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Ramban on Exodus 40:2/רמב"ן על שמות מ׳:ב׳

אבְּיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ תָּקִים אֶת מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (בתורת כהנים סוף פרשת צו סימן קצא, ועוד) שֶׁהוּא יוֹם שְׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים, טַעַם הַכָּתוּב שֶׁתָּקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְיַעֲמֹד כֵּן וְלֹא תּוֹרִידֶנּוּ וְלֹא תְּקִימוֹ עוֹד, כִּי בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנוֹת הַלְוִיִּם יוֹרִידוּ אוֹתוֹ וְיָקִימוּ אוֹתוֹ. וְלֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְצַוּוֹת עַתָּה עַל הֲקָמַת שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, כִּי אָמַר לוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה "וַהֲקֵמֹתָ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן כְּמִשְׁפָּטוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָרְאֵיתָ בָּהָר" (שמות כ"ו:ל'), וְכֵיוָן שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ עַתָּה כִּי בְּיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן תִּהְיֶה הֲקָמָתוֹ לְעָמְדָה, הִנֵּה יָדַע כִּי שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים יִצְטָרֵךְ לְהָקִים וּלְהוֹרִיד. וְאוּלַי הָיָה כֵן לְהַרְגִּיל הַלְוִיִּם בְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ יִרְאוּ וְכֵן יַעֲשׂוּ, אוֹ הָיָה לְהַכְתִּיר הַיּוֹם בַּעֲטָרָה זוֹ:
וְנִרְאֶה לְדַעְתָּם כִּי בְּשִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיָה מֵקִים אוֹתוֹ בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, וְעוֹמֵד כֵּן כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה, וְכַעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר הָיָה מוֹרִיד אוֹתוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וּמְקִימוֹ מִיָּד, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר "וּפֶתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד תֵּשְׁבוּ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה" (ויקרא ח לה), וְאֵין פֶּתַח לָאֹהֶל רַק בְּעֵת הֲקָמָתוֹ: וּכְבָר דָּרְשׁוּ (בתורת כהנים ויקרא א ה) "אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד", בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא פָּתוּחַ וְלֹא בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא מְפֹרָק, וְאָמְרוּ (זבחים נה:) שְׁלָמִים שֶׁשְּׁחָטָן קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּפְתְּחוּ דַּלְתוֹת הַהֵיכָל פְּסוּלִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ג ב) "וּשְׁחָטוֹ פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד", בִּזְמַן שֶׁפָּתוּחַ וְלֹא בִּזְמַן שֶׁנָּעוּל, וְכֵן בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֶעֱמִידוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאַחַר שֶׁפֵּרְקוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן פְּסוּלִין. וְעוֹד, שֶׁהָיָה מַקְרִיב בּוֹ תָּמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם וּמַדְלִיק אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת בָּעֶרֶב:
וּבְוַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה (עי' במדבר רבה יב טו) רָאִיתִי, הָיָה מֹשֶׁה מַעֲמִידוֹ וּמְפָרְקוֹ שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים בְּכָל יוֹם, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא הַגָּדוֹל אוֹמֵר שְׁלֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים בְּכָל יוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "תָּקִים" (שמות מ':ב') "הוּקַם" (שמות מ':י"ז) "וַיָּקֶם" (שמות מ':י"ח), אַחַת לְתָמִיד שֶׁל שַׁחַר, וְאַחַת לַמִּלּוּאִים, וְאַחַת לְתָמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁכָּל זֶה רְגִילוּת, לְהוֹדִיעַ עִנְיַן הֲקָמָתוֹ וְהַסֵּדֶר, וְלֹא יַעֲמִידֶנּוּ מְפֹרָק כְּלָל: וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר כָּאן "וַיְכַס הֶעָנָן אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן" (שמות מ':ל"ד), עַל דַּעְתָּם הָיָה זֶה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, כִּי אָמַר "וַיְכַל מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה" (שם פסוק לג), וְכַאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה הֲקָמָה זוֹ שֶׁל אֶחָד בְּנִיסָן כִּסָּה הֶעָנָן אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וּכְבָר כָּתַב רַשִׁ"י (ויקרא ט כג) מַה שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ (בתורת כהנים שם) "וַיֵּצְאוּ וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֶת הָעָם", לְפִי שֶׁכָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד מֹשֶׁה הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהָיָה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בּוֹ וּמְפָרְקוֹ לֹא שָׁרְתָה בּוֹ שְׁכִינָה, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִכְלָמִים וְאָמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה, מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ כָּל הַטֹּרַח שֶׁטָּרַחְנוּ שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה בֵּינֵינוּ וְנֵדַע שֶׁנִּתְכַּפֵּר לָנוּ עֲוֹן הָעֵגֶל, אָמַר לָהֶם אַהֲרֹן אָחִי כְּדַאי וְחָשׁוּב מִמֶּנִּי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי קָרְבְּנוֹתָיו וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ תִּשְׁרֶה בָּנוּ שְׁכִינָה:
וּבְפָרָשַׁת מִלּוּאִים (תורת כהנים שם) יָכוֹל הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ וְשָׁרְתָה שְׁכִינָה בַּשְּׁמִינִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "וּבְיוֹם הָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן כִּסָּה הֶעָנָן אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן לְאֹהֶל הָעֵדֻת" (במדבר ט טו), מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבְּיוֹם שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן שָׁרְתָה הַשְּׁכִינָה עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂה אַהֲרֹן. הִנֵּה יֹאמְרוּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ כִּי כִּסּוּי הֶעָנָן אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן בַּשְּׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים הָיָה, וְהוּא אֶחָד בְּנִיסָן, אִם כֵּן תִּהְיֶה כָּל הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת לְדַעְתָּם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי. וְהָיָה זֶה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַכָּתוּב יְסַדֵּר כִּי צִוָּה הַשֵּׁם אֶת מֹשֶׁה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן לְכַלּוֹתָהּ בְּיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ, וְאָמַר כִּי מֹשֶׁה עָשָׂה כֵן וְכִלָּה אֶת כָּל הַמְּלָאכָה, וְאָז כִּסָּה הֶעָנָן אֶת הָאֹהֶל, וְכֵן תָּמִיד. וְחָזַר הַכָּתוּב אֶל תְּחִלַּת הַדִּבּוּר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִן הָאֹהֶל וְאָמַר "וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה" (ויקרא א א), וְכָל זֶה בְּסֵדֶר נָכוֹן:
וְכִדְמוּת רְאָיָה לָהֶם מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר ז א) "וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן", וְאִם לֹא הוֹרִיד אוֹתוֹ מָה טַעַם בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת, כִּי בְּיוֹם אֶחָד הֵחֵל וְכִלָּה, וְהָרָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם הֵקִים מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וְעוֹד, שֶׁאָמַר שָׁם "זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' תַּעֲשׂוּ" (ויקרא ט ו), "וַיֵּרָא כְבוֹד ה' אֶל כָּל הָעָם" (שם כג), וּמַשְׁמָעוּת זֶה שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא כִּסָּה הֶעָנָן אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְלֹא מָלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וּמ"מ בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל מִלּוּאִים נִדְבַּר לְמֹשֶׁה מִשָּׁם כָּל הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַנֶּאֱמָרוֹת מִתְּחִלַּת סֵפֶר וַיִּקְרָא עַד וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי (שם ט א), אֲבָל לֹא הָיָה הֶעָנָן מְכַסֶּה אוֹתוֹ, וְהָיוּ סְבוּרִין שֶׁהָיָה הַדִּבּוּר לְמֹשֶׁה שָׁם מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם: אֲבָל בְּמִדְרַשׁ חָזִיתָ (קהלת א יב) מָצָאתִי, "וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי", זֶה הָיָה רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת תְּחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר, וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּאן, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה "וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" אַחַר "וַיֵּרָא כְבוֹד ה' אֶל כָּל הָעָם וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ וַתֹּאכַל עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ" (ויקרא ט כג כד), וְיִהְיֶה הַדִּבּוּר לְאַהֲרֹן "יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ" (שם י ט) מִמָּחֳרַת, כִּי לֹא יִתָּכֵן שֶׁנִּדְבַּר לְאַהֲרֹן מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד קֹדֶם לְמֹשֶׁה. וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם זֶה דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל אוֹ הֵם דִּבְרֵי יָחִיד, כִּי עַל דִּבְרֵי ר' יִשְׁמָעֵאל נֶאֶמְרוּ שָׁם:

1ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH SHALT THOU SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. In the opinion of our Rabbis⁴³. who say that this was on the eighth day of the installation [of the priests into their sacred office],⁴⁴ must mean “set it up permanently etc.,” the meaning of the verse is: “you are to put up the Tabernacle and it should remain so; do not dismantle it and do not put it up again, for when the camps will move, the Levites will dismantle it and put it up.” It was not necessary that G-d should command Moses now about the putting up of the Tabernacle during the first seven days, since He had told him at the start, And thou shalt set up the Tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mountain.⁴⁵ Now since He explained to him here that On the first day of the first month the setting up of the Tabernacle would be of a permanent nature, Moses thus understood that during [each of] the seven days of installation it would be necessary for him to put it up and to dismantle it. Perhaps this was done in order to train the Levites how to do it, for they would see how he did it and would do likewise. Or it may be that this was done in order to crown the eighth day with this special crown [that the Tabernacle was for the first time not dismantled on that day].It would appear according to the opinion of the Rabbis that on the first seven days Moses put up the Tabernacle each morning, and it remained standing all day and all the following night, and at each dawn he would dismantle it and put it up again immediately, for Scripture says, And at the door of the Tent of Meeting shall ye abide day and night for seven days,⁴⁶ and there could be no “door” to the Tent of Meeting except at the time when it was erected.⁴⁷, we must therefore conclude that the Tabernacle was dismantled at dawn and put up again immediately. The Sages have already interpreted:⁴⁸ 4. “he shall bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting⁴⁹ — at the time when it is open, and not when [the Tent of Meeting] is taken to pieces.” Similarly, the Rabbis have said:⁵⁰ “Peace-offerings which have been slaughtered before the doors of the Sanctuary were opened are invalid, because it is said, and he shall slaughter it at the door of the Tent of Meeting⁵¹ — at the time it is open, and not when it is locked.” Similarly, “at the Tabernacle, [peace-offerings which were slaughtered] before the Levites put up the Tabernacle, or after the Levites had dismantled it, were invalid.”⁵⁰ Moreover, [during the first seven days of installation, Moses] used to sacrifice the Daily Offering of the evening and kindle the lamps at night. And in Vayikra Rabbah⁵², 11. I have seen [the following text]: “Moses used to put up the Tabernacle and dismantle it twice every day. Rabbi Chanina the Great says: three times every day, for [the phrase ‘putting up’ of the Tabernacle] is mentioned three times: thou shalt put up;⁵³ the Tabernacle was put up;⁵⁴ and Moses put up the Tabernacle.⁵⁵, Verse 18. Once it was put up for the Daily Offering of the morning, and once for the special offerings of the installation, and once for the Daily Offering of the evening.” It is possible that all this was done for the sake of practice, so that they would know the procedure for putting it up, and which order to follow, but they never left it in a dismantled state at all [during the seven days of installation].And that which Scripture states here, And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle,⁵⁶, Verse 34. in the opinion of the Rabbis it refers to the eighth day, for Scripture says, So Moses finished the work,⁵⁷, Verse 33. and when he had completed this erection on the first of Nisan, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. Now Rashi has already mentioned the interpretation of the Rabbis: “And they came out and blessed the people.⁵⁸ During all the seven days of installation when Moses was putting up the Tabernacle, and officiating therein, and dismantling it,⁵⁹ the Divine Glory did not rest upon it, and the Israelites felt ashamed, and they said to Moses: ‘Our master! All the trouble which we have taken was only so that the Divine Glory would dwell amongst us, and that we would know that the sin of the calf has been atoned for!’ Then Moses said to them: ‘My brother Aaron is more worthy and meritorious than I am, and it is through his offerings and service that the Divine Glory will rest upon us.’”And in the Parshath Hamiluim⁶⁰. (the Chapter of the Installation) we find written: “I might think that the Tabernacle was put up on the first of the month of Nisan, and that the Divine Glory did not rest thereon until the eighth day of the month. Scripture therefore says, And on the day that the Tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle, even the Tent of Meeting.⁶¹ This teaches us that on the day the Tabernacle was put up, the Divine Glory rested thereon through the service of Aaron.” Thus the Rabbis are clearly saying that the cloud covering the Tabernacle was on the eighth day of the installation, which was on the first day of Nisan.If this is so, then this whole chapter, in the opinion of the Rabbis, took place on the eighth day of the installation. This is indeed so, because Scripture describes the sequence of events as follows: G-d commanded Moses that the final putting up of the Tabernacle should be on the first day of the first month, and then it states that Moses did so and finished the whole work⁵⁷, Verse 33. [of the seven days of installation], and then [on the eighth day] the cloud covered the tent,⁵⁶, Verse 34. and so it was always [henceforth whenever they journeyed and put up the Tabernacle at their new place of encampment]. Then Scripture goes back to the beginning of the communication which came to Moses from the Tent, saying, And He called unto Moses.⁶² All this is now in proper order.A kind of proof to what the Rabbis have said, [that during the seven days of installation the Tabernacle was dismantled every day], is what Scripture says, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the Tabernacle.⁶³ Now if he did not dismantle it, what sense is there to the expression, the day that he ‘made an end’ of setting up the Tabernacle, since he began and finished all the work in one day? In that case it should rather have said: “and it came to pass on the day that Moses set up the Tabernacle.” Moreover, it says there [with reference to the eighth day], This is the thing which the Eternal commanded that ye should do;⁶⁴ and the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the people.⁶⁵, Verse 23. The implication of these verses is that the cloud had not yet covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of the Eternal did not yet fill the Tabernacle.However it may be, from the first day of the installation G-d communicated to Moses from the Tabernacle all the sections from the beginning of the Book of Leviticus until And it came to pass on the eighth day.⁶⁶, 9:1. But the cloud did not cover the Tabernacle, and the people therefore thought that the communication from there to Moses was directly from heaven, just as it was in the land of Egypt. But in the Midrash Chazit⁶⁷ I have found the following text: “And it came to pass on the eighth day.⁶⁶, 9:1. This really should have been the beginning of the Book of Leviticus. Why then was it written here? Because there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah.” Now if this is so, then the chapter beginning And He called unto Moses… out of the Tent of Meeting⁶² happened after and the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the people. And there came forth fire from before the Eternal, and consumed upon the altar;⁶⁸ and the communication addressed to Aaron, drink no wine or strong drink,⁶⁹, 10:9. took place on the following day, for it is impossible that G-d should speak to Aaron from the Tent of Meeting before He had spoken to Moses.⁷⁰, took place on the eighth day of the installation. But I do not know whether this Midrash represents the unanimous opinion of all the Sages, or whether they are the words of a single Sage, for they are mentioned there in the Midrash with reference to Rabbi Yishmael.

בתָּקִים אֶת מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא פֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ בְּצַוָּאָה זוֹ כֵּיצַד סֵדֶר הַהֲקָמָה כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרֵשׁ בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה "וַיִּתֵּן אֶת אֲדָנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת קְרָשָׁיו" (שמות מ':י"ח). וְהָיָה זֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכְּבָר הֶרְאָה אוֹתוֹ הַהֲקָמָה בְּמַרְאִית הָעַיִן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "וַהֲקֵמֹתָ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן כְּמִשְׁפָּטוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָרְאֵיתָ בָּהָר" (שמות כ"ו:ל'). וְכֵן קִצֵּר כָּאן וְאָמַר "וְשַׂמְתָּ שָׁם אֵת אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת" (שמות מ':ג'), וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר וְאֶל הָאָרֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת הָעֵדֻת, כִּי בְּהַזְכִּירוֹ "אֵת אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת" יָבִין זֶה, כִּי לֹא יִקָּרֵא הָאָרוֹן כֵּן רַק בִּהְיוֹת בּוֹ לוּחוֹת הָעֵדוּת. וּכְבָר נִצְטַוָּה מִתְּחִלָּה "וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת עַל הָאָרֹן מִלְמָעְלָה וְאֶל הָאָרֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר אֶתֵּן אֵלֶיךָ" (שמות כ"ה:כ"א), וְלֹא הֻצְרַךְ כָּאן אֶלָּא לְצַוּוֹתוֹ בַּהַקְדָּמָה, כִּי תְּשׂוּמֶת הָאָרוֹן עִם הַלּוּחוֹת יַקְדִּים לְכָל הַכֵּלִים. וְכֵן קִצֵּר בְּעִנְיַן הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהַמְּנוֹרָה, שֶׁכְּבָר צִוָּה אוֹתוֹ (שמות כ"ו:ל"ה) בְּאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם מִן הַמִּשְׁכָּן יַעֲמִידֵם. וְקִצֵּר בְּעִנְיַן לְבִישַׁת אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו, שֶׁאָמַר "וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן אֵת בִּגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ" (שמות מ':י"ג), וּבְבָנָיו אָמַר "וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּם כֻּתֳּנוֹת" (שמות מ':י"ד), כִּי כְּבָר צִוָּה אוֹתוֹ בִּפְרָט בְּסֵדֶר לְבִישָׁתָן (לעיל כט ה-ט), וְלֹא בָּא עַכְשָׁו אֶלָּא לְסַדֵּר לוֹ שְׁעַת הַלְּבִישָׁה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אַחַר הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן כֻּלּוֹ. וְהִזְכִּיר כֻּתֳּנוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן יַתְחִיל הַלְּבִישָׁה:

2THOU SHALT SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. G-d did not explain to Moses in this command the order of putting it up, as it is clearly set forth in the actual construction: and he laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof etc.⁷¹ The reason for His not explaining it here is because He had already shown it to him visually, as He said, And thou shalt put up the Tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mountain.⁷² Similarly, He shortened the account here, saying, And thou shalt put therein the ark of the Testimony,⁷³ and did not mention and in the ark thou shalt put the Testimony,⁷⁴ for since He used the phrase: the ark of the Testimony, Moses would understand this, since the ark is only termed “the ark of the Testimony” when the Tablets of the Testimony are in it, and they were already commanded at the beginning, And thou shalt put the ark-cover above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the Testimony that I shall give thee.⁷⁴ It was necessary here to mention it only in order to tell him the order of priority, namely that the putting of the ark with the Tablets [into the Tabernacle] should precede the setting up of all other vessels. Similarly He shortened the account of the table and the candelabrum, since He had already commanded him in what place of the Tabernacle they were to be set up.⁷⁵, 26:35. He also shortened the subject of the dressing of Aaron and his sons, saying merely, And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments,⁷⁶ and with reference to Aaron’s sons He said, and thou shalt put tunics upon them,⁷⁷, Verse 14. for He had already told and commanded Moses in detail about the order of putting on their garments.⁷⁸ Here the intention was only to fix the time of the dressing in its correct order, namely, after the whole Tabernacle had been set up. Of the priestly garments He mentioned only the tunics, because it is with them that the dressing began.