Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 38:21/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ח:כ״א

אאָמַר הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת בַּעֲבוּר כִּי יְרִיעוֹת שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר הֵם שֶׁיִּקָּרְאוּ מִשְׁכָּן בַּמִּצְוָה (שמות כ"ו:א') וּבַמַּעֲשֶׂה (שמות ל"ו:ח'), אֲבָל מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת כּוֹלֵל הַבַּיִת בִּכְלָלוֹ שֶׁהוּא הַמִּשְׁכָּן הַנַּעֲשֶׂה לְלוּחוֹת הָעֵדוּת: וְעַל דַּעַת רַבִּים (רש"י וראב"ע) אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן יַחְזֹר אֶל הַנִּזְכָּרִים לְמַעְלָה, יֹאמַר כִּי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכֵלָיו שֶׁהוּא הַבַּיִת וְהֶחָצֵר וְכָל הַנַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם פְּקוּדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הַלְוִיִּם שֶׁפִּקְדָּם מֹשֶׁה בְּיַד אִיתָמָר, וְאֵין כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ הָאָרֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהַמְּנֹרָה וְהַמִּזְבְּחֹת בִּכְלַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן, כִּי הֵם בְּיַד אֶלְעָזָר. וְאֵין כֵּן דַּעְתִּי, כִּי לָמָּה יַזְכִּיר פְּקֻדַּת אִיתָמָר וְלֹא יַזְכִּיר פְּקֻדַּת אֶלְעָזָר שֶׁהִיא הַנִּכְבֶּדֶת. אֲבָל "אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי" יִרְמֹז אֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּיר בַּפָּרָשָׁה לְמַטָּה, יֹאמַר כִּי כֶּסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה מְאַת כִּכָּר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בּוֹ הָאֲדָנִים וְהַוָּוִים לָעַמּוּדִים וְצִפּוּיֵיהֶם וַחֲשׁוּקֵיהֶם (שמות ל"ח:כ"ה-כ"ח), וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁהוּא שִׁבְעִים כִּכָּר שֶׁעָשָׂה בָּהּ מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְהַמִּכְבָּר וְכָל כֵּלָיו וְאַדְנֵי הַחֲצֵרוֹת וְהַיְּתֵדוֹת (שמות ל"ח:כ"ט-ל"א), הַכֹּל נָתַן מֹשֶׁה בְּמִסְפַּר בְּמִשְׁקָל בְּיַד אִיתָמָר:
וְלֹא סִפֵּר בַּפָּרָשָׁה מַה נַעֲשָׂה בַּזָּהָב, כִּי הַזָּהָב מִמֶּנּוּ בְּיַד אִיתָמָר צִפּוּי הַקְּרָשִׁים וְהַבְּרִיחִים, וּמִמֶּנּוּ בְּיַד אֶלְעָזָר הָאָרוֹן וְהַכַּפֹּרֶת וְהַמְּנוֹרָה וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וּמִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב. וְהִנֵּה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁלֹּא יִוָּדַע צִפּוּי כָּל כְּלִי כַּמָּה זָהָב יֵשׁ בּוֹ לֹא סִפֵּר שֶׁנְּתָנוֹ מֹשֶׁה לָהֶם בְּמִנְיָן וּבְמִשְׁקָל. וּלְכָךְ לֹא הִזְכִּיר כָּאן פְּקֻדַּת אֶלְעָזָר, כִּי לֹא בָּא הַכָּתוּב עַתָּה רַק לְדַבֵּר עַל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, לֹא עַל הַמַּסָּעוֹת. וְאַל יִקְשֶׁה עָלֶיךָ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּמְנֶה כָּאן מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְהוּא פְּקֻדַּת אֶלְעָזָר, כִּי יִצְטָרֵךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁעֲשָׂאוּהוּ מִנְּחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה, וְלֹא יָחוּשׁ לְהוֹצִיא דָּבָר אֶחָד מִכְּלַל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאָמַר בָּהֶן שֶׁהֵם בְּיַד אִיתָמָר, כִּי כֵן דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּתוּב בִּמְקוֹמוֹת הַרְבֵּה (בראשית לה כו שם מו כז): וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר בְּכָאן הַכִּיּוֹר וְכַנּוֹ, כִּי לֹא נַעֲשָׂה בְּמִשְׁקָל, אֲבָל כָּל הַמַּרְאוֹת שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ הַנָּשִׁים הַצּוֹבְאוֹת שָׂם בָּהֶם וְלֹא יָדַע מֹשֶׁה מִשְׁקָלוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בִּפְקֻדַּת אִיתָמָר, כִּי יִכָּנֵס בִּכְלַל מַה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (במדבר ג לא) "וּמִשְׁמַרְתָּם הָאָרֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהַמְּנֹרָה וְהַמִּזְבְּחֹת וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ בָּהֶם", כִּי בַּכִּיּוֹר וְכַנּוֹ יְשָׁרְתוּ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזּוֹ:

1THESE ARE THE ACCOUNTS OF THE TABERNACLE, THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY. Scripture uses this expression because the term “Tabernacle” means the curtains of fine-twined linen, which are so called both when the command was given¹ (above, 26:1). and at the construction of the Tabernacle,² (ibid., 36:8). See also Ramban further on, 39:33. while “the Tabernacle of the Testimony” includes the entire building, which is the Tabernacle made to house the Tablets of the Testimony.In the opinion of many scholars³ the phrase these are the accounts of the Tabernacle refers back to all the things mentioned above, the verse stating that the Tabernacle and its vessels, namely, the house and the court and all that was made for them, constituted the service entrusted to the Levites at the command of Moses by the hand of Ithamar [whose duty it was to hand over to each family the service that devolved upon it]. But the holy vessels — the ark, the table, the candelabrum, and the altars — are not included in the term “Tabernacle,” for they were in the hands of Eleazar.⁴ But this is not my opinion, for why should Scripture mention the entrusting of those things given to Ithamar, and not mention that of Eleazar, which was the more honored one? Rather, these are the accounts of hints at those things that Scripture mentions in the section further on, thus stating that the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents etc.,⁵ — from which were made the sockets, the hooks for the pillars, the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets.⁶, Verses 27-28. And the brass of the wave-offering, which was seventy talents, from which were made the brazen altar and its grating and all its vessels, and the sockets of the court and the pins⁷, Verses 29-31. — all these Moses gave over by number and weight through the hand of Ithamar. Now the section does not say what was done with the gold, for that was partly in the charge of Ithamar, namely, that used for covering the boards and the bars, and part of it was in the charge of Eleazar — the ark and the cover, the candelabrum, the table, and the golden altar. Now since one cannot know exactly how much gold went into the covering of each of these vessels, Scripture did not say that Moses gave it over to them by number and weight. It is for this reason that Scripture did not mention here the entrusting of the things given to Eleazar, for its intention here is only to speak of the work of the Tabernacle, not of that involved in the journeyings. Do not object [to this explanation] because Scripture mentions here the brazen altar,⁸, Verse 30. which was in the charge of Eleazar,⁹ for Scripture had to state that they made it out of the brass of the wave-offering, therefore it was not particular to exclude this one item from the general list of objects of which it said that they were by the hand of Ithamar, this being the way of Scripture in many places.Scripture does not mention in this section the laver and its base [which were also made of brass, and were under the charge of Ithamar], because it was not made according to a specified weight; instead, he put into it all the mirrors that the women brought together¹⁰ and thus Moses did not know its weight. It is possible that these were not under the charge of Ithamar [and therefore they are not mentioned], but they come into the category of that which Scripture says [of the children of Kohath, whose work was under the charge of Eleazar], and their charge was the ark, and the table, and the candelabrum, and the altars, and the vessels of the Sanctuary wherewith the priests minister,¹¹ for through the laver and its base the priests were enabled to minister at the altar. Thus they do not come into the listing given in this section.