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Navigating the Bible| Genesis |
| Exodus |
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| Leviticus |
| Numbers |
| Deuteronomy |
The Architects |
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| 31:1 | God spoke to Moses, saying: |
| 31:2 | I have selected Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Judah, by name. |
| 31:3 | I have filled him with a divine spirit, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with [the talent for] all types of craftsmanship. |
| 31:4 | He will be able to devise plans as well as work in gold, silver and copper, |
| 31:5 | cut stones to be set, carve wood, and do other work. |
| 31:6 | I have also given him Oholiav son of Achisamakh of the tribe of Dan [as an assistant]. [Besides this], I have placed wisdom in the heart of every naturally talented person. They will thus make all that I have ordered, |
| 31:7 | the Communion Tent, the Ark for the Testimony, the ark cover to go on it, all the utensils for the tent, |
| 31:8 | the table and its utensils, the pure [gold] menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, |
| 31:9 | the sacrificial altar and all its utensils, the washstand and its base, |
| 31:10 | the packing cloths, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, the vestments that his sons wear to serve, |
| 31:11 | the anointing oil, and the incense for the sanctuary. They will thus do all that I command. |
The Sabbath |
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| 31:12 | God told Moses |
| 31:13 | to speak to the Israelites and say to them: You must still keep My sabbaths. It is a sign between Me and you for all generations, to make you realize that I, God, am making you holy. |
| 31:14 | [Therefore] keep the Sabbath as something sacred to you. Anyone doing work [on the Sabbath] shall be cut off spiritually from his people, and therefore, anyone violating it shall be put to death. |
| 31:15 | Do your work during the six week days, but keep Saturday as a Sabbath of sabbaths, holy to God. Whoever does any work on Saturday shall be put to death. |
| 31:16 | The Israelites shall thus keep the Sabbath, making it a day of rest for all generations, as an eternal covenant. |
| 31:17 | It is a sign between Me and the Israelites that during the six weekdays God made heaven and earth, but on Saturday, He ceased working and withdrew to the spiritual. |
The Golden Calf |
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| 31:18 | When [God] finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him two tablets of the Testimony. They were stone tablets, written with God's finger. |
Commentary:
| God spoke... See Exodus 35:30-36:1. |
| Betzalel... son of Chur. See note on Exodus 17:10. Betzalel was thus Miriam's grandson. |
| devise plans (Targum Yonathan; Lekach Tov). Or, 'weave designs' (Rashi). |
| naturally talented Literally, 'wise of heart'. See Exodus 28:3. |
| packing cloths (Rashi; Ibn Ezra). Or, 'unique vestments' (Ramban). |
| still Even while building the Tabernacle (Mekhilta; Rashi). |
| Saturday Literally, 'the seventh day.' See note on Exodus 16:5. |
| withdrew to the spiritual (cf. Bahir 57; Ramban on Genesis 2:7). Nafash in Hebrew. Or, 'withdrew to Himself' (Hirsch); or, 'finished accomplishing what He intended' (Moreh Nevukhim 1:67); or, 'rested' (Targum; Rashi; Radak, Sherashim). |
| tablets According to tradition the tablets were square, 6 x 6 x 3 handbreadths (18' x 18' x 9') Bava Bathra 14a). They were made of sapphire (Lekach Tov; see note on Exodus 24:10). |
| finger 'Instrument' (Moreh Nevukhim 1:66). See Exodus 8:15 (cf. Midrash HaGadol). |
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