Shabbat 196

אמר שמואל ביתדות

— Said Samuel: [The bottom consisted] of laths. Our Rabbis taught: The boards were one cubit thick at the bottom, but tapered to a fingerbreadth at the top, for it is said, they shall be entire [thammim] unto the top thereof<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex, XXVI. 24. ');">¹</span>

ת"ר קרשים מלמטן עוביין אמה ומלמעלן כלין והולכין עד כאצבע שנאמר (שמות כו, כד) יהיו תמים על ראשו ולהלן הוא אומר (יהושע ג, טז) תמו נכרתו דברי רבי יהודה רבי נחמיה אומר כשם שמלמטן עוביין אמה כך מלמעלן עוביין אמה שנאמר יחדיו

whilst elsewhere it is said, [the waters&nbsp;…] ended [tammu] and were cut off;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. III, 17. ');">²</span> this is R. Judah's view. R. Nehemiah said: Just as their thickness at the bottom, was a cubit, so at the top was their thickness a cubit, for it is said, 'and in like manner [they shall be entire]'. But surely 'thammim' is written? That [teaches] that they were to come whole,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Translating thammim as in E.V. ');">³</span>

והכתיב תמים ההוא דליתו שלמין ולא ליתו דניסרא ואידך נמי הכתיב יחדיו ההוא דלא לישלחופינהו מהדדי

and not divided.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Each board was to be of one piece. not of two joined together (Rashi). Jast. translates: the boards were to be solid, not veneered. ');">⁴</span> And the other too, surely is written 'in like manner'? — That [teaches] that they were not to erect them irregularly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit.. 'they were not to remove them one from another'; but they were all to stand in the same row. ');">⁵</span>

בשלמא למ"ד כשם שמלמטן עוביין אמה כך מלמעלן עוביין אמה היינו דכתיב (שמות כו, כב) ולירכתי המשכן ימה תעשה ששה קרשים ושני קרשים תעשה למקצעות דאתי פותיא דהני ממלי ליה לסומכא דהני אלא למ"ד מלמטן עוביין אמה מלמעלן כלין והולכין עד כאצבע האי עייל והאי נפיק דשפי להו כי טורין:

Now, on the view that just as they were a cubit thick at the bottom, so were they at the top, it is well: thus it is written, And from the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards, and two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex, XXVI, 22f. ');">⁶</span> thus the breadth of these comes and fills in the thickness of those.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the Tabernacle was ten cubits in breadth, and these six boards accounted for nine only, the additional two boards, one at each side made up the deficiency, whilst the extra cubit left in each fitted exactly over the thickness of the board ranged along the length of the Tabernacle, ');">⁷</span>

(שמות כו, כח) והבריח התיכון בתוך הקרשים תנא בנס היה עומד

But on the view that they were a cubit thick at the bottom, while they tapered at the top to a fingerbreadth, one receded and the other protruded?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Obviously these two side boards protruded at the top beyond the attenuated thickness of the boards ranged lengthwise. — 'one receded' refers to the latter. ');">⁸</span> They were planed mountain-fashion.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These two boards were wider at the bottom and narrower at the top so that their outward line resembled a mountain slope. 'Aruch reads: like a gusset (ki tariz). ');">⁹</span>

(שמות כו, א) ואת המשכן תעשה עשר יריעות אורך היריעה האחת שמנה ועשרים באמה שדי אורכייהו לפותיא דמשכן כמה הויא עשרין ותמני דל עשר לאיגרא פשא להו ט' להאי גיסא וט' להאי גיסא לר' יהודה מיגליא אמה דאדנים לר' נחמיה מיגליא אמה דקרשים

And the middle bar in the midst of the boards [shall pass through from end to end].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVI, 28. ');">¹⁰</span> A Tanna taught: It lay<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit.. 'stood'. ');">¹¹</span>

שדי פותייהו לאורכא דמשכן כמה הויא ארבעין דל תלתין לאיגרא פשא להו י' לר' יהודה מכסיא אמה דאדנים לר' נחמיה מיגליא אמה דאדנים

there by a miracle.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was one long straight bar which passed along the three walls; the necessary bending between the angles of the walls was miraculously done by itself. ');">¹²</span> Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains. The length of each curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. If. ');">¹³</span>

(שמות כו, ז) ועשית יריעות עזים לאהל וגו' אורך היריעה האחת שלשים באמה וגו' שדי אורכייהו לפותיא דמשכן כמה הויא תלתין דל עשר לאיגרא פשא להו עשר להאי גיסא ועשר להאי גיסא לר' יהודה מיכסיא אמה דאדנים לר' נחמיה מיגליא אמה דאדנים

Throw their length over the breadth of the Tabernacle; how much was it? twenty-eight cubits. Subtract ten for the roof, and this leaves nine cubits on each side. According to R. Judah. the cubit of the sockets was left uncovered; according to R. Nehemiah, a cubit of the boards was uncovered [too].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The boards were fitted into sockets (v. 19) one cubit in height. Consequently if the thickness of the top was only one fingerbreadth, practically the whole length of the boards up to the socket was covered by the curtain; (the fingerbreadth and the slightly larger length of the hypotenuse being disregarded). But if the top too was one cubit in thickness. only eight cubits of the boards were covered. ');">¹⁴</span> Cast their breadth over the length of the Tabernacle: how much was it? forty cubits.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., ten curtains each of four cubits in breadth. Ibid. 2. ');">¹⁵</span>

תניא נמי הכי (שמות כו, יג) והאמה מזה והאמה מזה בעודף לכסות אמה של אדנים דברי ר' יהודה ר' נחמיה אומר לכסות אמה של קרשים שדי פותייהו לאורכיה דמשכן כמה הויא מ' וארבע דל תלתין לאיגרא פשא להו ארבע סרי דל תרתי לכפלא דכתיב (שמות כו, ט) וכפלת את היריעה הששית אל מול פני האהל פשא להו תרתי סרי

Subtract thirty for the roof,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was the length of the Tabernacle, twenty boards each one and a half cubits broad, ');">¹⁶</span> leaves ten. According to R. Judah the cubit of the sockets was covered; according to R. Nehemiah the cubit of the sockets was uncovered.

בשלמא לר' יהודה היינו דכתיב חצי היריעה העודפת תסרח אלא לר' נחמיה מאי תסרח תסרח מחברותיה תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל למה משכן דומה לאשה שמהלכת בשוק ושפוליה מהלכין אחריה

And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle: [eleven curtains shalt thou make them]. The length of each curtain Shall be be thirty cubits. [and the breadth of each curtain four cubits].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 7f. ');">¹⁷</span> Cast their length over the breadth of the Tabernacle; how much was it? Thirty. Subtract ten for the roof, which leaves ten [cubits] on each side. According to R. Judah the cubit of the sockets was covered; according to R. Nehemiah the cubit of the sockets was uncovered. It was taught likewise: And the cubit on one side, and the cubit of the other side of that which remaineth [in the length of the curtains of the tent]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 13. ');">¹⁸</span>

ת"ר חרוצים היו קרשים וחלולים היו האדנים

this was to cover the cubit of the sockets: that is R. Judah's view. R. Nehemiah said: It was to cover the cubit of the boards.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Left uncovered by the first covering. v. supra. ');">¹⁹</span> Cast their breadth over the length of the Tabernacle: how much was it? Forty-four [cubits]. Subtract thirty for the roof leaves fourteen. Subtract two for the doubling over, as it is written, and thou shalt double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVI, 9. ');">²⁰</span> leaves twelve. Now, according to R. Judah, it is well; thus it is written, the half curtain that remaineth shall hang;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since R. Judah requires only a fingerbreadth for the top thickness of the board, practically two cubits-i.e., half a curtain hung, i.e., trailed on the floor. ');">²¹</span> but according to R. Nehemiah, what is meant by [the half curtain&nbsp;…] shall hang?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' only one cubit was left over, the other being required for the thickness. ');">²²</span> — It shall hang over its companions.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the lower covering, beyond which the upper fell two cubits. ');">²³</span> The School of R. Ishmael taught: What did the Tabernacle resemble? A woman who goes in the street and her skirts trail after her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the ground. So did the Tabernacle's covering trail too. ');">²⁴</span> Our Rabbis taught: The boards were cut out and the sockets were grooved;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the former fitted into the latter. ');">²⁵</span>