וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃

Speak to the children of Israel and command them that they shall collect for Me, on My behalf, a gift; from every man whose heart pledges you shall collect My gift. This is a donation, not a tax, and the specific amount that is donated depends on the generosity of the individual.

וְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

This is the gift that you shall collect from them. Since the donations were to be used for the construction of the Tabernacle, only certain metals could be donated: gold, silver, and bronze. Other metals that the children of Israel possessed in the wilderness were not needed.

וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃

And fabrics: sky-blue wool, olored a deep blue with dye extracted from the blood of a certain species of snail; and wool dyed purple or some reddish color. The dye used to make this color, which was also extracted from various snails, was very expensive, and in many places symbolized nobility. And scarlet wool, colored bright red with a dye extracted from certain insects. And in addition to threads of dyed sheep’s wool, the people should take fine, clean linen [ shesh ], a word derived from Egyptian, and thicker, woven goat hair.

וְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאָדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים׃

And materials for the roofs and the walls: rams’ hides from which the hair has been removed and dyed red, and tah · hides, and boards of acacia wood,

שֶׁ֖מֶן לַמָּאֹ֑ר בְּשָׂמִים֙ לְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְלִקְטֹ֖רֶת הַסַּמִּֽים׃

oil suitable for the lighting of the candelabrum, spices used for the anointing oil and for the incense of the spices.

אַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֕הַם וְאַבְנֵ֖י מִלֻּאִ֑ים לָאֵפֹ֖ד וְלַחֹֽשֶׁן׃

Precious stones: Onyx stones, usually yellowish-brown, and stones for setting . The onyx stones were used for the ephod, and the stones to be set were for affixing in the breast piece.

וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃

They, the children of Israel, shall make for Me a sanctuary, and through it I will dwell among them.

כְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃ (ס)

In accordance with everything that I show you, Moses, the configuration of the Tabernacle and the configuration of all its vessels, as detailed below, so you shall later make it, in fulfillment of My command.

וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֲר֖וֹן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֨יִם וָחֵ֜צִי אָרְכּ֗וֹ וְאַמָּ֤ה וָחֵ֙צִי֙ רָחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃

They shall make an ark of acacia wood: Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits. A cubit is the distance between a man’s elbow and the end of his fingers. The length of this rectangular box is greater than its height, indicating that it was placed lengthwise, not upright.

וְצִפִּיתָ֤ אֹתוֹ֙ זָהָ֣ב טָה֔וֹר מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ תְּצַפֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ עָלָ֛יו זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃

You shall plate it, the acacia wood, with pure gold, within and without you shall plate it. The verse does not state precisely how this should be done, nor does it specify the thickness or shape of the plating. The Sages explain that this was not a coating painted directly on the wood, but separate objects covering its inner and outer surfaces: A golden box inserted into the wooden one, which was in turn inserted into another, larger golden box. And you shall make a gold rim [ zer ] upon it all around. The size and exact appearance of this zer is not detailed. Due to the similarity between the word zer , a gold rim, and nezer , a crown, and since both words apparently denote objects that surround or encircle from above, one can conclude that the zer was a kind of crown for the ark, similar to the one on the table in the Sanctuary (see verse 24).

וְיָצַ֣קְתָּ לּ֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו וּשְׁתֵּ֣י טַבָּעֹ֗ת עַל־צַלְעוֹ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּי֙ טַבָּעֹ֔ת עַל־צַלְע֖וֹ הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃

You shall cast four rings of gold for it, the ark, and place them on its four corners [ pa’amotav ] . Ibn Ezra interprets pa’amotav as referring to legs, even though the Torah never explicitly dictates that the ark should have legs. Two rings shall be on its one side, and two rings shall be on its second side.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בַדֵּ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָֽב׃

You shall make staves of acacia wood and you shall plate them too with gold.

וְהֵֽבֵאתָ֤ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֖ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הָאָרֹ֑ן לָשֵׂ֥את אֶת־הָאָרֹ֖ן בָּהֶֽם׃

You shall insert the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. The Tabernacle and its vessels must be portable. If the staves had been made of pure gold, a soft metal, they could not have borne such a heavy weight.

בְּטַבְּעֹת֙ הָאָרֹ֔ן יִהְי֖וּ הַבַּדִּ֑ים לֹ֥א יָסֻ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

In the rings of the ark the staves shall be; they shall not be removed from it. The staves of the ark are not merely a means for carrying it, they are an integral part of the ark. Consequently, they may not be removed from the rings even when they are not needed for transporting the ark.

וְנָתַתָּ֖ אֶל־הָאָרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

You shall place in the ark the Tablets of the Testimony, the two tablets of the covenant, that I will give you.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ כַפֹּ֖רֶת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר אַמָּתַ֤יִם וָחֵ֙צִי֙ אָרְכָּ֔הּ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי רָחְבָּֽהּ׃

You shall make an ark cover of pure gold. Its size should match that of the ark itself. Its length shall be two and a half cubits and its width a cubit and a half.

וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

You shall make two cherubs of gold, in the likeness of heavenly beings. Hammered you shall make them, at the two ends of the ark cover. The cherubs and the ark cover were formed from one contiguous piece of solid gold. This could have been achieved by casting the gold in a mold, but the word hammered indicates that the cherubs were made by beating and striking a large gold block. This must have been a highly complicated and difficult process.

וַ֠עֲשֵׂה כְּר֨וּב אֶחָ֤ד מִקָּצָה֙ מִזֶּ֔ה וּכְרוּב־אֶחָ֥ד מִקָּצָ֖ה מִזֶּ֑ה מִן־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י קְצוֹתָֽיו׃

And make one cherub from this end of the ark cover and one cherub from that end; from the ark cover you shall make the cherubs from its two ends.

וְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃

The cherubs shall have wings spread from above, shielding with their wings over the ark cover, and their faces one to another; toward the ark cover the faces of the cherubs shall be. Though they should face each other, their gaze is to be directed downward, toward the ark cover.

וְנָתַתָּ֧ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

You shall place the ark cover upon the ark from above; and in the ark you shall place the Tablets of the Testimony that I shall give you.

וְנוֹעַדְתִּ֣י לְךָ֮ שָׁם֒ וְדִבַּרְתִּ֨י אִתְּךָ֜ מֵעַ֣ל הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת מִבֵּין֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־אֲרֹ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֑ת אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֲצַוֶּ֛ה אוֹתְךָ֖ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)

I will meet with you there, and I will tell you, from upon the ark cover, from between the two cherubs that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, everything that I will command you to the children of Israel. This would be the place of God’s revelation to Moses.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ שֻׁלְחָ֖ן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֤יִם אָרְכּוֹ֙ וְאַמָּ֣ה רָחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃

You shall make a table of acacia wood: Its length shall be two cubits, and its width one cubit, and its height one and a half cubits.

וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לּ֛וֹ זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃

You shall plate it with pure gold, and you shall make for it a rim of gold all around. Like the ark (verse 11), the table was adorned with a kind of crown.

וְעָשִׂ֨יתָ לּ֥וֹ מִסְגֶּ֛רֶת טֹ֖פַח סָבִ֑יב וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ זֵר־זָהָ֛ב לְמִסְגַּרְתּ֖וֹ סָבִֽיב׃

You shall make for it a border of one handbreadth all around in height, and you shall make the aforementioned rim of gold for its border all around.

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ אַרְבַּ֖ע טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֑ב וְנָתַתָּ֙ אֶת־הַטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע הַפֵּאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר לְאַרְבַּ֥ע רַגְלָֽיו׃

You shall make for it four rings of gold, and you shall place the rings on the four corners that are on its, the table’s, four legs.

לְעֻמַּת֙ הַמִּסְגֶּ֔רֶת תִּהְיֶ֖יןָ הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת לְבָתִּ֣ים לְבַדִּ֔ים לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָֽן׃

Adjacent to the border the rings shall be, and they shall be used as housings for the staves that are used to carry the table.

וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָ֑ב וְנִשָּׂא־בָ֖ם אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָֽן׃

You shall make the staves of acacia wood and you shall plate them with gold, and the table will be carried with them. Like the ark, the table should be carried from place to place by its staves.

וְעָשִׂ֨יתָ קְּעָרֹתָ֜יו וְכַפֹּתָ֗יו וּקְשׂוֹתָיו֙ וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻסַּ֖ךְ בָּהֵ֑ן זָהָ֥ב טָה֖וֹר תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם׃

You shall also make accoutrements for the table: Its bowls to hold flour or dough; and its spoons for the frankincense; and its tubes [ uksotav ], which formed a layered frame above the table on which to place the bread. Some interpret this word to mean bowls in which the dough was kneaded. And its supports [ umnakiyotav ], two posts on either side of the table, which would hold the layers of the frame like drawers. These are the accoutrements with which it, the table, shall be covered. Others interpret umnakiyotav as denoting tools used for cleaning the oven. From pure gold you shall make all of them.

וְנָתַתָּ֧ עַֽל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן לֶ֥חֶם פָּנִ֖ים לְפָנַ֥י תָּמִֽיד׃ (פ)

You shall place showbread [ leh · ], 1 literally “bread with a front,” upon the table, before Me always.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מְנֹרַ֖ת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה תֵּעָשֶׂ֤ה הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ׃

You shall make a candelabrum of pure gold; the candelabrum shall be made hammered. Like the ark cover and its cherubs, the candelabrum was not fashioned by casting or by joining separate pieces, but by beating a single block of gold. Its base and its shaft, its main trunk, or all its shafts: its cups, its knobs, and its flowers, decorations, the position of which are detailed below, shall all be fashioned from it, the same block of gold.

וְשִׁשָּׁ֣ה קָנִ֔ים יֹצְאִ֖ים מִצִּדֶּ֑יהָ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֗ה מִצִּדָּהּ֙ הָאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֔ה מִצִּדָּ֖הּ הַשֵּׁנִֽי׃

Six branches shall emerge from its sides, three branches of the candelabrum from its one side and three branches of the candelabrum from its second side.

שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה גְ֠בִעִים מְֽשֻׁקָּדִ֞ים בַּקָּנֶ֣ה הָאֶחָד֮ כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפֶרַח֒ וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה גְבִעִ֗ים מְשֻׁקָּדִ֛ים בַּקָּנֶ֥ה הָאֶחָ֖ד כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפָ֑רַח כֵּ֚ן לְשֵׁ֣שֶׁת הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּצְאִ֖ים מִן־הַמְּנֹרָֽה׃

These are the decorations on the branches: Three finely crafted [ meshukadim ] cups , or, according to another interpretation, cups that are made to look like almond blossoms, on the one branch, and also a knob, of a form unknown today, and an ornament in the shape of a flower. And three finely crafted cups on the next branch, a knob and a flower; and so forth for the six branches that emerge from the candelabrum. All the branches of the candelabrum were made of gold and had identical decorations of cups, knobs, and flowers.

וּבַמְּנֹרָ֖ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה גְבִעִ֑ים מְשֻׁקָּדִ֔ים כַּפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ וּפְרָחֶֽיהָ׃

On the body of the candelabrum, meaning its central shaft, four finely crafted [ meshukadim ] cups, with its knobs, and its flowers. The special craftsmanship, possibly in the shape of almond blossom, may apply to the knobs and flowers as well. The Sages include this in a list of five cases in the Torah where the reference of a modifier is ambiguous.

וְכַפְתֹּ֡ר תַּחַת֩ שְׁנֵ֨י הַקָּנִ֜ים מִמֶּ֗נָּה וְכַפְתֹּר֙ תַּ֣חַת שְׁנֵ֤י הַקָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְכַפְתֹּ֕ר תַּחַת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַקָּנִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑נָּה לְשֵׁ֙שֶׁת֙ הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּצְאִ֖ים מִן־הַמְּנֹרָֽה׃

There shall be a knob under the first set of two branches extending from it, the body of the candelabrum, and a knob under the second set of two branches extending from it, and a knob under the third set of two branches extending from it, so it shall be for the six branches emerging from the candelabrum. There was an ornamental knob at each point where the branches were joined to the central shaft.

כַּפְתֹּרֵיהֶ֥ם וּקְנֹתָ֖ם מִמֶּ֣נָּה יִהְי֑וּ כֻּלָּ֛הּ מִקְשָׁ֥ה אַחַ֖ת זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר׃

The Torah reiterates: Their knobs, meaning the knobs of the branches, and their branches, meaning the branches themselves, shall be made from it, from the candelabrum itself; all of it, including its branches and ornamentation, hammered of pure gold.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶת־נֵרֹתֶ֖יהָ שִׁבְעָ֑ה וְהֶֽעֱלָה֙ אֶת־נֵ֣רֹתֶ֔יהָ וְהֵאִ֖יר עַל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנֶֽיהָ׃

You shall make its lamps, receptacles for the oil and the wicks located on top of the branches, seven, six above the branches that extend on the sides and one on the main shaft of the candelabrum. And he shall kindle the wicks in its lamps so that it will illuminate toward its front. All the flames were turned toward the central shaft or toward the area directly in front of it.

וּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ וּמַחְתֹּתֶ֖יהָ זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר׃

Its tongs, used for handling the wicks, and its pans, small, spoon-like receptacles with flat bottoms that were open at the front, with which the burnt wicks and ash were removed from the lamps; these shall be of pure gold.

כִּכָּ֛ר זָהָ֥ב טָה֖וֹר יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֑הּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

He shall make it of a talent of pure gold with, including in the total weight, all these vessels. The total weight of the candelabrum and its vessels shall be one talent of pure gold. Modern estimates of a talent range between 30 and 50 kg.

וּרְאֵ֖ה וַעֲשֵׂ֑ה בְּתַ֨בְנִיתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה מָרְאֶ֖ה בָּהָֽר׃ (ס)

See and craft the candelabrum and the other vessels in their form, as you are shown on the mountain. Despite the lengthy passage dealing with the candelabrum, it is difficult to describe such complex and detailed forms in words. Therefore, God showed Moses an image of the vessels in order to enable him to guide the craftsmen in their proper construction. Moses saw the heavenly Tabernacle, with all the forms of the vessels inside, and this vision filled in the details missing from the verses, allowing the artisans to recreate the vessels faithfully in the earthly Tabernacle.