Exodus: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13a 13b 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30a 30b 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38a 38b 39 40
SEDRA VA-YAKHEL
Exodus 35:1 – 38:20
Chapter 35
35:1 VA YAKHEL MOSHEH ET KOL ADAT BENEY YISRA-EL VA YOMER AL'EHEM ELEH HA DEVARIM ASHER TSIVAH YHVH LA'ASOT OTAM
וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם
KJ (King James translation): And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
BN (BibleNet translation): Then Mosheh assembled all the congregation of the children of Yisra-El, and said to them: "These are the things that YHVH has instructed you to do.
Some chapters ago, after giving them these laws, Mosheh was told to prepare to leave Sinai and enter Kena'an. Yet here we still are, still giving the laws, and still giving the laws that have already been given, in some cases twice. Clearly more than one version of the tale has been retained.
The Sabbath, the Tabernacle, the artifacts of the Tabernacle - all are detailed in detail. From verse 20 we get the people's response; everyone goes off and brings what they have to help, and like some Rousseauistic kibbutz they all spin and weave; not just Betsal-El and Ahali-Av, but all the "wise-hearted" people - for which see my note at Exodus 28:3; verse 30 has Betsal-El too, and verse 34 has Ahali-Av ben Achi-Samach. They make the curtains, the wooden framework, the veil, the screen, the table, the ark, the candlestick, just as we saw previously. Mosheh arranges for altars to be built for the various kinds of offering (all remarkably Temple-like in its practice). The court is established etc. There is no need for much commentary in this sedra, because anything that needs saying was said the last time around; nonetheless it might make an interesting exercise for a serious Tanach student to compare and contrast the two long versions, and see what differences there are in the small detail. There are huge numbers of them; where the differences are significant they will be pointed out.
There is, however, another reading: that the work described in chapter 31 was not completed, because of the incident of the Golden Calf; and that this is simply the resumption from that point. The problem with this reading is simply the differences referred to above.
35:2 SHESHET YAMIM TE'ASEH MELA'CHAH U VA YOM HA SHEVIY'I YIHEYEH LACHEM KODESH SHABAT SHABATON LA YHVH KOL HA OSEH VO MELA'CHAH YUMAT
שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִהְיֶה לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן לַיהוָה כָּל הָעֹשֶׂה בוֹ מְלָאכָה יוּמָת
KJ: Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
BN: For six days shall work be done, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest dedicated to YHVH; whoever does any work on that day shall be put to death.
Again this comes up first, as though no other law were quite so important. And how extraordinary: you will take a day off - or die! But note from the phrasing: this is not about going to synagogue and praying, this is the inception of the 6-day working week.
However, and it is a very big however in that epoch, and it applies to the Jubilee year in exactly the same way: if everyone in an agricultural community takes the same day off, who will milk the sheep and goats and cows? And believe me, having spent years doing this work, cows that are not feeding young require milking, once every eight hours ideally, though for most farms twice a day is all they can staff; surely a rotational Sabbath, a rotational Jubilee, would have made much more sense? But alas the number seven is YHVH's sacred number, so it has to be the seventh day and the seventh year, for everyone.
However, and it is a very big however in that epoch, and it applies to the Jubilee year in exactly the same way: if everyone in an agricultural community takes the same day off, who will milk the sheep and goats and cows? And believe me, having spent years doing this work, cows that are not feeding young require milking, once every eight hours ideally, though for most farms twice a day is all they can staff; surely a rotational Sabbath, a rotational Jubilee, would have made much more sense? But alas the number seven is YHVH's sacred number, so it has to be the seventh day and the seventh year, for everyone.
Small differences here. The first version (Exodus 20:8), like this one, spoke of MELA'CHAH; the second (Exodus 34:21) of AVODAH. A difference in the translation too, but one that is not merited; previously we were told that anyone who broke the Sabbath would die; here the same words are translated as "will be put to death". Very different. The first is Natural; it allows YHVH to do the deed, and whether by fire or by water, by sickness or by murder, is up to him. The second version is Judicial; Man carries out the sentence, presumably by stoning - though stoning itself, if it took place on the Sabbath, would breach the Sabbath; so maybe they waited till Sunday.
35:3: LO TEVA'ARU ESH BE CHOL MISHBOTEYCHEM BE YOM HA SHABAT
לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת
KJ: Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
BN: You shall not light a fire, wherever you may live, on the Sabbath day.
However, Isaiah 30:33 clearly intends the kindling of the fire, and not its mere usage, while Hosea 7:4, which belongs to the same period, arguably has the same intention. Did the word change its meaning over time, becoming the kindling rather than the usage? Quite possibly; the meanings of words evolve, as we all know. But did the injunction here intend the kindling or the usage? The difference matters. If it only means the kindling, then a fire can be kindled before the Sabbath starts, and used by cooking food slowly on it - Yiddish Chulunt (or Cholent in today's anglicised mis-spelling and worse pronunciation; the Yiddish word is טשאָלנט; the modern Ivrit equivalent is Chamin, or חמין) derives precisely from this - and hands can be warmed, and coffee brewed, and the central heating simply left on. But if the prohibition is on the usage, then none of these are permissible. Today's Judaism works by the kindling, not the usage, which was a Rabbinic interpretation from the time when the Mela'chot were being defined, and this pre-eminent amongst the prohibitions - though the Rabbis have not yet come to a Responsa about electric cars: the prohibition against driving on the Sabbath stems from the need to start the engine, which counts as kindling; but if my electric, petrol-free car is switched on before the Sabbath comes in, why should I not be able to drive to shul on Shobbas? I think we should name the electric car the Ford Chulunt or the Audi Chamin, just to make the point!
pey break
35:4 VA YOMER MOSHEH EL KOL ADAT BENEY YISRA-EL LEMOR ZEH HA DAVAR ASHER TSIVAH YHVH LEMOR
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה לֵאמֹר
KJ: And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
BN: And Mosheh spoke to all the congregation of the Beney Yisra-El, saying: "This is what YHVH has instructed , saying...
35:5 KECHU ME IT'CHEM TERUMAH LA YHVH KOL NEDIV LIBO YEVIY'EHA ET TERUMAH YHVH ZAHAV VA CHESEPH U NECHOSHET
קְחוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם תְּרוּמָה לַיהוָה כֹּל נְדִיב לִבּוֹ יְבִיאֶהָ אֵת תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת
KJ: Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,
BN: Take from among your possessions an offering to YHVH, whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering to YHVH of gold and silver and brass;
This is where the multiple versions begins to cause difficulty. In Exodus 31 the people already brought "everything they had", including what was bestowed by the Mitsrim (Egyptians) at the time of departure. Then, in 32:2, because they had nothing else to give, Aharon had them break off the gold ear-rings with which they had been marked as property in Mitsrayim, and with this the Golden Calf was made; but that gold no longer exists, having been melted down and force-drunk in Exodus 32:20. Where then, did they find all the gold, silver and brass now?
KOL NEDIV LIBO: "Generous of heart" or "willing-hearted", which is very different from CHACHAM LEV - "wise-hearted" - in verses 10 and 25.
KOL NEDIV LIBO: "Generous of heart" or "willing-hearted", which is very different from CHACHAM LEV - "wise-hearted" - in verses 10 and 25.
35:6 U TECHELET VE ARGAMAN VE TOLA'AT SHANI VE SHESH VE IZIM
וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ וְעִזִּים
KJ: And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
BN: And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair;
35:7 VE ORAT EYLIM ME'ADAMIM VE OROT TECHASHIM VE ATSEY SHITIM
וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וְעֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים וַעֲצֵי שִׁטִּים
KJ: And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
BN: And rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood;
35:8 VE SHEMEN LA MA'OR U VE SAMIM LE SHEMEN HA MISHCHAH VE LIKTORET HA SAMIM
וְשֶׁמֶן לַמָּאוֹר וּבְשָׂמִים לְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים
KJ: And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
BN: And oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense;
35:9 VE AVNEY SOHAM VE AVNEY MILU'IM LA EPHOD VE LA CHOSHEN
וְאַבְנֵי שֹׁהַם וְאַבְנֵי מִלֻּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן
KJ: And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
BN: And onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
If all this was new, as we are supposed to believe, they would not understand what he was saying; clearly Ephods and Choshens are therefore familiar to them, from which we can deduce that these were the customary forms in Mitsrayim (Egypt) (see my notes at Exodus 25:7 ff).
35:10 VE CHOL CHACHAM LEV BA CHEM YAVO'U VE YA'ASU ET KOL ASHER TSIVAH YHVH
וְכָל חֲכַם לֵב בָּכֶם יָבֹאוּ וְיַעֲשׂוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה
KJ: And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
BN: And let every skilled person among you come, and make all that YHVH has commanded.
Men and women, as we shall see.
Men and women, as we shall see.
35:11 ET HA MISHKAN ET AHALO VE ET MICHSEHU ET KERASAV VE ET KERASHAV ET BERIYCHAV ET AMUDAV VE ET ADANAV
אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶת אָהֳלוֹ וְאֶת מִכְסֵהוּ אֶת קְרָסָיו וְאֶת קְרָשָׁיו אֶת בְּרִיחָו אֶת עַמֻּדָיו וְאֶת אֲדָנָיו
KJ: The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
BN: The tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its planks, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
Note the play on words with KERASAV (קְרָסָיו) and KERASHAV (קְרָשָׁיו), which is not easily reflectable in the translation (clasps and hasps would make the rhyme, but with the wrong words).
35:12 ET HA ARON VE ET BADAV ET HA KAPORET VE ET PAROCHET HA MASACH
אֶת הָאָרֹן וְאֶת בַּדָּיו אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת וְאֵת פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ
KJ: The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,
BN: The ark and its staves, the ark-cover, and the veil of the screen;
And now the play on words, which we have witnessed several times previously, between KAPORET (כַּפֹּרֶת) and PAROCHET (פָּרֹכֶת).
35:13 ET HA SHULCHAN VE ET BADAV VE ET KOL KELAV VE ET LECHEM HA PANIM
אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְאֶת בַּדָּיו וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו וְאֵת לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים
KJ: The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,
BN: The table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the showbread;
35:14 VE ET MENORAT HA MA'OR VE ET KELEYHA VE ET NEROTEYHA VE ET SHEMEN HA MA'OR
וְאֶת מְנֹרַת הַמָּאוֹר וְאֶת כֵּלֶיהָ וְאֶת נֵרֹתֶיהָ וְאֵת שֶׁמֶן הַמָּאוֹר
KJ: The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,
BN: Also the Menorah for the light, with its utensils, and its lamps, and the oil for the light;
35:15 VE ET MIZBACH HA KETORET VE ET BADAV VE ET SHEMEN HA MISHCHAH VE ET KETORET HA SAMIM VE ET MASACH HA PETACH LE PHETACH HA MISHKAN
Probably the best reference anyone ever took with them to a job interview!
וְאֶת מִזְבַּח הַקְּטֹרֶת וְאֶת בַּדָּיו וְאֵת שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְאֵת קְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים וְאֶת מָסַךְ הַפֶּתַח לְפֶתַח הַמִּשְׁכָּן
KJ: And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
ANASHIM...NASHIM...ISH...?: The first part makes it clear that it was both men and women, but the second half only has the men; if both are intended, why use ISH, rather than saying KULAM, or ISHAH? The inference is that the gold offering was only given by the men, but the women's gifts are offerings too. If the deity did indeed write this, his almightytude and omnisciencity are in need of editorial assistance here.
BN: And the incense altar, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the door of the tabernacle;
35:16 ET MIZBACH HA OLAH VE ET MICHBAR HA NECHOSHET ASHER LO ET BADAV VE ET KOL KELAV ET HA KIR VE ET KANO
אֵת מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה וְאֶת מִכְבַּר הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֶת בַּדָּיו וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו אֶת הַכִּיֹּר וְאֶת כַּנּוֹ
KJ: The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
BN: And the burnt-offering altar with its grating of brass, its staves, and all of its utensils, the laver and its base;
35:17 ET KAL'EY HE CHATSER ET AMUDAV VE ET ADANEYHA VE ET MASACH SHA'AR HE CHATSER
אֵת קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר אֶת עַמֻּדָיו וְאֶת אֲדָנֶיהָ וְאֵת מָסַךְ שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר
KJ: The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,
BN: The hangings for the court, its pillars, with their sockets, and the screen for the gate to the court;
35:18 ET YITDOT HA MISHKAN VE ET YITDOT HE CHATSER VE ET MEYTREYHEM
אֶת יִתְדֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת יִתְדֹת הֶחָצֵר וְאֶת מֵיתְרֵיהֶם
KJ: The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
BN: The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;
35:19 ET BIGDEY HA SERAD LESHARET BA KODESH ET BIGDEY HA KODESH LE AHARON HA KOHEN VE ET BIGDEY VANAV LECHAHEN
אֶת בִּגְדֵי הַשְּׂרָד לְשָׁרֵת בַּקֹּדֶשׁ אֶת בִּגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶת בִּגְדֵי בָנָיו לְכַהֵן
KJ: The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
BN: The plaited garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aharon the priest, and his sons' garments, so that they can serve as ministers in the office of Kohen.
Mosheh gives all these instructions without explanation. The people appear to know what he is referring to; what a Mishkan is, and a Kodesh, and that Aharon and his sons should be the priests, etc. They know, because it is not at all new. (And if not, then they didn't know, because it isn't factual: in which case all this is Temple era retroactive.)
35:20 VA YETSU KOL ADAT BENEY YISRA-EL MI LIPHNEY MOSHEH
וַיֵּצְאוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִלִּפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה
KJ: And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
BN: And all the congregation of the Beney Yisra-El departed from the presence of Mosheh.
end of first fragment
35:21 VA YAVO'U KOL ISH ASHER NESA'O LIBO VE CHOL ASHER NADVAH RUCHO OTO HEVIY'U ET TERUMAT YHVH LIMLECHET OHEL MO'ED U LE CHOL AVODATO U LE VIGDEY HA KODESH
וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר נָדְבָה רוּחוֹ אֹתוֹ הֵבִיאוּ אֶת תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה לִמְלֶאכֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּלְכָל עֲבֹדָתוֹ וּלְבִגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ
KJ: And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
BN: And they came, every one whose heart had been stirred, and every one whose spirit had made him willing, and brought his offering to YHVH, for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all its services, and for the holy garments.
The implication being that not everyone gave; and that what was given was treated as an offering. What happened to those who did not give? Why did they not give? Why was it voluntary anyway? And most importantly of all: did they accept pledges?
35:22 VA YAVO'U HA ANASHIM AL HA NASHIM KOL NEDIV LEV HEVIY'U CHACH VA NEZEM VE TAB'AT VE CHUMAZ KOL KELEY ZAHAV VE CHOL ISH ASHER HENIPH TENUPHAT ZAHAV LA YHVH
וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים עַל הַנָּשִׁים כֹּל נְדִיב לֵב הֵבִיאוּ חָח וָנֶזֶם וְטַבַּעַת וְכוּמָז כָּל כְּלִי זָהָב וְכָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֵנִיף תְּנוּפַת זָהָב לַיהוָה
KJ: And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.
BN: And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and they brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and girdles, all jewels of gold; every man brought an offering of gold to YHVH.
ANASHIM...NASHIM...ISH...?: The first part makes it clear that it was both men and women, but the second half only has the men; if both are intended, why use ISH, rather than saying KULAM, or ISHAH? The inference is that the gold offering was only given by the men, but the women's gifts are offerings too. If the deity did indeed write this, his almightytude and omnisciencity are in need of editorial assistance here.
When Aharon made the golden calf, they did exactly the same thing: everyone brought their ear-rings etc to be used. Did they only bring some at that time and thus still had some left; or was that bringing and this bringing in fact the same event - Aharon being the key figure in both? Is it in fact the case that what is said to have been made is not what was made, that the calf was made alongside the altar (and the calf may well have been the altar, given the altar's horns). The details of the temple then replaced it in the later text: so what exactly did they make then?
There is also this to consider: the text tells us that impoverished slaves fled MItsrayim in a hurry, but that all their fellow Mitsrim gave them their jewelery etc as they left. Why? Because they believed they were going on pilgrimage to the holy mountain; because they believed they were going to conduct a holy ceremony. Can we then safely assume that the Golden Calf and/or the Mishkan were known to be part of the purpose, that all this jewelery would be needed, and that we finally have an explanation for what was otherwise totally implausible. "I haven't been chosen for this pilgrimage, but you have, you lucky person; so here, take my nose-ring and my bracelet, and when you get called to make your terumah offering, offer this for me." In exactly the same way that, today, upon hearing that someone is traveling to Yeru-Shala'im, one might give them a note and ask them to place it in one of the fissures of the Western Wall. Mind you, it would have required a caravan of donkey-carts to bring quite this much stuff.
35:23 VE CHOL ISH ASHER NIMTSA ITO TECHELET VE ARGAMAN VE TOLA'AT SHANI VE SHESH VE IZIM VE OROT EYLIM ME'ADAMIM VE OROT TECHASHIM HEVIY'U
וְכָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא אִתּוֹ תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ וְעִזִּים וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וְעֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים הֵבִיאוּ
KJ: And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.
BN: And every man with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, brought them.
35:24 KOL MERIM TERUMAT KESEPH U NECHOSHET HEVIY'U ET TERUMAT YHVH VE CHOL ASHER NIMTSA ITO ATSEY SHITIM LE CHOL MELE'CHET HA AVODAH HEVIY'U
כָּל מֵרִים תְּרוּמַת כֶּסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת הֵבִיאוּ אֵת תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא אִתּוֹ עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים לְכָל מְלֶאכֶת הָעֲבֹדָה הֵבִיאוּ
KJ: Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD'S offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
BN: Every one who had set apart an offering of silver and brass brought that offering to YHVH; and every man with whom was found acacia-wood for any work of the service brought it.
In the middle of the Sinai desert - sand desert, not scrub wilderness. Oh, yes, I put some acacia wood in my back-pocket when we fled on the night of Passover, thought it might come in useful one day. Come off it, slave-tunics didn't have back-pockets.
35:25 VE CHOL ISHAH CHACHMAT LEV BE YADEYHA TAVU VA YAVIY'U MATVEH ET HA TECHELET VE ET HA ARGAMAN ET TOLA'AT HA SHANI VE ET HA SHESH
וְכָל אִשָּׁה חַכְמַת לֵב בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ וַיָּבִיאוּ מַטְוֶה אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן אֶת תּוֹלַעַת הַשָּׁנִי וְאֶת הַשֵּׁשׁ
KJ: And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
BN: And all the women who were skilled in the craft span with their hands, and brought what they had spun, the blue, and the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
35:26 VE CHOL HA NASHIM ASHER NASA LIBAN OTANAH BE CHACHMAH TAVU ET HA IZIM
וְכָל הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂא לִבָּן אֹתָנָה בְּחָכְמָה טָווּ אֶת הָעִזִּים
KJ: And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.
BN: And all the women who had been inspired by this to learn the craft span the goats' hair for the weavers.
It sounds like a sermon to the later generations: every woman who was "pious" and "wise" gave - you mean-hearted, selfish souls today are all damned! But no pressure, no pressure, give if you can. But this isn't what it means, as I have already explained. The sense here is in fact the opposite, and picks up the phrasing in verse 21; women who had never learned these crafts wanted to be part of the team of manufacturers, so they volunteered to become, effectively, apprentices, and did the preparation-work.
35:27 VE HA NESI'IM HEVIY'U ET AVNEY HA SOHAM VE ET AVNEY HA MILU'IM LA EPHOD VE LA CHOSHEN
וְהַנְּשִׂאִם הֵבִיאוּ אֵת אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְאֵת אַבְנֵי הַמִּלֻּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן
KJ: And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
BN: And the leaders brought onyx stones, and the stones to be set for the ephod and the breastplate;
See my previous note to NESI'IM, in Exodus 34:31.
35:28 VE ET HA BOSEM VE ET HA SHAMEN LE MA'OR U LE SHEMEN HA MISHCHAH VE LIKTORET HA SAMIM
וְאֶת הַבֹּשֶׂם וְאֶת הַשָּׁמֶן לְמָאוֹר וּלְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים
KJ: And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
BN: And the spice, and the oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
35:29 KOL ISH VE ISHAH ASHER NADAV LIBAM OTAM LEHAVIY LE CHOL HA MELA'CHAH ASHER TSIVAH YHVH LA'ASOT BE YAD MOSHEH HEVIY'U VENEY YISRA EL NEDAVAH LA YHVH
כָּל אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָדַב לִבָּם אֹתָם לְהָבִיא לְכָל הַמְּלָאכָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה הֵבִיאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נְדָבָה לַיהוָה
KJ: The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
BN: Every man and woman among the Beney Yisra-El whose heart was willing to do so, brought a freewill-offering to YHVH, to enable all the work which YHVH had ordered by the hand of Moshe.
MELA'CHAH is used here to describe the work of creating the holy artifacts; is this the same MELA'CHAH that we are commanded to rest from on the Sabbath? And if so, does resting on the Sabbath actually mean not doing this work, rather than other forms of work? If yes, it transforms our understanding of the laws of Shabbat entirely.
pey break; end of second fragment
35:30 VA YOMER MOSHEH EL BENEY YISRA-EL RE'U KARA YHVH BE SHEM BETSAL-EL BEN URI VEN CHUR LE MATEH YEHUDAH
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּ קָרָא יְהוָה בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה
KJ: And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
BN: And Mosheh said to the Beney Yisra-El: "See, YHVH has called by name Betsal-El ben Uri ben Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah.
Calling him be-shem is an odd way of putting it; it does sound like an appellation rather than a summoning, in the same way that Yoseph was named Tsaphnat Paneyach by Pharaoh when he was appointed Vizier; it is also most unusual, as pointed out previously, to name the grandfather as well.
Much depends, for our understanding of this, on the meaning of his name. The hyperlink (here) will take you to the Jewish Encyclopedia, whose article includes a discussion of the Rabbinic view that it was really Be-Tsel-El = "in the shadow of El"; you can read the explanation of this there.
The Rabbinic explanation is the one accepted by most Christian scholars (click here for Strong's discussion, as an example); mostly because there does not appear to be any Yehudit root to explain the name, other than BATSAL, which is an onion (cf Numbers 11:5), and this seems at best unlikely.
The Rabbinic explanation is the one accepted by most Christian scholars (click here for Strong's discussion, as an example); mostly because there does not appear to be any Yehudit root to explain the name, other than BATSAL, which is an onion (cf Numbers 11:5), and this seems at best unlikely.
Other than in Torah, the name only appears once more in the Tanach, in Ezra 10:30, where he is one of several priests from amongst the Beney Yisra-El (in this context, meaning not a Levi or a Kohen, and therefore odd that he could have been a priest anyway) who had married non-Yehudi women, and were expected to divorce them.
35:31 VA YEMAL'E OTO RU'ACH ELOHIM BE CHACHMAH BITVUNAH U VE DA'AT U VE CHOL MELA'CHAH
וַיְמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחָכְמָה בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכָל מְלָאכָה
KJ: And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
BN: And he has filled him with the spirit of Elohim, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.
Probably the best reference anyone ever took with them to a job interview!
35:32 VE LACHSHOV MACHASHAVOT LA'ASOT BA ZAHAV U VE KESEPH U VA NECHOSHET
וְלַחְשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבֹת לַעֲשֹׂת בַּזָּהָב וּבַכֶּסֶף וּבַנְּחֹשֶׁת
KJ: And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
BN: And to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
35:33 U VA CHAROSHET EVEN LEMAL'OT U VA CHAROSHET ETS LA'ASOT BE CHOL MELE'CHET MACHASHAVET
וּבַחֲרֹשֶׁת אֶבֶן לְמַלֹּאת וּבַחֲרֹשֶׁת עֵץ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכָל מְלֶאכֶת מַחֲשָׁבֶת
KJ: And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
BN: And in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of skilful workmanship.
On the one hand we have a large group of impoverished and homeless desert nomads, running away from slavery to who knows what possible asylum, somewhere; on the other the architectural ambitions of a Solomonic king, sedentary and extremely wealthy, seeking to appoint a royal architect to adorn his kingdom with great works. The two constructs have come in conflict throughout the text, but never more so than in this verse.
35:34 U LEHOROT NATAN BE LIBO HU VE AHALI-AV BEN ACHI-SAMACH LE MATEH DAN
וּלְהוֹרֹת נָתַן בְּלִבּוֹ הוּא וְאָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְמַטֵּה דָן
KJ: And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
BN (1): And he has created in his heart the capacity to teach others, both he, and Ahali-Av ben Achi-Samach of the tribe of Dan.
BN (2): And in order to make a role-model of him to others, he has given these skills to him, and to Ahali-Av ben Achi-Samach of the tribe of Dan
Clans rather than tribes perhaps?
U LEHOROT: Key word, the same root that gives Torah itself, the Jewish name for these first five books of the Tanach: Torah is not Law, though it includes laws; Torah is enlightenment, instruction, teaching.
And no, I don't usually offer alternate translations, but here, because of the syntax (the order in which the words are presented) it can be read either way: that YHVH has given the two men these extraordinary talents, so that they can be an inspiration to others, and/or that, alongside these extraordinary talents, he has also put into their hearts a desire to pass them on to apprentices, by teaching them.
35:35 MIL'E OTAM CHACHMAT LEV LA'ASOT KOL MELE'CHET CHARASH VE CHOSHEV VE ROKEM BA TECHELET U VA ARGAMAN BE TOLA'AT HA SHANI U VA SHESH VE OREG OSEY KOL MELA'CHA VE CHOSHVEY MACHASHAVOT
מִלֵּא אֹתָם חָכְמַת לֵב לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל מְלֶאכֶת חָרָשׁ וְחֹשֵׁב וְרֹקֵם בַּתְּכֵלֶת וּבָאַרְגָּמָן בְּתוֹלַעַת הַשָּׁנִי וּבַשֵּׁשׁ וְאֹרֵג עֹשֵׂי כָּל מְלָאכָה וְחֹשְׁבֵי מַחֲשָׁבֹת
KJ: Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
BN: Both of them he has filled with wisdom of heart, the ability to work all manner of workmanship, of the craftsman, and of the skilful workman, and of the weaver in colours, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, indeed of those who undertake any kind of art and craft, and of those that devise and design these skilful works.
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