Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 7:1/אבן עזרא על במדבר ז׳:א׳
אוטעם ויהי ביום כלות משה. אחר ברכת כהנים כי כן היה כי ביום שנשא אהרן את ידיו אל העם ויברכם החלה חנוכת המזבח ופסוק ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן לעד על דברי המעתיקים כי היה סותרו ומקימו וחוזר לסותרו ולהקימו כל ז' ימי המלואים להרגיל' כי טעם ויקדש אותם בהזאת הדם בשבעת ימי המלואים:
1[AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD MADE AN END OF SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE.] Moses made an end to the setting up of the tabernacle after the blessing of the kohanim,1 blessed Israel. See Num. 6:24-26; Lev. 9:22. as this was how events unfolded.2 at the end of chapter 6. On the day that Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them,3 the dedication of the tabernacle began.4 The verse And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle is proof of the words of our sages, that Moses took the tabernacle down, raised it up and took it down again, and erected it again throughout the seven days of dedication to train the kohanim.5 indicates that the tabernacle had been set up and taken down a number of times. See I.E. on Ex. 40:2 and the notes thereto (Vol. 2, p. 754). It should be noted that I.E. there rejects the opinion that Moses erected and took down the tabernacle during the seven days of dedication. For the meaning of and sanctified them is that he sanctified them [the furniture, the altar, and the vessels] by the sprinkling of the blood6 during the seven days of dedication.7
בואת המזבח ואת כל כליו. דבק עם ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן והטעם שהקים המזבח במקומו:
2AND THE ALTAR AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF. This is connected to on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle.8 also applies to and the altar. It means that he set the altar up in its place.
גואת כל כליו וימשחם. בשמן המשחה:
3AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF, AND HAD ANOINTED THEM. With the anointing oil
דויקדש אותם. בדם והזכיר המזבח בעבור החנוכה:
4AND SANCTIFIED THEM. With blood. Scripture mentions the altar because of its dedication.9, the altar is included in the furniture thereof. Hence I.E. points out the altar is singled out for special mention because it had a special dedication. According to I.E. sex is one of the things that creates a barrier between man and God (Yesod Mora, chapter 7, pp. 107 and 108). The Nazirite is an individual who takes a vow to abstain from wine and haircutting. I.E. connects wine and hair to sexuality. He believes that most sexual taboos are violated because the transgressor has imbibed wine. As to the prohibition of cutting the hair, I.E. writes, “A woman who does not fix her hair does not seek to engage in sexual relationships” (Num. 5:31). He similarly notes that the Torah states that “a razor shall not come upon the head of a Nazirite so that he does not make himself attractive to women.” (Yesod Mora, p. 62).