CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHIOS VA'YAKHEIL-PIKUDEI 5770 - BS"D

2) Ch. 38, v. 24: "Kol hazohov he'ossuy lamlochoh b'chole m'leches hakodesh" - All the gold that was made for the craft work in all the holy craft work - Why the repetition, "kol" and "b'chole?"

3) Ch. 39, v. 3: "Va'y'raku es pachei hazohov v'kitzeitz p'silim" - And they hammered thin the plates of gold and he sliced threads -

A) The verse begins with the plural, "and THEY hammered thin," but continues with the singular, "and HE sliced threads."

B) It is most interesting to note that with all other materials the Torah does not go into detail of how the items were crafted, with the exception of where there was a need to do it a certain way to comply with Hashem's specifications, for example, to create the menorah of one piece of gold, "mikshoh," rather than creating components and then welding them together. Otherwise there was no detailing of the process. Yet here by creating gold threads the Torah tells us the step-by-step process of how the threads were to be made. Why?

4) Ch. 38, v. 27: "M'as adonim limas hakikor" - One-hundred foundation blocks for one-hundred kikor weight - Shouldn't the verse have said the reverse, "one-hundred kikor weight (of silver) for the one-hundred foundation blocks"?

5) Ch. 40, v. 18: "Va'yo'kem Moshe es haMishkon va'yi'tein es odonov" - The Sforno says that these words are not to be understood as "Moshe set up the Mishkon and this was done by his placing the foundation blocks, setting the wall beams into them, placing the horizontal support poles into place, etc." Rather "va'yo'kem Moshe es haMishkon" means that he set up the bottom roof covering called Mishkon, and then he did the rest. How was this done? How do you first place a roof before having built walls?

ANSWERS:

#1

This word is read (kri) brichov," meaning "its poleS," plural, but is spelled (ksiv) without a letter Yud between the Ches and the Vov, thus allowing for understanding this word as "bricho," meaning "its pole," in the singular. We find the same spelling in parshas Pikudei (39:33). Perhaps the "kri" and "ksiv" can be explained according to the two opinions about the central support beam. The Breisa of M'leches haMishkon posits that they were three separate beams, one each for the north, west, and southern walls. However, Targum Yonoson ben Uziel on Shmos 26:28 and the gemara Shabbos 98b say that the "briach hatichon" was one long pole that spanned the length of all three walls and that it miraculously became flexible when reaching the end of a wall and having to make a 90 degree turn. When the insertion was completed and when removed from the walls upon disassembly it returned to its natural state of being a stiff long pole.

The Torah has the written form of "bricho," singular, to indicate the opinion of Targum Yonoson ben Uziel and the gemara Shabbos 98b that it was one pole. On the other hand, the word is read "brichov," plural, to indicate the opinion of the Breisa of M'leches haMishkon. This does not explain why the "kri" and "ksiv" phenomenon repeats itself in 39:33.

#2

These words teach us that a great miracle occurred. Normally when one takes gold and forms it into different items there will surely be some loss of material. During the melting, smith work, welding, and shaping processes gold dust and grindings fall away. Our verse tells us that ALL the gold that was given to be worked into Mishkon components was present in the finished products, indeed a remarkable miracle. (Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh)

Perhaps this is indicated by the repetition of the word "kol." The Ta"z on O.Ch. hilchos R.H. says that we say "m'loch al KOL ho'olom KULO," repeating KOL, to indicate that we mean to say that Hashem rules over the COMPLETE world, and not the majority, upon which the word "kol" may also be used, as per the dictum "rubo ch'kulo." Here too, by repeating KOL the verse conveys that absolutely ALL the gold that was donated was present in the finished products, without even a gram missing.

#3

This teaches us that the components of the Mishkon were dictated commensurate to the magnanimity of the bnei Yisroel's hearts. We can even say that this is the intention of the words, "v'ossu li Mikdosh" (Shmos 25:8), that the bnei Yisroel, through the magnanimity of their hearts create the specifications of the Mishkon. (Sfas Emes)

I have difficulty comprehending this thought as applied to our verse. Specifically by the foundation blocks (see Rashi on Shmos 30:16 d.h. "al") the Torah dictates the amount to be given, ½ a shekel per person, no more no less, be the person rich or poor (Shmos 30:15). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#4

A) The plural form at the beginning of the verse refers to the donours. They did not bring thick plates of gold, but rather, they did the tedious work of thinning the malleable gold plates, preparing them for being cut into threads. A craftsman then cut them into narrow threads, hence the singular, "and HE cut." (Sforno)

B) The Ramban explains that the creation of all other items was done in a manner that was a known technique, but in the history of the world there were never gold threads created that were capable of being spun and twisted into wool and linen threads until this time. Therefore the Torah details how they were made.

#5

A) The Sforno answers that either people held the roof in place and then the assembly of the actual building took place under it as per the gemara M'nochos 99a, or that it was lifted to its proper height and miraculously just stayed suspended in the air until the building below it was assembled.

Rashi seems to agree with the Sforno that "Mishkon" here means the lowest roof covering, as in the next verse on the words "Va'yifrose es ho'ohel" he writes that this refers to the goatskin covering. Why was the lower cloth covering not mentioned at all? According to the Sforno it was, in our verse.

We might conjecture (it seems to be alluded to in the Sforno's commentary) that the reason it was necessary to place the cloth cover first, a most unconventional way of assembling the Sanctuary, is that it is the basis of the Sanctuary's structural holiness. Its name "Mishkon" alone conveys the message that it is the source for the "resting" of the Divine Presence. (This should not be confused with the essence of the Divine Presence in the Sanctuary emanating from the tablets of the Ten Commandments, as the Mishkon itself is called "Mishkan ho'eidus," indicating that its purpose is to house the "testimonial tablets." Rather, the source of the sanctity of Hashem's presence "in the structure of the building" comes from the lowest roof covering named Mishkon.)

There seems to be a parallel to this in the structure of a Sukoh. The name Sukoh comes from the covering, called "s'chach," again indicating that the essence of this structure is its covering.

Similarly, a ben Yisroel has his head covered with a "yarmulka." This word is a composite of "yo'rei malka," fear of the king, a constant reminder of Hashem's presence. See the gemara Shabbos 156a, which states that covering one's head brings the fear of Hashem upon him.

B) An answer offered by the N'tziv is that B'tzal'eil hooked together the sections of the cloth covering much earlier than the 1st of Nison, and suspended the covering over upright poles. The space under it was sanctified so that the holy vessels that would be created would have a sanctified storage space. According to the words of the Sforno this seems to not be so, as our verse tells us that the Mishkon cover was set up on the first of Nison.

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