Hebrew Literature

by Unknown

Chapter X

“How did Bezaleel make the candlestick?” “He made it from an ingot of gold, and it was like a beam. And above and below he made bowls, knops, and flowers, and drew out from it two branches, one on either side, and from it he drew out two other branches, one on either side, and again drew out two branches, one on either side, as is said, ‘And six branches shall come out of the sides of it.’ ”[666] But we could not understand the hammering of the bowls, until it be said, “And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds with their knops and their flowers.”[667] Aisi, the son of Judah, said, “there are five expressions in the Law, and they have no fixed meaning. These are they, ‘accepted,’[668] ‘cursed,’[669] ‘to-morrow,’[670] ‘made like unto almonds,’[671] ‘and will rise up.’ ”[672] “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” or, “thou shalt be accepted even if thou doest not well.” “Cursed be their anger for it was fierce,” or, “for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they houghed cursed oxen.” “To-morrow I will stand” or “go out, fight with Amalek to-morrow.” “Made like unto almonds with their knops, and their flowers,” or “four bowls made like unto almonds.” “And this people will rise up,” or, “thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and thou shalt rise up.” These are the five expressions in the Law which have no fixed meaning. Aisa, the son of Akiba, said, “it happened once to be more (than a talent by) a dinar of gold, and it was brought into the crucible eighty times.” The body of the candlestick was eighteen hand-breadths, the feet and the flowers were three hand-breadths, and two hand-breadths were smooth, and one hand-breadth was for the bowl, a knop and a flower, and two hand-breadths were smooth, and one hand-breadth a knop, and two branches proceeded from it, one on either side. And [pg 258] two hand-breadths were smooth, and one hand-breadth a knop, and two branches proceeded from it, one on either side, and two hand-breadths were smooth, and one hand-breadth a knop, and two branches proceeded from it on either side. There remained three hand-breadths, in which were the bowls, the knops, and the flowers, as is said, “Three bowls made like unto almonds with a knop and a flower in one branch.”[673] It follows that the bowls were twenty-two, and the knops eleven, and the flowers nine. “The bowls, to what were they like?” “To cups of Alexandria.” “The knops, to what were they like?” “To the apples of pine-trees.”[674] “The flowers, to what were they like?” “To the flowers on the pillars of the temple.” It is found that you learn that there exist in the candlestick difficulty and forgetfulness more than in all the other vessels. “And whence know we that OMNIPRESENCE showed to Moses, the vessels ready, and the candlestick ready?” As it is said, “see and make them according to their patterns.”[675] Although Solomon made ten candlesticks and all of them were lawful for service, as is said, “And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left.”[676] If you say, five on the south and five on the north, is not the candlestick on the north worthless? “And what is meant by saying, five on the right hand and five on the left?” “Five on the right side of the candlestick of Moses, and five on the left side of the candlestick of Moses, even though they lighted the candlestick of Moses only, as is said, ‘And the candlestick of gold, with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening.’ ”[677] Rabbi José, the son of Rabbi Judah, said, “they were all lighted,” as is said, “Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner, before the oracle of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs made he of gold, and that perfect gold.”[678] All these completed the golden one of Moses. Those on the west and east flamed in front of the middle light, as is said, “The seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.”[679] From thence Rabbi Nathan said, “the middle one is the most honorable.” [pg 259] The seven lamps flamed alike, and their lamps were equal, and they resembled each other. “How did they snuff it?” “They removed the snuff from the candlestick and deposited it in the tent, and rubbed it with a sponge.” “It follows that many priests were busied on one lamp.” The words of Rabbi José. But the Sages say, “they did not remove the lamps from their places; they only removed the snuff from the candlestick, as is said, ‘He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick.’ ”[680]

Chapter XI

The altar of incense was in length a cubit, and in breadth a cubit, and in height two cubits, as is said, “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim-wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof: four square shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.”[681] And it was all overlaid with gold.[682] This altar had three names, the altar of incense, the altar of gold, the inner altar. The altar of burnt-offerings was in length five cubits, and in breadth five cubits, and in height three cubits, as is said, “And he made the altar of burnt-offering of shittim-wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was four-square; and three cubits the height thereof.”[683] The words of Rabbi Meier. To him said Rabbi José, “from hearing what is said five by five do we not know that it is four-square? What is the meaning of saying four-square?” “It is superfluous, save for identification in pronouncing with regard to it an equal decision. It is said here four-square, and there four-square.” “What four-square is meant there?” “That its height is double its breadth, even the four-square mentioned here means that its height is double its breadth.” Rabbi Meier said to him, “if it be according to thy words, it follows that the altar is higher than the curtains.” Rabbi José; answered him, “and is it not already said, ‘And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about.’ ”[684] As the tabernacle [pg 260] was ten cubits broad, so the altar of burnt-offerings was ten cubits broad. A painted line girdled it in the middle to divide between the blood (sprinkled) above, and the blood (sprinkled) below. The painted line and downward was five cubits. The foundation was a cubit. And three cubits was the compass, and the circuit was a cubit, and there they put the blood sprinkled below. The painted line and upward was five cubits—a cubit the horns, and three cubits the compass, and one cubit the circuit. And there they put the blood which was sprinkled above. And the blood intended to be sprinkled on the painted line and downward, if it were put on the painted line and upward, was worthless. And the blood that was intended to be sprinkled above the painted line, if it were put on the painted line and downward, was worthless. The altar which Moses made in the wilderness was in height ten cubits, and the one which Solomon made was in height ten cubits, and the one which the children of the captivity made was in height ten cubits, and the one prepared for the Future, its height is ten cubits. The altar of burnt-offerings was placed in the midst of the court (with) its ascent on the south, with the laver on the west, with the slaughter-house on the north, and all the Israelites to the east, as is said, “And all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord.”[685] This altar had three names, the altar of burnt-offering, the altar of brass, the outer altar.

Chapter XII

Moses made one LAVER, as is said, “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass.”[686] Solomon made ten lavers, as is said, “He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash.”[687] “There is no meaning in saying ‘five on the right hand, and five on the left,’ and what is the meaning of saying ‘five on the right hand, and five on the left’?” “Five on the right of the laver of Moses, and five on the left of the laver of Moses.” Solomon added to it when he made the sea, as is said, “And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; it was round all about, and his height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass [pg 261] it round about. And it was an hand-breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies, it contained two thousand baths.”[688] It is not possible to say “two thousand,” since before it is said “three thousand,”[689] and it is not possible to say “three thousand,” since before it is said “two thousand.” “How can it be?” “Two thousand liquid make three thousand dry measure.” But you don't know how much is the bath until it be said, “The ephah and the bath contain one measure,”[690] “for ten baths are a homer.” “Allow ten baths for every cur—there are 200 curs. Subtract from them fifty curs, and allow fifty square, there are 150 cleansing-pools; since every pool contains forty seahs.” “And from whence do we know that every pool contains forty seahs?” “As is said, ‘And bathe his flesh in water,’[691] water to cover all his flesh.” “And how much is it?” “A square cubit, in height three cubits.” From thence the Sages judged the measure of a pool to be forty seahs. “And how can it contain 150 cleansing-pools, if thou shalt say it was all round?” “It could not contain them.” “If thou shalt say it was all square?” “It therefore contained more.” But the three lowest cubits were square; allow for ten cubits square, there are 100 cubits. Allow for a hundred square; there are 100 cleansing-pools. The two highest cubits were round. Allow for ten cubits square; there are seventy-five cubits. Allow for seventy-five square; there are 150. Allow for fifty square; there are fifty cleansing-pools; since the square exceeds the round by a fourth. “And whence do we know that the square exceeds the round by a fourth?” “As is said, ‘Ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.’ ”[692] This teaches that the square exceeds the round by a fourth. “And whence do we know that it was round above?” “As is said, ‘And it was an hand-breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup.’ ” “And whence know we that it was square below?” “As is said, ‘It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east.’ ”[693] And what is meant by saying “looking [pg 262] toward” four times; but that when one entered the temple he looked toward the right; when he entered into the court, he looked toward the right; when he entered the Mountain of the House, he looked toward the right; when the priest went up to the top of the altar, he looked toward the right. “And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen.”[694] It follows that (there were) four rows of the heads of oxen, which served for the four sides, as is said, “And the similitude of oxen, two rows of oxen were cast when it was cast.”[695] And it was all cast even from the feet of the ox.