Daf Ditty Shabbes 98

,‫ ֲﬠֵצי ִשִׁטּים‬,‫ ַלִמְּשָׁכּן‬,‫ַהְקּ ָרִשׁים‬-‫טו ְוָﬠִשׂיָת ֶאת‬ 15 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia-
.‫ֹעְמִדים‬ wood, standing up.

‫ ֹא ֶר[ ַהָקּ ֶרשׁ; ְוַאָמּה ַוֲחִצי‬,‫טז ֶﬠֶשׂר ַאמּוֹת‬ 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a
.‫ ֹרַחב ַהֶקּ ֶרשׁ ָהֶאָחד‬,‫ָהַאָמּה‬ half the breadth of each board.

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 ‫ וְּלַהָלּן‬,‫ ״ ִיְהיוּ ַתִמּים ַﬠל ר ֹאשׁוֹ״‬:‫ ֶשֶׁנֱּאַמר‬,‫ וִּמְלַּמְﬠָלן ָכִּלין ְוהוְֹלִכין ַﬠד ְכֶּאְצַבּע‬,‫ ְק ָרִשׁים ִמְלַּמָטּן עוְֹבָיין ַאָמּה‬:‫ָּתנוּ ַרָבַּנן‬
‫ ִמְלַּמְﬠָלן עוְֹבָיין‬M‫ ָכּ‬,‫ ְכֵּשׁם ֶשִׁמְּלַּמָטּן עוְֹבָיין ַאָמּה‬:‫ ַרִבּי ְנֶחְמָיה אוֵֹמר‬.‫ ִדְּב ֵרי ַרִבּי ְיהוָּדה‬.‫ ״ַתּמּוּ ִנְכ ָרתוּ״‬:‫הוּא אוֵֹמר‬
‫ ״ַיְחָדּיו״‬:‫ ֶשֶׁנֱּאַמר‬,‫ַאָמּה‬.

The Sages taught: The Tabernacle beams were one cubit thick at the bottom, and they narrowed
to a fingerbreadth as they reached the top, as it is stated: “And they shall match at the bottom,
and together they will be ended [tamim] at the top toward a single ring; so shall it be for them
both, they shall form the two corners” (Exodus 26:24). And below, when the children of Israel
crossed the Jordan River, it says: “And those who went down toward the Sea of Arava at the Dead
Sea came to an end [tamu]” (Joshua 3:16). Tam means finished or terminated. Here, too, the
beams narrowed as they reached the top until they were virtually terminated; this is the statement
of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Neḥemya says: Just as they were one cubit thick at the bottom, so too,
they were one cubit thick at the top, as it is stated: Together.

‫ ָהְכִתיב ״ַיְחָדּו״! ָההוּא ְדָּלא ִליַשְׁלחוִֹפי ְנהוּ ֵמֲהָדֵדי‬,‫ ָנֵמי‬M‫ ְוִאיַדּ‬.‫ ְוָהְכִתיב ״ַתִּמּים״! ַההוּא ְדֵּליתוֹ ַשְׁלִמין ְוָלא ֵליתוֹ ְדּ ִניְס ָרא‬.

The Gemara asks: Isn’t it written: Tamim? The Gemara answers: Rabbi Neḥemya explains that
this word teaches that they should bring whole beams and they should not bring planks and attach
them. The Gemara asks: And according to the other opinion, Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion, isn’t it
written: Together? The Gemara answers: That comes to teach that they should not be positioned
askew from each other; rather, they should be perfectly aligned.

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 ‫ ״וְּלַי ְרְכֵּתי ַהִמְּשָׁכּן ָיָמּה‬:‫ ַה ְיינוּ ִדְּכִתיב‬,‫ ִמְלַּמְﬠָלן עוְֹבָיין ַאָמּה‬M‫ִּבְשָׁלָמא ְלַמאן ְדָּאַמר ְכֵּשׁם ֶשִׁמְּלַּמָטּן עוְֹבָיין ַאָמּה ָכּ‬
‫ ֶאָלּא ְלַמאן‬.‫ ְמַמֵלּי ֵליהּ ְלסוְּמָכא ְדָהֵני‬,‫ וְּשֵׁני ְק ָרִשׁים ַתֲּﬠֶשׂה ִלְמֻקְצֹעת״ — ְדָּאֵתי פּוְּתָיא ְדָהֵני‬.‫ַתֲּﬠֶשׂה ִשָׁשּׁה ְק ָרִשׁים‬
‫ ַהאי ָﬠֵייל ְוַהאי ָנֵפיק! ְדָּשֵׁפי ְלהוּ ִכּי טוּ ִרין‬,‫ ִמְלַּמְﬠָלן ָכִּלין ְוהוְֹלִכין ַﬠד ְכֶּאְצַבּע‬,‫ ְדָּאַמר ִמְלַּמָטּן עוְֹבָיין ַאָמּה‬.

The Gemara asks further: Granted, according to the one who said: Just as they were one cubit
thick at the bottom, so too, they were one cubit thick at the top, it is understandable why it is
written: “And for the back of the Tabernacle westward you shall make six beams. And you shall
make two beams for the corners of the Tabernacle in the back” (Exodus 26:22–23). This means
that the width of these beams comes and covers the remaining thickness of those. However,
according to the one who said that they were one cubit thick at the bottom and they narrowed to a
fingerbreadth as they reached the top, they would not be perfectly aligned, as at the corners this
beam goes in and this beam goes out. Part of the beam would protrude out of the Tabernacle. The
Gemara answers that it was not only the thickness of the beam that narrowed. One pared the width
of the beams as well so they were sloped like mountains and did not protrude.

‫ ְבֵּנס ָהָיה עוֵֹמד‬:‫ ָתָּנא‬,‫ ַהְקּ ָרִשׁים״‬M‫״ ְוַהְבּ ִריַח ַהִתּיֹכן ְבּתוֹ‬.

Following the dispute over the Tabernacle beams, the Gemara interprets other verses according
to the two positions. It is written: “And the middle bar in the midst of the beams shall pass through
from end to end” (Exodus 26:28). One of the Sages taught: It stood by means of a miracle, as this
verse indicates that the middle bar was a single rod that ran along the length and width of the
Tabernacle. The middle bar was miraculously bent through the beams on three sides.

Our Baraisa records a dispute between R’ Yehudah and R’ Nechemiah regarding the shape of the
‫ קרשים‬.

According to R’ Yehudah the beams tapered from an amah at the base to a fingerbreadth at the
top and according to R’ Nechemiah the beams were an amah thick at the top as well.

Each opinion offers a pasuk that supports their position and an explanation of the other’s pasuk.
An unsuccessful challenge to R’ Yehudah’s position is put forward.

The Gemara elaborates on the differences between the two opinions concerning the way the
layers of curtains would hang. Debei R’ Yishmael equates the way the curtain would drape onto
the ground to a woman whose dress trails behind her.

A Baraisa teaches: The bottoms of the beams were carved to form rectangular pegs that would fit
into the sockets. The hooks in the loops of the curtains appeared like stars in the sky.

The beams that constituted the walls of the Mishkan seem to be free standing. They did have
rings at the top to hold them to each other and there was the 2 outer bars and one inner bar that
also acted to strengthen the walls, however, with the weight of the roof coverings (or maybe even
without them) it seems hard to imagine how all those beams remained upright and didn't lean in

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or collapse onto each other. If one imagines that there may have been ropes on the edges of the
coverings holding them in place that would put even more stress on the top of the beams
encouraging them to lean or collapse inward.

The same questions applies to the five beams at the front entrance on the east side (in particular
the three inner ones) as they were free standing and held a curtain on them.

Also the four beams separating the Kodesh from the Kodesh Hakodoshim (in particular the two
inner ones). How did those remain balanced when supporting the weight of the curtain on one
side?

Possible answers:

The kerashim boards had two pegs which were set into bases ("Addanim") made of one cubit
deep by one cubit wide by one cubit high of solid, melted silver made from the 1000s of half
shekels collected from the israelites.

These Addanim were extremely heavy. The specific gravity of silver is 10.5 (simetric.co.uk) ,
approximately 12+ times the SG of the wood. especially when melted together, it would be a
very good stabilizing factor to enable the wood beams to stand straight.

Also there were two projections on the bottom of each board and a copper socket that held one
projection of each board with the projection of the board next to it. This also helped hold them
together.

Also there was a pole through the center of the boards that held them together.

The only silver collected was from the “machatzit hashekel”, where each member of the male
population age 20 (and up) gave a half a shekel (see 38:26).

Since the census totalled 603,550 -> a total silver came to 301,775 shekel.

Since every 3,000 shekel is a “kikar”, this resulted with 100 “kikar” and a remainder of 1,775
shekel. What did they do with this silver?

Actually, it was quite simple. The primary use of the silver was to make “adanim” [weighted base
sockets] to support the “kerashim” [wooden planks] of the Mishkan.

Since there were a total of 48 “kerashim” which formed the support walls of the Mishkan
[20+20+8], and each “keresh” required TWO “adanim”, a total of 96 “adanim” were needed. Plus,
four additional “kerashim” were needed to support the “parochet”, but each of these “kerashim”
stood on only one “eden”, so a grand total of 100 [96+4] “adanim” were needed to form the base
support of the “kerashim” of the Mishkan.
Therefore, from this 100 “kikar” of silver they made 100″adanim”, each one weighing 1 “kikar”
(about 30 kilograms), and thus forming a very solid base for the Mishkan. With the leftover 1775

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shekels of silver, they made clips to connect the curtains to the poles of the outer courtyard
[“chatzer”], and a sliver plating for the heads of those poles as well.1

Yoma 72

‫ טו( אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא מאי דכתיב‬,‫עצי שטים עומדים שעומדים דרך גדילתן דבר אחר )שמות כו‬
‫עומדים שמעמידין את צפויין ד"א עומדים שמא תאמר אבד סברן ובטל סכויין ת"ל עומדים שעומדין לעולם‬
‫ולעולמים‬
The Gemara cites other statements concerning the ark.

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And you
shall make the boards for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, standing”

‫ ֲﬠֵצי‬,‫ ַלִמְּשָׁכּן‬,‫ַהְקּ ָרִשׁים‬-‫טו ְוָﬠִשׂיָת ֶאת‬ 15 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of
.‫ ֹעְמִדים‬,‫ִשִׁטּים‬ acacia-wood, standing up.

Ex 26:15

This verse teaches that the boards of wood used for the Tabernacle should stand in the same
direction in which they grew from the ground as a tree.

Alternatively,‫“ ֹעְמִדים‬standing” means that they supported their gold plating and prevented it from
falling.

Alternatively, ‫“ ֹעְמִדים‬standing” is written to hint at the following: Perhaps you will say that now
that the Tabernacle is no longer in use, their hope is lost and their chance is abandoned, and after
being stored away the boards will no longer return to use.

Therefore, the verse states “standing” to indicate that they stand forever and ever.

1
https://www.ou.org/holidays/four-shabbatot/shabbat-shekalim-2/

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Comparison of opinions on the shape of the Boards (Kerashim) of The Tent of
the Mishkan2

‫ ֲﬠֵצי‬,‫ ַלִמְּשָׁכּן‬,‫ַהְקָּרִשׁים‬-‫טו ְוָﬠִשׂיָת ֶאת‬ 15 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of
.‫ ֹעְמִדים‬,‫ִשִׁטּים‬ acacia-wood, standing up.

‫ ֹאֶרˆ ַהָקֶּרשׁ; ְוַאָמּה ַוֲחִצי‬,‫טז ֶﬠֶשׂר ַאמּוֹת‬ 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit
.‫ ֹרַחב ַהֶקֶּרשׁ ָהֶאָחד‬,‫ָהַאָמּה‬ and a half the breadth of each board.

1. Opinion #1 (according to Rab. Yehuda) This opinion relies on different traditional

interpretations of the text and traditional opinion on the thickness of the boards.

2
https://thedeserttabernacle222732054.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/comparison-of-opinions-on-the-shape-of-the-boards-
kerashim-of-the-tent-of-the-mishkan/

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 Each Board of The Tent according to this opinion is approximately 1 cubit thick.

2. Opinion #2 (according to Rab. Nechemiah) This opinion also relies on different traditional
interpretations of the text and traditional opinion on the thickness of the boards.
Each Board of The Tent according to this opinion is approximately 1 cubit thick on the
bottom and about 1-2 cm at the top. Boards in this opinion are of a rather odd
triangular prism shape.

According to Rebbi Nechemiah, in the back of the Mishkan (the western side) one Amah dragged
along the ground. (Rebbi Nechemiah maintains that the pillars were one Amah thick on top as they
were on bottom, and thus an extra Amah of the Yeri'os was used up to cover the one-Amah
thickness of the pillars of the western side.

Accordingly, the length of the Yeri'os covered the following: 30 Amos (the length of the Mishkan),
10 Amos (the height of the pillars), 2 (the length the Yeri'os hung on the eastern side), 1 (the
thickness of the pillars of the western side, plus 1 (the Amah that the Yeri'os dragged on the ground
on the western side).)

(b) Rebbi Yehudah, in contrast, maintains that the pillars were pointed at their tops (and were only
one Etzba thick). According to Rebbi Yehudah, two Amos of the Yeri'os dragged on the ground.

(c) Rashi in Parshas Terumah (Ex. 26) cites a third opinion. 3

,‫ְמֻשָׁלֹּבת‬--‫ ַלֶקֶּרשׁ ָהֶאָחד‬,‫יז ְשֵׁתּי ָידוֹת‬ 17 Two tenons shall there be in each board, joined one to
‫ ְלֹכל ַק ְרֵשׁי‬,‫ֲאֹחָתהּ; ֵכּן ַתֲּﬠֶשׂה‬-‫ִאָשּׁה ֶאל‬ another; thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the
.‫ַהִמְּשָׁכּן‬ tabernacle.

3
Rabbi Kornberg: https://www.dafyomi.co.il/shabbos/insites/sh-dt-098.htm

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According to the "Beraisa Meleches ha'Mishkan," the pillars on the eastern side of the Mishkan
stood outside of the Mishkan, and the Yeri'os hung over them as well.

They therefore added one Amah to the area which the Yeri'os covered, and thus, according to
Rebbi Nechemiah's opinion that the pillars were one Amah wide at their tops, the Yeri'os did not
drag on the ground on the western side at all.4

4
The Gemara here argues and maintains that the pillars on the eastern side of the Mishkan stood inside the 30-Amah length of
the Mishkan, and therefore they did not add an Amah to the length of the Mishkan's roof

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MIDRASH Ex Rabba 35:6

‫ ָאַמר ְלֶבן ֵבּיתוֹ ֲﬠֵשׂה ִלי‬,‫ ֶשָׁהָיה לוֹ ִאיקוֹ ִנין ָנֶאה‬p‫ ָאַמר ַרִבּי ָאִבין ָמָשׁל ְלֶמֶל‬,‫ ְוָﬠִשׂיָת ֶאת ַהְקָּרִשׁים ַלִמְּשָׁכּן‬,‫ָדָּבר ַאֵחר‬
ˆ‫ ָאַמר ַהָקּדוֹשׁ ָבּרוּ‬p‫ ָכּ‬.‫ ָאַמר לוֹ ַאָתּה ְבַּסְמָּמֶני— ַוֲא ִני ִבְּכבוִֹדי‬,‫ ָאַמר לוֹ ֲאדוֹ ִני ַהֶמֶּלˆ ֵאיˆ ָיכוֹל ֲא ִני ַלֲﬠשׂוֹת ְכּמוָֹתהּ‬.‫ְכּמוָֹתהּ‬
‫הוּא ְלמֶשׁה‬, (‫ מ‬,‫)שמות כה‬: ‫ ָאַמר לוֹ‬,‫ ָאַמר ְלָפָניו ִרבּוֹן ָהעוָֹלם ֱאלוַֹהּ ֲא ִני ֶשֲׁא ִני ָיכוֹל ַלֲﬠשׂוֹת ָכֵּאלּוּ‬,‫שמות (וּ ְרֵאה ַוֲﬠֵשׂה‬
‫ מ‬,‫)כה‬: ‫ ֶשֶׁנֱּאַמר‬,‫ וְּכֵשׁם ֶשַׁאָתּה רוֶֹאה ְלַמְﬠָלה ָכּˆ ֲﬠֵשׂה ְלַמָטּה‬,‫ ִבְּתֵכֶלת וְּבַא ְרָגָּמן ְותוַֹלַﬠת ָשׁ ִני‬,‫ טו(ְכַּתְב ִניָתם‬,‫)שמות כו‬:
‫ ֲא ִני ֵמ ִניַח ַס ְנְקִליִטין ֶשׁל ַמְﬠָלה‬,‫ ְוִאם ַתֲּﬠֶשׂה ְכּאוָֹתהּ ֶשׁל ַמְﬠָלה ְלַמָטּה‬,‫ ַכָּנּתוּן ָבִּאיְסְטַרְטָיא ֶשׁל ַמְﬠָלה‬,‫ֲﬠֵצי ִשִׁטּים ֹעְמִדים‬
‫ ַמה ְלַּמְﬠָלן‬,‫ ב(וַּמְשֶׁרה ְשִׁכיָנִתי ֵבּיֵניֶכם ְלַמָטּה‬,‫)ישעיה ו‬: ‫ ַמה ְלַּמְﬠָלה‬,‫ ַאף ְלַמָטּה ֲﬠֵצי ִשִׁטּים ֹעְמִדים‬,‫ְשָׂרִפים ֹעְמִדים‬
‫ ְמַלֵמּד ֶשָׁהיוּ ַק ְרֵסי ָזָהב ִנ ְרִאין ַבִּמְּשָׁכּן ְכּכוָֹכִבים ַה ִנּ ְרִאים ָבָּרִקיַﬠ‬,‫ ָאַמר ַרִבּי ִחָיּיא ַבּר ַאָבּא‬.‫ ַאף ְלַמָטּן ֵכּן‬,‫כּוָֹכִבים‬.

Working off the word ‫ ֹעְמִדים‬allows for the drush…like the angles are ‫… ֹעְמִדים‬so too are the
kerashim.

Eitz Yosef

‫'ד"א ועשית את הקרשים כו‬. ‫מלות עומדים דריש כדמסיק כשם שאתה רואה למעלה שרפים עומדים‬:

The mashal however is interesting, the king wishes a portrait of himself and engages a painter who
cannot possibly comply and satisfy his wishes to fully do him justice. The king however calms his
fears (of being killed for poor performance like in other parables?) by resisting the comparison
“you for your paints and I for my honor” What on earth does that mean? Is the king saying it’s
really impossible to make a true likeness of me, however I will settle for a mere human portrait of
something divine? If so why bother?
Yet the Nimshal (possibly a later generation pious reading?) reads the parable as follows:

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 ‫ַאָתּה‬-‫ֲאֶשׁר‬--‫ ְבַּתְב ִניָתם‬:‫ ַוֲﬠֵשׂה‬,‫מ וּ ְרֵאה‬ 40 And see that thou make them after their pattern, which
{‫ }ס‬.‫ ָבָּהר‬,‫ָמ ְרֶאה‬ is being shown thee in the mount. {S}

Rashi sees Moshe as having great difficulty in fulfilling such a vague command, having spelled
out in great details the form and structure of the tabernacle, what does this last verse add?: Clearly
he had NOT been shown the crafting of the Menorah on the mountain prompting his anxiety.

But in our Midrash the difficulty Moses had was not specifically the Menorah rather the entire
enterprise of producing a structure down here that in anyway mirrored the divine pleroma. So the
Almighty responds “make them ‫ ”ְבַּתְב ִניָתם‬meaning as you were shown on the mountain, however
( if you are still filled with anxiety) then: “make use of the turquoise, purple and scarlet wool” you
know how to use them at least.

Clearly the impossibility of creating a temple below that mirrors the temple above is on the mind
of the Baal HaMidrash writing centuries after the destruction of that very temple.

Maybe this parable is a reflection on the reason it never could have lasted, conflating the tabernacle
with the temple, he saw the tragic outcome already built in to the initial command. Of course
ArtScroll editor writes:5

5
Midrash Rabba Shemos P Teruma 35, footnote “insight a”

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Postscript
In the year 5017 (1257), several hundred Baalei Tosafos, led by Rav Yechiel of Paris, left Northern
France on a journey to Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Eshtori HaParchi, the author of Kaftor VaFarech, who lived two generations later, records a
fascinating story (Vol. 1, page 101 in the 5757 edition) he heard when he went to Yerushalayim to
have his sefer reviewed by a talmid chacham named Rav Baruch.

Rav Baruch told him that Rav Yechiel had planned to offer korbanos upon arriving in
Yerushalayim!

Rav Eshtori writes that he was too preoccupied with his sefer at the time to realize that there were
several halachic problems with Rav Yechiel’s plan.

In Kaftor VaFarech he mentions some of his own concerns; in addition, later poskim discuss many
other potential difficulties.

Among the concerns raised is identifying several of the materials necessary for the kohanim’s
vestments.

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