Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 7:1/רמב"ן על במדבר ז׳:א׳
אוַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן – לֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּיוֹם הָקִים, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים הָיָה מַעֲמִידוֹ וּמְפָרְקוֹ, וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הֶעֱמִידוֹ וְלֹא פֵרְקוֹ. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים״, אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם כָּלוּ הֲקָמוֹתָיו. וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן הָיָה, בַּשֵּׁנִי נִשְׂרְפָה הַפָּרָה, בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי הִזּוּ הַזָּיָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, בַּשְּׁבִיעִי גִלְּחוּ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר ז׳:א׳) מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ספרי נשא קמה). אֲבָל אֵינֶנָּה רְאָיָה גְמוּרָה, כִּי "בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת" אֵינֶנּוּ דָבוּק עִם "לְהָקִים" בִּלְבַד, אֲבָל בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְלִמְשֹׁחַ וּלְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו, הִקְרִיבוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים אֶת קָרְבָּנָם כְּשֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה כָּל זֶה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי הָיָה. וְנִכְתְּבָה זֹאת הַפָּרָשָׁה בְּכָאן בַּעֲבוּר כִּי בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל מִלּוּאִים קָרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וַיְדַבֵּר הַשֵּׁם אֵלָיו כָּל הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁמִּתְּחִלַּת סֵפֶר וַיִּקְרָא עַד ״וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי״ שֶׁהֵם בְּדִינֵי הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי נִדְבַּר לוֹ כָּל הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁמִּתְּחִלַּת ״זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ״ (ויקרא יא ב) שֶׁהֵם בְּדִינֵי אִסּוּר וְהֶתֵּר, וְיֵשׁ בְּכֻלָּן עִנְיַן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְנִמְשְׁכוּ הָעִנְיָנִים עַד הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה כַּסֵּדֶר כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (בתחלת הספר ולעיל ה ו). וּכְשֶׁהִשְׁלִים הַמִּצְוֹת אֲשֶׁר נִצְטַוָּה מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשֶׁכֻּלָּן דִּינֵי עֲבוֹדָה וְקָרְבָּנוֹת וּמִשְׁמֶרֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, חָזַר אַחֲרֵי כֵן בְּכָאן לְהַגִּיד נִדְבַת הַנְּשִׂיאִים בְּקָרְבָּנָם שֶׁהָיוּ מֵהַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עַד יוֹם תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ אוֹ עַד שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ כְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סדר עולם פרק ז):
1AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE. “Scripture does not say ‘on the day that Moses set up’ [but it states ‘on the day that Moses had finished setting up’]. This teaches us that on each of the seven days of initiation [of the priests] Moses erected and dismantled the Tabernacle, and on that day [the eighth day] he erected it but did not dismantle it. Therefore it says, on the day that Moses had finished setting up the Tabernacle, since it was on that day that he finished all his erections. This happened on the first of Nisan; on the second day the Red Heifer was burnt, on the third day they sprinkled [upon the Levites]125 the first sprinkling [of the water of purification in which the ashes of the Red Heifer were mingled],126, 19:12. and on the seventh day [of Nisan, after having been sprinkled again]126, 19:12. the Levites were shaven125 [and were ready to be initiated into their service].” This is Rashi’s language on the basis of the words of our Rabbis127 44. of blessed memory. But it is not a complete proof [that Moses set up the Tabernacle and dismantled it again on each of the seven days of initiation], for the expression on the day that he had finished is not connected only with the word l’hakim (setting up), but [its meaning is rather as follows]: “on the day that Moses had finished setting up the Tabernacle and anointing and sanctifying it, and [doing likewise to] the altar and all the vessels thereof — the princes offered their offerings, when all this was done.” Nonetheless [however we explain the verse], it was [indeed] on the eighth day [of the initiation of the priests].This section was written here because on the first day of the initiation He called unto Moses out of the Tent of Meeting and G-d spoke to him128 all the sections [of the Torah] from the beginning of the Book of Leviticus until the section of Vayehi Bayom Ha’shemini,111, 22. which all deal with the laws of the offerings. From that eighth day on Moses was told all the sections beginning with These are the beasts which ye may eat,129, 11:2. which contain the laws of forbidden and permitted foods, since they are all related to the subject of the offerings, and these topics continued in their correct order up to this place [before us], as I have explained.130 Thus when He had completed the commandments which Moses was ordered to say to Israel, all of them being laws of the Divine Service and the offerings, the charge of the Tent of Meeting and its Service, He reverted here afterwards to tell of the freewill offerings of the princes, which took place from the eighth day until the nineteenth day of Nisan,131 or until the twelfth day of the month in accordance with the words of our Rabbis.132
בוְטַעַם וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם – אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על במדבר ז׳:א׳) שֶׁמָּשַׁח אוֹתָם בְּשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְקִדֵּשׁ אוֹתָם בְּדַם הַחַטָּאת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר שָׁם: ״וַיְחַטֵּא אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת הַדָּם יָצַק אֶל יְסוֹד הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו״ (ויקרא ח ט״ו). וְאֵינוֹ כֵן, שֶׁכָּךְ נֶאֱמַר בַּמִּשְׁכָּן: ״וַיִּמְשַׁח אוֹתוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו״, וְהַמִּשְׁכָּן לֹא נִתְקַדֵּשׁ בְּדָם כְּלָל, אֲבָל וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם לְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתָם:
2VAYIMSHACHEIM’ (AND HE HAD ANOINTED THEM), ‘VAYEKADEISH’ (AND SANCTIFIED) THEM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explains that “Moses anointed them with the oil of anointment, and sanctified them by [sprinkling upon them] the blood of the sin-offering, as it is said there, and he purified the altar, and poured out the remaining blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement upon it. ”133 But it is not so, for it is likewise said about the Tabernacle [in the verse before us], and he had anointed it, and sanctified it and all its vessels, and yet the Tabernacle was not sanctified by means of [sprinkling upon it] the blood and any offering. Rather, the meaning [of the phrase vayimshacheim vayekadeish otham] is that “he anointed them in order [thereby] to sanctify them.”
גוְטַעַם וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו מְחֻבָּר לְרֹאשׁ הַפָּסוּק, בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו, וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתָם:
3AND THE ALTAR AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF. This is connected with the beginning of the verse, [so that the sense thereof is as follows]: “and it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished setting up the Tabernacle [and the altar]134 and all its vessels, and had anointed them and sanctified them — [that the princes of Israel offered etc.].”