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Vayakhel

Aliya 6

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָ֖ה זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה עָשָׂ֤ה אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה הָיֽוּ׃

He made the candelabrum of pure gold; hammered he made the candelabrum, not by casting or by joining separate pieces, but by beating a single block of gold. From the same block he even made its base and its central shaft, or all its shafts; and its cups, its knobs, and its flowers, various decorations. All of these were from it, they were all fashioned from the same block of gold.

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

Six branches emerged 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 בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפָ֑רַח כֵּ֚ן לְשֵׁ֣שֶׁת הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּצְאִ֖ים מִן־הַמְּנֹרָֽה׃

three finely crafted [ meshukkadim ] ornamental cups, finely wrought, or made like almond blossoms [ shekedim ], were on the one branch. In addition to the cups there was a knob and a flower on each branch. And there were three finely crafted cups on the other branch, with a knob and a flower. So it was for the six branches that emerged from the candelabrum.

וּבַמְּנֹרָ֖ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה גְבִעִ֑ים מְשֻׁ֨קָּדִ֔ים כַּפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ וּפְרָחֶֽיהָ׃

On the body of the candelabrum, its central shaft, were four finely crafted cups, with its knobs and its flowers;

וְכַפְתֹּ֡ר תַּחַת֩ שְׁנֵ֨י הַקָּנִ֜ים מִמֶּ֗נָּה וְכַפְתֹּר֙ תַּ֣חַת שְׁנֵ֤י הַקָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְכַפְתֹּ֕ר תַּֽחַת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַקָּנִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑נָּה לְשֵׁ֙שֶׁת֙ הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּצְאִ֖ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

and there was a knob under two of the branches from it, a knob under two of the branches from it, and a knob under two of the branches from it, for the six branches emerging from it. There was an ornamental knob where each pair of branches met the central shaft.

כַּפְתֹּרֵיהֶ֥ם וּקְנֹתָ֖ם מִמֶּ֣נָּה הָי֑וּ כֻּלָּ֛הּ מִקְשָׁ֥ה אַחַ֖ת זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר׃

Their knobs and their branches, the branches of the candelabrum, were from it, of one piece, all of it hammered of pure gold.

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־נֵרֹתֶ֖יהָ שִׁבְעָ֑ה וּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ וּמַחְתֹּתֶ֖יהָ זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר׃

Fire-made its seven lamps, receptacles atop the branches for the oil and the wicks; and its tongs, for handling the wicks; and its fire-pans, spoon-like receptacles for removing the burnt wicks from the lamps and for cleaning the oil. These too he made of pure gold.

כִּכָּ֛ר זָהָ֥ב טָה֖וֹר עָשָׂ֣ה אֹתָ֑הּ וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־כֵּלֶֽיהָ׃ (פ)

He made it and all its vessels of a talent of pure gold. The sum weight of the candelabrum and its vessels was one talent. Modern estimates of a talent range from 30 to 50 kg.

וַיַּ֛עַשׂ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֥ח הַקְּטֹ֖רֶת עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּ֣ה אָרְכּוֹ֩ וְאַמָּ֨ה רָחְבּ֜וֹ רָב֗וּעַ וְאַמָּתַ֙יִם֙ קֹֽמָת֔וֹ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הָי֥וּ קַרְנֹתָֽיו׃

He made the incense altar of acacia wood; its length was one cubit and its width one cubit, square, its height was two cubits, and its horns were from it. The verse does not explain the precise shape of the horns.

וַיְצַ֨ף אֹת֜וֹ זָהָ֣ב טָה֗וֹר אֶת־גַּגּ֧וֹ וְאֶת־קִירֹתָ֛יו סָבִ֖יב וְאֶת־קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וַיַּ֥עַשׂ ל֛וֹ זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃

He plated it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a rim of gold upon it around, as he did for the ark and the table for the showbread.

וּשְׁתֵּי֩ טַבְּעֹ֨ת זָהָ֜ב עָֽשָׂה־ל֣וֹ ׀ מִתַּ֣חַת לְזֵר֗וֹ עַ֚ל שְׁתֵּ֣י צַלְעֹתָ֔יו עַ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣י צִדָּ֑יו לְבָתִּ֣ים לְבַדִּ֔ים לָשֵׂ֥את אֹת֖וֹ בָּהֶֽם׃

He made two gold rings for it under its rim, on two of its corners and on two of its sides, on diagonally opposite corners, as housings for inserting staves, poles, with which to carry it. Since the incense altar was a small vessel, it did not require four rings, but only two.

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־הַבַּדִּ֖ים עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וַיְצַ֥ף אֹתָ֖ם זָהָֽב׃

He made the staves of acacia wood, and he plated them with gold.

וַיַּ֜עַשׂ אֶת־שֶׁ֤מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה֙ קֹ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־קְטֹ֥רֶת הַסַּמִּ֖ים טָה֑וֹר מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֹקֵֽחַ׃ (פ)

He made the anointing oil in sanctity, taking care to preserve its sanctity and for the sake of anointing the sacred vessels and priests, and the incense of the spices, pure of all waste and impurity. Both were prepared with the craftsmanship of a blender, using precision and great care, like the work of an apothecary.