When Moses called on the people to make their offerings for the
erection of the sanctuary, it sorely vexed the princes of the tribes
that he had not summoned them particularly. Hence they withheld their
contributions, waiting for the people to give according to their
powers, so that they might step in and make up the deficiency, and all
should observe that without them the Tabernacle could not have been
completed. But they were mistaken, for in their ready devotion the
people provided all needful things for the sanctuary, and when the
princes of the tribes perceived their mistake and brought their
contributions, it was too late. All that they could do was to provide
the jewels for the robes of the high priest, but they could no longer
take a hand in the erection of the Tabernacle. On the day of the
dedication they tried to make partial amends for letting slip their
opportunity, by following the advice of the tribe of Issachar, renowned
for wisdom and erudition, to bring wagons for the transportation of the
Tabernacle. These princes of the tribes were no upstarts or men newly
risen to honor, they were men who even in Egypt had been in office and
exposed to the anger of the Egyptians; they had also stood at Moses'
side when he undertook the census of the people. They now brought as an
offering to Moses six covered wagons, fully equipped, and even painted
blue, the color of the sky, and also twelve oxen to draw the wagons.
The number of wagons as well as of oxen had been set with purpose. The
six wagons corresponded to the six days of creation; to the six
Mothers, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Billhah, and Zilpah; to the six
laws that the Torah prescribes exclusively for the king; to the six
orders of the Mishnah, and to the six heavens. The number of the oxen
corresponded to the twelve constellations, and to the twelve tribes.
Moses did not at first want to accept the teams, but God not only bade
him accept them, He also ordered him to address the princes kindly, and
to thank them for their gifts. Moses now even thought the Shekinah had
deserted him and would rest on the princes of the tribes, assuming that
they had received direct communication from God to make this offering
to the sanctuary. But God said to Moses: "If it had been a direct
command from Me, then I should have ordered thee to tell them, but they
did this on their own initiative, which indeed meets with My wish."
Moses now accepted the gifts, not without misgivings, fearing lest a
wagon should break, or an ox die, leaving the tribe or that
unrepresented by a gift. But God assured him that no accident should
occur to either wagon or ox, — yes, a great miracle came to pass in
regard to these wagons and oxen, for the animals live forever without
ailing or growing old, and the wagons likewise endure to all eternity.
Moses then distributed the wagons among the Levites so that the
division of the sons of Gershon received two wagons, with the
transportation of the heavy portions of the Tabernacle, boards, bars,
and similar things, whereas the former, having the lighter portions,
had enough with two wagons. The third division of Levites, the sons of
Kohath, received no wagons, for they were entrusted with the
transportation of the Holy Ark, which might not be lifted upon a wagon,
but was to be borne upon their shoulders. David, who forgot to observe
this law and had the Ark lifted upon a wagon, paid heavily for his
negligence, for the priests who tried to carry the Ark to the wagon
were flung down upon the ground. Ahithophel then called David's
attention to the need of following the example of Kohath's sons, who
bore the Ark on their shoulders through the desert, and David ordered
them to do the same.
But the princes of the tribes were not content with having provided the
means for transporting the sanctuary, they wanted to be the first, on
the day of dedication, to present offerings. As with the wagons, Moses
was doubtful whether or not to permit them to bring their offerings,
for theses were of an unusual kind that were not ordinarily
permissible. But God bade him accept the dedication offerings of the
princes, though Moses was still in doubt whether to let all the twelve
princes make their offerings on the same day, or to set a special day
for each, and if so, in what order they should make their offerings.
God thereupon revealed to him that each one of the princes of the
tribes were to sacrifice on a special day, and that Nahshon, the prince
of Judah, was to make the start. He was rewarded in this way for the
devotion he had shown God during the passage through the Red Sea. When
Israel, beset by the Egyptians, reached the sea, the tribes among
themselves started quarreling who should first go into the sea. Then
suddenly Nahshon, the prince of Judah, plunged into the sea, firmly
trusting that God would stand by Israel in their need. [388]
Nahshon's offering was one silver changer that had been fashioned for
the sanctuary, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels; on
bowl of equal size, but of lighter weight, of seventy shekels; both of
them full of fine flour mingles with oil for a meat offering.
Furthermore, one spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense; on
young bullock, the picked of his herd; one excellent ram, and one lamb
a year old, these three for a burnt offering; and a kid of the goats
for a sin offering, to atone for a possible uncleanness in the
sanctuary. These sacrifices and gifts Nahshon offered out of his own
possessions, not out of those of his tribe. God's acceptance of the
offerings of the princes of the tribes shows how dear they were to God;
for at no other time was and individual allowed to offer up incense, as
Nahshon and his fellows did. They also brought sin offerings, which is
ordinarily not permitted unless on is conscious of having committed a
sin. Finally the prince of the tribe of Ephraim brought his offering on
the seventh day of the dedication, which was on a Sabbath, though
ordinarily none but the daily sacrificed may be offered on the Sabbath.
[389]
The offerings of all the princes of the tribes were identical, but they
had a different significance for each tribe. From the time of Jacob,
who foretold it to them, every tribe knew his future history to the
time of the Messiah, hence at the dedication every prince brought such
offerings as symbolized the history of his tribe.
Nahshon, the prince of Judah, brought a silver charger and a silver
bowl, the one to stand for the sea, the other for the mainland,
indicating that out of his tribe would spring such men as Solomon and
the Messiah, who would rule over all the world, both land and sea. The
golden spoon of ten shekels signified the ten generations from Perez,
son of Judah, to David, first of Judean kings, all whose actions were
sweet as the incense contained in the spoon. The three burnt offerings,
the bullock, the ram, and the lamb, corresponded to the three
Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whereas the kid of the goats was
to atone for the sin of Judah, who sought to deceive his father with
the blood of a kid. The two oxen of the peace offering pointed to David
and Solomon, and the three small cattle of the peace offering, the
rams, the goats, and the lambs, corresponded to the descendants and
successors of these two Judean kings, who may also be classified in
three groups, the very pious, the very wicked, and those who were
neither pious nor wicked.
On the second day of the dedication appeared the prince of the tribe of
Reuben and wanted to present his offering, saying: "Tis enough that
Judah was permitted to offer sacrifice before me, surely it is not time
for our tribe to present our offerings." But Moses informed him that
God had ordained that the tribes should present offerings in the order
in which they moved through the desert, so that the tribe of Issachar
followed Judah. This tribe had altogether good claims to be among the
first to offer sacrifices, for, in the first place, this tribe devoted
itself completely to the study of the Torah, so that the great scholars
in Israel were among them; and then, too, it was this tribe that had
proposed to the others that bringing of the dedication offerings. As
this was the tribe of erudition, its gifts symbolized things
appertaining to the Torah. The silver charger and the silver bowl
corresponded to the written and to the oral Torah; and both vessels
alike are filled with fine flour, for the two laws are not
antagonistic, but form a unity and contain the loftiest teachings. The
fine flour was mingled with oil, just as knowledge of the Torah should
be added to good deeds; for he who occupies himself with the Torah, who
works good deeds, and keeps himself aloof from sin, fills his Creator
with delight. The golden spoon of ten shekels symbolizes the two tables
on which God with His palm wrote the Ten Commandments, and which
contained between the commandments all the particulars of the Torah,
just as the spoon was filled with incense. The three burnt offerings,
the bullock, the ram, and the lamb corresponded to the three groups of
priests, Levites and Israelites, whereas the kid of the goats alluded
to the proselytes, for the Torah was revealed not only for Israel but
for all the world; and "a proselyte who studies the Torah is no less
than a high priest." The two oxen of the peace offering corresponded to
the oral and the written Torah, the study of which brings peace on
earth and peace in heaven. [390]
After Nahshon, the temporal king, and Nethanel the spiritual king, came
the turn of Eliab, the prince of the tribe of Zebulun. This tribe owed
its distinction to the circumstance that it followed commerce and
through the profits thereof was enabled to maintain the tribe of
Issachar, which, entirely devoted to study, could not support itself.
The charger and bowl that he presented to the sanctuary symbolize the
food and drink with which Zebulun provide the scholar-tribe Issachar.
The spoon indicated the border of the sea, which Jacob in his blessing
had bestowed on Zebulun as his possession, and the ten shekels of its
weight corresponded to the ten words of which this blessing consisted.
The tow oxen point to the two blessings which Moses bestowed upon
Zebulun, as the three small cattle, the ram, the goat, and the lamb,
corresponded to the three things which gave Zebulun's possessions
distinction before all others, the tunny, the purple snail, and white
glass. [391]
After the tribes that belonged to Judah's camp division had brought
their offerings, followed Reuben and the tribes belonging to his
division. The gifts of the tribe of Reuben symbolized the events in the
life of their forefather Reuben. The silver charger recalled Reuben's
words when he saved Joseph's life, whom the other brothers wanted to
kill, for "the tongue of the just is as choice silver." The silver
bowl, from which was sprinkled the sacrificial blood, recalled the same
incident, for it was Reuben who advised his brothers to throw Joseph
into the pit rather than to kill him. The spoon of ten shekels of gold
symbolized the deed of Reuben, who restrained Jacob's sons from
bloodshed, hence the gold out of which the spoon was fashioned had a
blood-red color. The spoon was filled with incense, and so too did
Reuben fill his days with fasting and prayer until God forgave his sin
with Billhah, and "his prayer was set forth before God as incense." As
penance for this crime, Reuben offered the kid of goats as a sin
offering, whereas the two oxen of the peace offering corresponded to
the two great deeds of Reuben, the deliverance of Joseph, and the long
penance for his sin. [392]
Just as Reuben interceded to save his brother Joseph's life so did
Simeon rise up for his sister Dinah when he took vengeance upon the
inhabitants of Shechem for the wrong they had done her. Hence the
prince of the tribe of Simeon followed the prince of the tribe of
Reuben. As the sanctuary was destined to punish unchastity among
Israel, so were the gifts of the tribe whose sire figured as the
avenger of unchastity symbolical of the different parts of the
Tabernacle. The charger corresponded to the court that surrounded the
Tabernacle, and therefore weighed one hundred and thirty shekels, to
correspond to the size of the court that measured one hundred cubits,
of which the Tabernacle occupied thirty. The bowl of seventy shekels
corresponded to the empty space of the Tabernacle. These two, the
charger and the bowl, were filled with fine flour mingled with oil,
because in the court of the Tabernacle were offered up meat offerings,
mingled with oil, whereas in the Tabernacle was the shewbread of fine
flour, and the candlestick filled with oil. The spoon of ten shekels of
gold corresponded to the scroll of the Torah and the tables with the
Ten Commandments that rested in the Ark. The sacrificial animals, the
bullock, the ram, the lamb, and the kid corresponded to the four
different kinds of curtains and hangings that were used in the
sanctuary, and that were fashioned our of the hides of these animals.
The two oxen of the peace offering pointed to the two curtains, the one
in front of the Tabernacle, the other in front of the court, whereas
the three kinds of small cattle that were used as offerings
corresponded to the three curtains of the court, one to the north, one
to the south, one to the west of it; and as each of these was five
cubits long, so were five of each kind presented as offerings. [393]
As Simeon, sword in hand, battled for his sister, so, by force of arms,
did the tribe of Gad set out to gain the land beyond the Jordan for
their brethren. Therefore did their prince follow Shelumiel, prince of
Simeon, with his offerings. This tribe, so active in gaining the
promised land, symbolized in its gifts the exodus from Egypt, which
alone made possible the march of Palestine. The charger of the weight
of a hundred and thirty shekels alluded to Jochebed, who at the age of
one hundred and thirty years bore Moses, who had symbolical connection
with the bowl, for he was thrown into the Nile. This bowl weighed
seventy shekels, as Moses extended his prophetic spirit over the
seventy elders; and as the bowl was filled with fine flour, so did
Moses' prophetic spirit in no way diminish because the seventy elders
shared in prophecy. The three burnt offerings recalled the three
virtues Israel possessed in Egypt, which were instrumental in their
deliverance - they did not alter their Hebrew names, they did not alter
their Hebrew language, and they lived a live of chastity. The sin
offerings were to atone for the idolatry to which they were addicted in
Egypt, so that God did not permit their deliverance until they had
renounced idolatry. The two oxen of the peace offering corresponded to
Jacob and Joseph, for whose sake God had delivered Israel out of Egypt.
They brought, besides, fifteen heads of small cattle as sacrifice,
because God was mindful of His vow to the three Patriarchs and the
twelve fathers of the tribes, and released Israel out of bondage. [394]
A special distinction was granted to the tribe of Ephraim, for God
allowed their prince to make his offering on the Sabbath, a day on
which otherwise none but the daily offerings were allowed to be
offered. This distinction the tribe of Ephraim owed to its ancestor
Joseph in recognition of his strict observance of the Sabbath as
governor of Egypt. The gifts of this tribe represent the history of
Jacob and of Joseph, for the descendants of the latter owed much to
Jacob's love for his son Joseph. The charger alluded to Jacob, the bowl
to Joseph, and as both these vessels were filled with fine flour
mingled with oil, so too were both Jacob and Joseph very pious men, and
the course of their lives ran evenly. The spoon symbolized Jacob's
right hand, which he laid on the head of Ephraim to bless him; the
spoon was filled with incense; Jacob laid his right hand upon Ephraim
and not upon his elder brother Manasseh because he knew that the former
was worthy of the distinction. The three burnt offerings corresponded
to the three Patriarchs, whereas the kid of goats stood for Joseph,
whose coat had been smeared with a kid's blood. The two oxen of the
peace offering indicated the two blessings that the sons of Joseph had
received from their grandfather, Jacob, and the three kinds of small
cattle that were offered as peace offerings corresponded to the three
generations of Ephraim that Joseph was permitted to see before his
death. [395]
Joseph not only observed the Sabbath, he was also chaste, not to be
tempted by Potiphar's wife, and he was faithful in the service of his
master. God therefore said to Joseph: "Thou hast kept the seventh
commandment, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' and has not committed
adultery with Potiphar's wife; and thou hast also kept the following
commandment, the eighth, 'Thou shalt not steal,' for thou didst still
neither Potiphar's money nor his conjugal happiness, hence there will
come a time when I shall give thee the reward due thee. When,
hereafter, the princes of the tribes will offer their offerings at the
dedication of the altar, the two princes among thy descendants shall
one after the other offer their offerings, the one on the seventh, the
other on the eighth day of the dedication, as a reward because thou
didst observe the seventh and the eighth commandments." The prince of
the tribe of Manasseh now followed that of Ephraim, trying like the
preceding, symbolically to represent Jacob's and Joseph's lives. The
charger, one hundred and thirty shekels in weight, indicated that Jacob
at the age of one hundred and thirty years migrated to Egypt for the
sake of Joseph. The bowl of seventy shekels corresponded to Joseph who
caused seventy souls of the Hebrews to migrated to Egypt. The spoon of
ten shekels of gold indicated the ten portions of land that fell to
Manasseh. The three burnt offerings corresponded to the three
generations of Manasseh that Joseph was permitted to see before his
death, whereas the kid of the goats recalled Jair, son of Manasseh, who
died childless. The two oxen of the peace offering indicated that the
possessions of the tribe of Manasseh were to be divided into two parts,
one on this side the Jordan, and one beyond it. The three kinds of
small cattle for peace offerings corresponded to the triple attempt of
Joseph to influence his father in favor of Manasseh, whereas the five
head of each indicated the five daughters of Zelophehad, the only women
who, like men, received their shares in the distribution of the
promised land. [396]
As the sanctuary stood first in Shiloh, Joseph's possession, then in
Jerusalem, Benjamin's possession, so did this tribe with its sacrifices
follow Joseph's tribes. The charger signified Rachel, the mother of
Benjamin, who bore him to Jacob when he was a hundred years old, and in
memory of this, as well as of Benjamin's attainment of thirty years
when he came to Egypt, the weight of the charger amounted to one
hundred and thirty shekels. The bowl indicated the cup Joseph employed
to discover his brothers' sentiments toward Benjamin, and both vessels,
charger and cup, were filled with fine flour, for both Joseph's and
Benjamin's lands were found worthy being sited for God's sanctuary. The
spoon of then shekels of gold full of incense corresponded to the ten
sons of Benjamin, all of whom were pious men. The three burnt offering
corresponded to the three temples erected in Jerusalem, Benjamin's
property, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple of the exiles returned from
Babylon, and the Temple to be erected by the Messiah. The sin offering,
the kid of the goats, points to the building of the Temple by the
wicked king Herod, who atoned for his execution of the learned men by
the erection of the santuary. The two oxen of the peace offering
corresponded to the two deliverers of the Jews that sprang from the
tribe of Benjamin, Mordecai, and Esther. The five heads each of the
three kinds of small cattle for a peace offering symbolized the triple
distinction of Benjamin and his tribe by five gifts. The gift of honor
that Joseph gave his brother Benjamin five times exceeded that of all
his other brothers; when Joseph made himself known to his brothers, he
gave Benjamin five changes of raiment, and so too did the Benjamite
Mordecai receive from Ahasuerus five garments of state. [397]
In his blessing Jacob likened Dan to Judah, hence the tribe of Dan
stood at the head of the fourth camp of Israel, and their prince
offered his gifts before those of Asher and Naphtali. Jacob in his
blessing to Dan thought principally of the great hero, Samson, hence
the gifts of this tribe allude chiefly to the history of this Danite
judge. Samson was a Nazirite, and to this alluded the silver charger
for storing bread, for it is the duty of a Nazirite, at the expiration
of the period of his vow, to present bread as an offering. To Samson,
too, alluded the bowl, in Hebrew called Mizrak, "creeping," for he was
lame of both feet, and hence could only creep and crawl. The spoon of
ten shekels of gold recalled the ten laws that are imposed upon
Nazirites, and that Samson had to obey. The three burnt offerings had a
similar significance, for Samson's mother received three injunctions
from the angel, who said to her husband, Manoah: "She may not eat of
anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong
drink, nor eat any unclean thing." The sin offering, which consisted of
a kid, called in Hebrew, Sa'ir, corresponded to the admonition given to
Samson's mother, not to shave his hair, in Hebrew Se'ar. The two oxen
corresponded to the two pillars of which Samson took hold to demolish
the house of the Philistines; whereas the three kinds of small cattle
that were presented as offerings symbolized the three battles that
Samson undertook against the Philistines. [398]
The judge must pronounce judgement before it be executed, hence, too,
the tribe of Asher, "the executors of justice," followed Dan, the
judges. The name Asher also signifies "good fortune," referring to the
good fortune of Israel that was chosen to the God's people, and in
accordance with this name also do the gifts of the prince of the tribe
of Asher allude to the distinction of Israel. The charger, one hundred
and thirty shekels of silver in weight, corresponds to the nations of
the world, whom, however, God repudiated, choosing Israel in their
stead. The bowl of seventy shekels corresponds to the seventy pious
souls of whom Israel consisted when they moved to Egypt. Both vessels
were filled with fine flour. God sent His prophets to the other nations
as well as to Israel, but Israel alone declared itself willing to
accept the Torah. This nation accepted "the spoon of then shekels of
gold filled with incense," every man among them being willing to accept
the Ten Commandments and the Torah. The three burnt offerings
corresponded to the three crowns that Israel received from their God,
the crown of the Torah, the crown of the Priesthood, and the crown of
the Kingdom, for which reason also golden crowns were fashioned on the
Ark in which the Torah was kept, on the altar on which the priests
offered sacrifices, and on the table that symbolized the kingdom. But
the highest of all is the crown of a good name, which a man earns
through good deeds, for the crucial test is not the study of the Torah,
but the life conforming to it. For this reason also there was a sin
offering among the offerings, corresponding to the crown of good deeds,
for these alone can serve as an expiation. The two oxen indicate the
two Torot that God gave His people, the written and the oral, whereas
the fifteen peace offerings of small cattle correspond to the three
Patriarchs and the twelve fathers of the tribes, for these fifteen God
had chosen. [399]
As Jacob blessed after Asher and the Naphtali, so too did these two
tribes succeed each other in the offerings at the dedication of the
Tabernacle. Naphtali, Jacob's son, was a very affectionate son, who was
ever ready to execute his father's every command. The prince of the
tribe of Naphtali followed his ancestor's example, and by his gifts to
the sanctuary sought to recall the three Patriarchs and their wives.
"One silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty
shekels," symbolized Sarah, who was unique among her sex in her piety,
and who almost attained the age of hundred and thirty years. A silver
bowl for sprinkling blood recalled Abraham, who was thrown far away
form his home. The weight of the bowl was seventy shekels, as Abraham
also was seventy years old when God made with him the covenant between
the pieces. The charger and the bowl were both filled with fine flour
mingled with oil, as also Abraham and Sarah were imbued with a love for
good and pious deeds. The spoon of ten shekels of gold alludes to
Abraham as well, for Abraham conquered the evil inclination and
resisted the ten temptations, whereas the three burnt offerings and the
sin offering corresponded to the offerings made by Abraham at the
covenant between the pieces. The two oxen for the peace offering
indicate Isaac and Rebekah, whereas the three kinds of small cattle
allude to Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, but the sum total of the offerings
of these three species was fifteen, corresponding to these three and
the twelve fathers of the tribes. [400]
Apart from the significance that the offerings of the tribal princes
had for each individual tribe respectively, they also symbolized the
history of the world from the time of Adam to the erection of the
Tabernacle. The silver charger indicated Adam, who lived nine hundred
and thirty years, and the numerical equivalent of the letters of Kaarat
Kesef, "silver charger," amounts to the same. Corresponding to the
weight of "an hundred and thirty shekels," Adam begat his son Seth, the
actual father of the future generations, at the age of a hundred and
thirty years. The silver bowl alludes to Noah, for, as it weighed
seventy shekels, so too did seventy nations spring from Noah. Both
these vessels were filled with fine flour, as Adam and Noah were both
full of good deeds. The spoon "of ten shekels of gold" corresponded to
the ten words of God by which the world was created, to the ten
Sefirot, to the ten lists of generations in the Scriptures, to the ten
essential constituent parts of the human body, to the ten miracles God
wrought for Israel in Egypt, to the ten miracles Israel experienced by
the Red Sea. The three burnt offerings were meant to recall the three
Patriarchs. The kid of goats indicated Joseph; the two oxen
corresponded to Moses and Aaron; the five rams to the five
distinguished sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara;
whereas the five goats and the five lambs symbolized the five senses of
mankind by means of which the existence of things is determined.
The sum total of the gifts of the twelve princes of the tribes had also
a symbolical significance. The twelve chargers correspond to the twelve
constellations; the twelve bowls of the twelve months; the twelve
spoons to the twelve guides of men, which are: the heart, that bestows
understanding and insight; the kidneys, that give counsels, good as
well as evil; the mouth, that cuts all kinds of food; the tongue, that
renders speech impossible; the palate, that tastes the flavors of food;
the windpipe, that renders possible breathing and the utterance of
sounds; the esophagus, that swallows food and drink; the lungs, that
absorbs fluids; the liver, that promotes laughter; the crop, that
grinds all food; and the stomach, that affords pleasant sleep. "All the
silver of the vessels that weighed two thousand and four hundred
shekels" corresponded to the years that had passed from the creation of
the world to the advent of Moses in the fortieth year of his life. All
the gold of the spoons, the weight of which was an hundred and twenty
shekels, corresponds to the years of Moses' life, for he died at the
age of a hundred and twenty. [401]
The different species of animals offered as sacrifices corresponded to
the different ranks of the leaders of Israel. The twelve bullocks to
the kings, the twelve rams to the princes of the tribes, the twelve
kids of the goats to the governors, and the twelve sheep to the
government officials. The twenty-four oxen for a peace offering
corresponded to the books of the Scriptures, and the divisions of the
priests, and were also meant to serve as atonement for the twenty-four
thousand men, who, owing to their worship of Peor, died of the plague.
The sixty rams of the peace offering corresponded to the sixty myriads
of Israel's fighting hosts; the sixty he-goats to the sixty empires;
and the sixty he-lambs to the building of the second Temple that
measured sixty cubits in height and sixty in width. [402]
The gifts of the twelve princes of the tribes were not only equal in
number, but also in the size and width of the objects bestowed, every
tribe making exactly the same offering to the sanctuary. None among
them wished to outrival the others, but such harmony reigned among them
and such unity of spirit that God valued the service of each as if he
had brought not only his own gifts but also those of his companions. As
a reward for this mutual regard and friendship, God granted them the
distinction of permitting them to present their offerings even on the
Sabbath day. [403]