⁶ However, the table placed in the tabernacle differed.²³⁷