Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 4:6/רמב"ן על במדבר ד׳:ו׳
אוְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ וּפָרְשׂוּ בֶגֶד כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת מִלְמָעְלָה – בַּעֲבוּר מַעֲלַת הָאָרוֹן לֹא הָיָה נִרְאֶה עָלָיו כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ, אֲבָל הָיוּ מְכַסִּים אוֹתוֹ בַּפָּרֹכֶת שֶׁהוּא הַמָּסָךְ לוֹ, וּמְכַסִּים אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תַּחַשׁ בַּעֲבוּר הַגְּשָׁמִים, וּפוֹרְשִׂים עַל הַכֹּל בֶּגֶד כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת מִלְמַעְלָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִרְאֶה עָלָיו הַבֶּגֶד הַנִּכְבָּד שֶׁהוּא כְּעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר (במד״ר ד יג). אֲבָל שְׁאָר כָּל הַכֵּלִים, הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהַמְּנוֹרָה וְהַמִּזְבְּחוֹת, הָיָה נִרְאֶה עֲלֵיהֶם מִלְמַעְלָה מִכְסֵה עוֹר תַּחַשׁ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כִּי טַעַם הַכָּתוּב, וּפָרְשׂוּ בֶגֶד כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת מִלְמַעְלָה לְפָרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ, וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו, עַל הָאָרוֹן וְהַפָּרֹכֶת, כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ. וְטַעַם וְשָׂמוּ בַּדָּיו עַל כִּתְפוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים. וְהַנָּכוֹן כִּי יְתַקְּנוּ אוֹתָם לִהְיוֹת יוֹצְאִים לָשֵׂאת אוֹתוֹ בָּהֶם, כִּי הָיוּ הַטַּבָּעוֹת רְחָבִים וְיַאֲרִיכוּ הַבַּדִּים בָּהֶם כִּרְצוֹנָם, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יָסוּרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ:
1AND THEY SHALL PUT THEREON [on the ark of the Testimony] A COVERING OF ‘TACHASH’186 was a kind of wild animal which only existed at the time [when Israel built the Tabernacle]. Its hide was multicolored” (Rashi, Exodus 25:5). SKIN, AND THEY SHALL SPREAD OVER IT A CLOTH ALL OF BLUE. Because of the importance of the ark, the covering of tachash skin was not visible [at all] upon it; for they covered [the ark firstly] with the Veil as a screening partition,187 and then they covered both of them [the ark and the Veil] with the covering of the tachash skin [as a protection] against the rains, and above them all they spread a cloth all of blue so that this distinguished garment, which was the like of the very heaven for clearness,188 should be seen upon it. But as for all the other vessels — the table, the candelabrum, and the altars — the covering of the tachash skin186 was a kind of wild animal which only existed at the time [when Israel built the Tabernacle]. Its hide was multicolored” (Rashi, Exodus 25:5). was visible over them.189 And some scholars190 say that the meaning of the verse [before us] and they shall spread over it a cloth all of blue refers to the screening partition Veil [mentioned in the preceding Verse 5, thus meaning: “and they had already spread over it a cloth all of blue”], and they shall put thereon, that is, on the ark and the Veil, the covering of the ‘tachash’ skin.191-skin that was visible on top of the ark when it was carried, and beneath it was the cloth all of blue, and not, as explained before, that the cloth of blue was spread on top over the tachash skin.And they shall set the staves thereof. This means, they shall put them on the shoulders of the priests.192 is that they should replace the staves which they had previously removed while the ark was being wrapped. Ramban evidently rejects this interpretation because of the verse, The staves shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it (Exodus 25:15), which clearly states that the staves are to remain in the rings permanently. See text further. The correct interpretation is that the word v’samu (and they shall set) means that they should adjust them [the staves] so that they should protrude outside [the ark] in such a way that they can carry it by means of them, for the rings [in which the staves were permanently fixed] were wide, so that they were able to lengthen the staves at will, provided only that they were not taken out from them.193