Bible in 90 Days

How to Consecrate Kohanim

29 “Now this is what you are to do to consecrate them, so that they may minister as kohanim. Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, ² along with matzot, cakes of matzot mixed with oil, and matzot wafers spread with oil. Make them from fine wheat flour. ³ You are to put them into one basket and present them, along with the bull and the two rams. ⁴ You are to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. ⁵ Then take the garments, and put the tunic on Aaron, along with the robe, the ephod and the breastplate. Gird him with the artfully woven band of the ephod, ⁶ set the turban on his head, and put the holy coronet on the turban. ⁷ Then you are to take the anointing oil, pour it upon his head and anoint him. ⁸ Also you are to bring his sons and put tunics on them. ⁹ You are to gird Aaron and his sons with sashes, tie headwear on them, and they shall hold the priesthood by a perpetual statute. In this way you are to consecrate Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰ “You are to bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. ¹¹ You are to slaughter the bull before Adonai at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹² Then take the blood of the bull, put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. ¹³ Also take all the fat that covers the innards, the lobe above the liver, the two kidneys, along with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. ¹⁴ But the meat of the bull, along with its skin and its dung, you are to burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

¹⁵ “Then take one ram, have Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the head of the ram, ¹⁶ then slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it around the altar. ¹⁷ You are to cut the ram into pieces, wash its innards and its legs, and place them with its head and other pieces. ¹⁸ Then you are to offer the whole ram up in smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering to Adonai, a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai.

¹⁹ “Then take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the head of that ram. ²⁰ Slaughter the ram, take its blood, and dab it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, on the tip of the right ears of his sons, on the thumb of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, then pour the blood on the altar all around. ²¹ Also you are to take some of the blood that is on the altar, along with the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. In this way he and his garments are to be consecrated, along with his sons and their garments.

²² “Moreover, take some of the fat from the ram, along with the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the covering over the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, along with the right thigh, because it is a ram of consecration. ²³ Also take one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of matzot that is before Adonai. ²⁴ You are to put the entirety into Aaron’s hands and the hands of his sons, and present them as a wave offering before Adonai. ²⁵ Then you are to take them out of their hands and offer them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before Adonai, an offering made by fire to Adonai. ²⁶ Also take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration and wave it as a wave offering before Adonai—so it will be your portion.

²⁷ “Set apart the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution, which is waved and offered up, from the ram of consecration, including what belongs to Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ It is to belong to Aaron and his sons as their due share forever from Bnei-Yisrael, because it is a contribution. It is to be a contribution from Bnei-Yisrael from their sacrifices of fellowship offerings, their contribution to Adonai.

²⁹ “The holy garments of Aaron are to pass to his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. ³⁰ The son that succeeds him as kohen, who comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place, is to put them on for seven days.

³¹ “You are to take the ram of consecration and boil its meat in a holy place. ³² Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ³³ They are to eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them, but a layman is not to eat them, because they are holy. ³⁴ If some of the meat of the consecration or the bread remains until the morning, you are to burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

³⁵ “Do for Aaron and his sons everything according to what I have commanded you. Consecrate them for seven days. ³⁶ Each day you are to offer a bull as a sin offering,^[a] apart from the other offerings of atonement. Also purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it in order to sanctify it. ³⁷ You are to make atonement for the altar for seven days, and so sanctify it. The altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.

³⁸ “Now this is what you are to offer upon the altar: two one-year-old lambs, each day, continually. ³⁹ You are to offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at dusk. ⁴⁰ Offer along with the first lamb a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹ The other lamb you are to offer at dusk, like the grain offering and drink offering of the morning, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai. ⁴² It is to be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before Adonai. There I will meet with you, to speak with you there. ⁴³ I will meet with Bnei-Yisrael there. So it will be sanctified by My glory.

⁴⁴ “So I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as kohanim. ⁴⁵ So I will dwell among Bnei-Yisrael and be their God. ⁴⁶ Then they will know that I am Adonai their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, so that I may live among them. I am Adonai their God.

Incense Altar

30 “You are to make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. ² It is to be square—one cubit in length, one cubit wide, and two cubits high. The horns must be of one piece with it. ³ You are to overlay it with pure gold on top, all around the sides and over the horns. Also you are to make a crown of gold for it all around. ⁴ Make two golden rings for it under the crown on the two sides, and they will be holders for poles to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶ You are to set it in front of the curtain that is in front of the Ark of the Testimony, in front of the atonement cover that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn sweet spices of incense there every morning. When he attends to the lamps, he is to burn it. ⁸ Also when Aaron keeps the lamps lit at dusk he must burn it. There must be incense continually before Adonai, throughout your generations. ⁹ You must not offer up unauthorized incense on it. Nor should any burnt offering or grain offering be there, nor should you pour any drink offering there. ¹⁰ Aaron is to make atonement upon the horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering throughout your generations. It is most holy to Adonai.”

Parashat Ki Tisa

Census and Ransom Money

¹¹ Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹² “When you tally the sum of Bnei-Yisrael by numbering them, then every man must pay a ransom for his soul to Adonai when you count them, so that no plague will fall on them. ¹³ Everyone among them who crosses over must give half a shekel according to the Sanctuary shekel (which is 20 gerahs): half a shekel as an offering to Adonai. ¹⁴ Everyone who crosses over among them who is counted, from 20 years old and upward, is to give the offering to Adonai. ¹⁵ The rich are not to give more and the poor are not to give less than the half shekel, when they present the offering of Adonai to make atonement for your souls. ¹⁶ You are to take the atonement money from Bnei-Yisrael and give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting, so that it may be a memorial for Bnei-Yisrael before Adonai, to make atonement for your souls.”

Basin for Washing

¹⁷ Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹⁸ “You will also make a basin of bronze with a bronze stand for washing. You are to place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and their feet there. ²⁰ Whenever they go into the Tent of Meeting or come near to the altar to minister, to present an offering made by fire in smoke to Adonai, they are to wash with water so that they do not die. ²¹ They are to wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die. It is to be an eternal statute for them, to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

Holy Anointing Oil

²² Moreover Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ²³ “Now take for yourself the best spices: 500 shekels of flowing myrrh, half as much sweet cinnamon (250), also 250 shekels of sweet calamus, ²⁴ 500 of cassia, after the Sanctuary shekel, plus a hin^[b] of olive oil. ²⁵ You are to make holy anointing oil from it, a fragrant mixture, blended as the work of a perfumer. It will be holy anointing oil. ²⁶ You are to anoint the Tent of Meeting with it, the Ark of the Testimony, ²⁷ as well as the table and all its articles, the menorah and its articles, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin along with its stand. ²⁹ You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.

³⁰ “You are to anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may minister to Me as kohanim. ³¹ Speak to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘This is to be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. ³² It must not be poured on human flesh, nor are you to make any like it, with its formula. It is holy and it must be holy to you. ³³ Whoever mixes any like it, or whoever puts any of it on anyone unauthorized, will be cut off from his people.’”

³⁴ Then Adonai said to Moses, “Take the sweet spices—stacte, onycha and galbanum. The spices and pure frankincense are to be in equal measures. ³⁵ Make a fragrant mixture from them, a blend like the work of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. ³⁶ You are to beat some of it into powder, and set it before the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It is to be most holy to you. ³⁷ But the incense which you make, with its formula, you are not to make for yourselves. It is to be holy to you, for Adonai. ³⁸ Whoever makes any like it, to breathe in its smell, will be cut off from his people.”

Ruach-filled Craftsmen

31 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³ and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, ⁴ to make ingenious designs, to forge with gold, silver and bronze, ⁵ as well as cutting stones for setting and carving wood, to work in all manner of craftsmanship. ⁶ Also look, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Within the hearts of all who are wise-hearted I have placed skill, so that they may make everything that I have commanded you: ⁷ the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the atonement cover that is to be on it, all the furnishings of the Tabernacle, ⁸ the table and its utensils, the menorah of pure gold with all of its utensils, the altar of incense, ⁹ the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, the basin and its stand, ¹⁰ the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the kohen, the garments for his sons to minister as kohanim, ¹¹ the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place. They are to make them just as how I commanded you.”

Shabbat: A Perpetual Covenant Sign

¹² Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹³ “Speak now to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so you may know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you. ¹⁴ Therefore you are to keep the Shabbat, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it will die, for whoever does any work during Shabbat, that soul will be cut off from the midst of his people. ¹⁵ Work is to be done for six days, but on the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, holy to Adonai. Whoever does any work on the Shabbat will surely be put to death. ¹⁶ So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷ It is a sign between Me and Bnei-Yisrael forever, for in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’”

¹⁸ When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave the two tablets of the Testimony to Moses—tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Molten Calf and Smashing Tablets

32 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what’s become of him!”

² So Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people broke off the golden rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He received them from their hand, and made a molten calf, fashioned with a chiseling tool.

Then they said, “This is your god, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

⁵ When Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. Then Aaron made a proclamation saying, “Tomorrow will be a feast to Adonai.” ⁶ They rose up early the next morning, sacrificed burnt offerings and brought fellowship offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to make merry.

⁷ Then Adonai said to Moses, “Go down! For your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have become debased. ⁸ They quickly turned aside from the path that I commanded for them. They have made a molten calf, worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

⁹ Adonai said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now therefore, leave Me alone, so My wrath may burn hot against them, and so I may consume them—and make from you a great nation!”

¹¹ Then Moses sought Adonai his God and said, “Adonai, why should Your wrath burn hot against Your people, whom You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out to do evil, to slay them in the mountains, and to annihilate them from the face of the earth?’ Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this destruction against Your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they will inherit it forever.’”

¹⁴ So Adonai relented from the destruction that He said He would do to His people.

¹⁵ Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides, on one and on the other. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

¹⁷ When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war within the camp.” ¹⁸ But Moses said:

¹⁹ Then it happened, as soon as Moses came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing, and his anger burned hot. So he threw the tablets out of his hands, and smashed them at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ Then he took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the surface of the water and made Bnei-Yisrael drink it.

²¹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, to make you bring such a great sin upon them?”

²² Aaron said, “Don’t be angry, my lord! You know these people yourself, and how they are set on evil. ²³ They said to me, ‘Make gods for us, to go before us! As for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what happened to him.’ ²⁴ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me and I threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!”

²⁵ When Moses saw that the people were unrestrained, because Aaron had let them run wild, to become a joke among their enemies, ²⁶ Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is on Adonai’s side, let him come to me.” Then all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

²⁷ He said to them, “This is what Adonai, the God of Israel says, ‘Every man put on his sword, and go to and fro, from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” ²⁸ So the sons of Levi did as Moses said, and that day from among the people there fell about 3,000 men.

²⁹ Then Moses said, “Consecrate your hands today to Adonai so that He may give you a blessing today, for every man has been against his son and his brother.”

³⁰ So it happened the following day, Moses said to the people, “You have committed a horrendous sin. So now I will go up to Adonai—perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

³¹ Then Moses returned to Adonai and said, “Alas, these people have sinned greatly, and made gods of gold! ³² Yet now, please forgive their sin. But if not, please blot me out of Your book that You have written.”

³³ Adonai said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book. ³⁴ Now go, lead the people to the place that I told you about. My angel will go before you. Nevertheless, on the day when I take account, I will hold them accountable for their sin.”

³⁵ So Adonai struck the people because of what they did with the calf that Aaron had made.

33 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Leave, get out of this place, you and the people that you have brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob saying, ‘I will give it to your seed.’ ² I will send an angel before you. I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites. ³ Head up into a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not move within the midst of you, so that I do not destroy you along the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

⁴ When the people heard these dreadful words, they mourned, and no one put on any ornaments. ⁵ Adonai said to Moses, “Say to Bnei-Yisrael, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were going up among you for one moment, I would consume you. Take off your ornaments, so that I may consider what to do to you.’” ⁶ So Bnei-Yisrael stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.

Show Me Your Glory!

⁷ Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the Tent of Meeting. So it happened, everyone who sought Adonai would go out to the Tent of Meeting, which was outside the camp. ⁸ Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would arise and stand, everyone at the door of his own tent, and look after Moses, until he had gone into the Tent. ⁹ After Moses entered, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door, and He would speak with Moses. ¹⁰ When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the Tent, they all rose up and worshipped, every man at the entrance of his own tent. ¹¹ So Adonai spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the Tent.

¹² So Moses said to Adonai “You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My eyes.’ ¹³ Now then, I pray, if I have found grace in Your eyes, show me Your ways, so that I may know You, so that I might find favor in Your sight. Consider also that this nation is Your people.”

¹⁴ “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest,” He answered.

¹⁵ But then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with me, don’t let us go up from here! ¹⁶ For how would it be known that I or your people have found favor in Your sight? Isn’t it because You go with us, that distinguishes us from all the people on the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ Adonai answered Moses, “I will also do what you have said, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ Then he said, “Please, show me Your glory!”

¹⁹ So He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you, and call out the Name of Adonai before you. I will be gracious toward whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will be merciful.” ²⁰ But He also said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live.”

²¹ Then Adonai said, “See, a place near Me—you will stand on the rock. ²² While My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and cover you with My hand, until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away My hand, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”

34 Adonai said to Moses, “Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write upon them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. ² Be ready by the morning, come up to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. ³ No one is to come up with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout the entire mountain. Even the flocks and herds must not graze in front of that mountain.”

⁴ So he carved two tablets of stone like the first. Then Moses rose up early in the morning, went up onto Mount Sinai as Adonai had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone. ⁵ Then Adonai descended in the cloud, stood with him there, as he called on the Name of Adonai.

Thirteen Attributes of God

⁶ Then Adonai passed before him, and proclaimed, “Adonai, Adonai, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, ⁷ showing mercy to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means leaving the guilty unpunished, but bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

⁸ Then Moses quickly bowed his head down to the earth and worshipped. ⁹ He said, “If now I have found grace in Your eyes, my Lord, let my Lord please go within our midst, even though this is a stiff-necked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own inheritance.”

Exclusive Covenant

¹⁰ Then He said, “I am cutting a covenant. Before all your people I will do wonders, such as have not been done in all the earth, or in any nation. All the people you are among will see the work of Adonai—for what I am going to do with you will be awesome! ¹¹ Obey what I am commanding you today. Behold, I am going to drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites before you. ¹² Watch yourself, and make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, or they will become a snare among you. ¹³ Instead you must break down their altars, smash their pillars and cut down their Asherah poles. ¹⁴ For you are to bow down to no other god, because Adonai is jealous for His Name—He is a jealous God.

¹⁵ “See that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land. Otherwise when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, someone will invite you, and you will eat from their sacrifice. ¹⁶ Do not take their daughters for your sons, for their daughters will prostitute themselves with their own gods, and cause your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods.

¹⁷ “You are not to make for yourselves metal gods.

¹⁸ “You are to keep the Feast of Matzot. For seven days you are eat matzot, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Aviv, for in the month Aviv you came out from Egypt.

¹⁹ “Every firstborn of the womb is Mine, and from all your cattle you are to sanctify the males, the firstborn of the ox and sheep. ²⁰ A firstborn donkey you are to redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you are to break its neck. You must redeem all your firstborn sons. No one should appear before Me empty-handed.

²¹ “For six days you will work, but on the seventh day you will rest. During plowing time and harvest you must rest.

²² “You are to observe the Feast of Shavuot, which is the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, as well as the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. ²³ Three times during the year all your males are to appear before Adonai Elohim, God of Israel. ²⁴ For I am going to cast out nations before you, then enlarge your territory. So no one will covet your land when you go up to appear before Adonai your God three times in the year.

²⁵ “You are not to offer the blood of My sacrifice with hametz, nor should the sacrifice of the Passover Festival remain until morning.

²⁶ “You are to bring the choicest firstfruits of your land to the House of Adonai your God.

“You must not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ Then Adonai said to Moses, “Write these words, for based on these words I have cut a covenant with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ So he stayed there with Adonai for 40 days and 40 nights, and he did not eat bread or drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant: the Ten Words.^[c]

²⁹ Now it happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand when he came down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face was radiant, because God had spoken with him. ³⁰ When Aaron and all Bnei-Yisrael saw Moses, the skin of his face shone in rays, so they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called out to them, so Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. ³² Afterward all Bnei-Yisrael came near, and he gave them all the mitzvot that Adonai had spoken to him in Mount Sinai.

³³ When Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But when Moses went before Adonai, so that He could speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out. When he came out and spoke to Bnei-Yisrael what he was commanded, ³⁵ Bnei-Yisrael saw the face of Moses and that the skin of his face glistened. So Moses put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

Parashat Vayakhel

Offerings for the Tabernacle

35 Then Moses assembled all the congregation of Bnei-Yisrael and said to them, “These are the words which Adonai has commanded you to do. ² Work is to be done for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest to Adonai. Whoever does any work then will die. ³ Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on Yom Shabbat.”

⁴ Moses also said to all the congregation of Bnei-Yisrael, “This is the word which Adonai commanded saying: ⁵ Take from among you an offering for Adonai. Whoever has a willing heart, let him bring Adonai’s offering: gold, silver and bronze; ⁶ blue, purple and scarlet cloth; fine linen and goat hair; ⁷ ram skins dyed red, sealskins and acacia wood; ⁸ oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; ⁹ onyx stones, and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastplate.

¹⁰ “Let every wise-hearted man among you come and make everything that Adonai has commanded, including ¹¹ the Tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its clasps and its boards, its crossbars, its pillars and its bases; ¹² the Ark and the poles, the atonement cover and the curtain screen; ¹³ the table and its poles with all of its utensils, along with the bread of the Presence; ¹⁴ also the menorah for light with its utensils, its lamps and the oil for the light; ¹⁵ the altar of incense and its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the entrance of the Tabernacle; ¹⁶ the altar of burnt offering with its grating of bronze, its poles and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; ¹⁷ the hangings of the courtyard, the pillars and their bases, and the curtain for the gate of the courtyard; ¹⁸ the pegs of the Tabernacle and of the courtyard, along with their cords; ¹⁹ the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the kohen and for his sons, to minister as kohanim.”

²⁰ Then all the congregation of Bnei-Yisrael departed from before Moses. ²¹ Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit was willing came and brought Adonai’s offering for the work of the Tent of Meeting and for all its service as well as for the holy garments. ²² So they came, both men and women, everyone whose heart compelled him, and brought nose rings, earrings, signet rings, bracelets, and all kinds of golden jewels—everyone who brought a wave offering of gold to Adonai. ²³ Everyone who had blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red or sealskins brought them. ²⁴ Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought Adonai’s offering, and every man who had acacia wood of any use for service brought it. ²⁵ Also all the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought what they had woven—the blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen. ²⁶ All the women whose heart stirred them up with wisdom spun the goat hair. ²⁷ Also the leaders brought onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastplate, ²⁸ along with the spice, the oil for the light and for anointing and for the sweet incense. ²⁹ Every man and woman whose heart made them willing gave toward all the work that Adonai had commanded to be done by Moses’ hand. So Bnei-Yisrael brought it as a freewill offering to Adonai.

³⁰ Then Moses said to Bnei-Yisrael, “See, Adonai has called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³¹ He has filled him with the Ruach of God, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, in all manner of craftsmanship, ³² to make ingenious designs, to work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ as well as cutting gemstones for setting, wood carving, to make all kinds of skillful craftsmanship. ³⁴ He has also placed in his heart the ability to teach—both he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. ³⁵ He has filled them with wisdom of heart to forge all the works of an engraver, an artisan, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, scarlet and in fine linen, as well as weaving—they can perform every craft and ingenious designs.

More Than Enough!

36 “So Bezalel and Oholiab are to work, along with every wise-hearted man in whom Adonai has placed insight and understanding to know how to perform all the labor for the service of the Sanctuary, according to everything Adonai has commanded.”

² Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab and all the wise-hearted men in whose minds Adonai had set wisdom, along with everyone whose heart stirred him up to come do the work. ³ They received from Moses the entire offering that Bnei-Yisrael had brought for the work of the service of the Sanctuary, to build it. They brought freewill offerings to him morning after morning. ⁴ Then all the skilled men who were doing all the work of the Sanctuary came, one by one from the work he was doing, ⁵ and said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the work of this construction that Adonai has commanded to be done.”

⁶ So Moses gave an order, and they proclaimed it throughout the camp saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else as an offering for the Sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing more. ⁷ For the work material they had was sufficient for all the work, with much left over.

⁸ So all the wise-hearted men among them did the work. They made the Tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen, along with blue, purple and scarlet, with cheruvim—the work of a skillful craftsman. ⁹ The length of each curtain was 28 cubits and the width of each curtain was four cubits. All the curtains had one measure. ¹⁰ Then he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he also coupled together. ¹¹ He made blue loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost within the first set. He did the same along the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹² He made 50 loops in one curtain and 50 loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set, so that the loops were opposite to one another. ¹³ Also he made 50 clasps of gold and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps, so the Tabernacle was one.

¹⁴ Then he made curtains from goat hair for a tent over the Tabernacle. He made 11 curtains. ¹⁵ The length of each curtain was 30 cubits, and the width of each was four cubits. The 11 curtains had one measure. ¹⁶ He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six other curtains by themselves. ¹⁷ He made 50 loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the first set and 50 loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹⁸ Also he made 50 bronze clasps to couple the tent together, so that it would be one. ¹⁹ Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins, dyed red, along with a covering of sealskins above.

²⁰ He also made the framework of boards for the Tabernacle from acacia wood, standing upright. ²¹ The length of a board was ten cubits, the width was a cubit and a half. ²² Each board had two supports, joined one to another. He did this for all the boards of the Tabernacle. ²³ So he built the boards for the Tabernacle, 20 boards from the south side southward. ²⁴ And he made 40 silver bases under the 20 boards, two bases under one board for its two supports, and two bases under another board for its two supports. ²⁵ Also for the second side of the Tabernacle, on the north side, he made 20 boards, ²⁶ along with their 40 silver bases, two under one board and two under the next. ²⁷ For the back part of the Tabernacle westward he made six boards. ²⁸ He also made two boards for the corners of the Tabernacle in the back, ²⁹ so that they could be doubled underneath, and in same way to be fixed to the top, at the first ring. He did this for both of them at the two corners. ³⁰ So there were eight boards, along with their silver bases, 16 in all, two under each board.

³¹ Then he made crossbars from acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the Tabernacle, ³² five for the boards on the other side of the Tabernacle, and five crossbars for the boards of the Tabernacle for the back part, westward. ³³ He built the middle crossbar to pass through, in the center of the boards, from one end to the other. ³⁴ He overlaid the boards with gold and made golden rings for them, as holders for the crossbars, and overlaid the crossbars with gold.

³⁵ Then he made the curtain of blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen, along with the cheruvim, the work of a skillful craftsman. ³⁶ He made four pillars of acacia, and overlaid them with gold, having golden hooks, and he cast four silver bases for them. ³⁷ Then he made a parokhet for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen, the work of a color weaver. ³⁸ Also he made the five pillars with their hooks, and overlaid their capitals and bands with gold, along with their five bronze bases.

Ark, Table, Menorah, Incense Altar

37 Bezalel also made the Ark from acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. ² He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a crown of gold for it all around. ³ He cast four golden rings for it, in the four feet, two rings on the one side, and two on the other. ⁴ He also made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the Ark, to carry the Ark.

⁶ He made an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide. ⁷ Then he forged two cheruvim of gold, from hammered work, at the two ends of the atonement cover, ⁸ one cheruv at one end, and one cheruv at the other. He made the atonement cover from a single piece with the cheruvim on the two ends. ⁹ So the cheruvim spread out their wings on high, overshadowing the atonement cover with their wings, with their faces to one another, and the faces of the cheruvim toward the atonement cover.

¹⁰ Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold and made a golden crown all around. ¹² Also he made a border for it, a hand-width around, and made a golden crown for the border all around. ¹³ He cast four golden rings for it, and put the rings into the four corners that were on the four feet. ¹⁴ The rings were close to the borders, as holders for the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He also made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. ¹⁶ He forged the articles that were on the table, the dishes, pans, bowls and jars, with which to pour, out of pure gold.

¹⁷ Then he made the menorah of pure gold, of hammered work, even its base, its stem, its cups, its bulbs and its flowers, were one piece with it. ¹⁸ There were six branches going out of the sides, three branches out of one side, and three branches out of the other. ¹⁹ Three cups made like almond blossoms were in one branch, a bulb within a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the next branch, another bulb within a flower. It was just so for the six branches going out of the menorah. ²⁰ Also within the menorah were four cups made like almond blossoms, bulbs and flowers, ²¹ with a bulb under two branches of one piece, a second bulb under two branches of another piece, and a bulb under two branches of a third piece, for six branches extending out of it. ²² Their bulbs and their branches were one piece with it, an entire hammered work of pure gold.

²³ He also made the seven lamps, along with tongs and censers of pure gold. ²⁴ He made them from a talent of pure gold, along with all the pieces.

²⁵ He made the altar of incense from acacia wood, a cubit long, a cubit wide, squared, and two cubits high. The horns were one piece with it. ²⁶ Then he overlaid it with pure gold on top, on the sides all around and over its horns. Also he made a crown of gold for it all around. ²⁷ He made two golden rings for it underneath the crown, on two sides as holders for poles in order to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

²⁹ Then he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, the blend of a perfumer.

Altar for Sacrifices

38 He then made the altar for burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. ² He also made the horns on the four corners from one piece, and overlaid it with bronze. ³ Then he made all the utensils for the altar—the pots and the shovels, the basins, the forks and the fire pans. He made all the utensils from bronze. ⁴ He also made a bronze grating net for the altar, under the ledge around it, reaching halfway up. ⁵ He cast four rings for the four ends of the bronze grating, to be holders for the poles. ⁶ He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it, and he made it hollow, out of boards.

⁸ He made the basin and the base from bronze, with mirrors from the women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

⁹ Then he made the courtyard. For the south side the hangings of the courtyard were finely twisted linen, 100 cubits long. ¹⁰ There were 20 pillars and 20 bronze bases. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. ¹¹ Likewise, for the north side, 100 cubits long, with 20 bronze pillars and bases, and the hooks for the pillars and their bands were silver. ¹² For the west side the hangings were 50 cubits, with ten pillars and their ten bases, as well as the hooks for the pillars and their silver bands. ¹³ Likewise, for the east side, 50 cubits long. ¹⁴ The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with three pillars and their bases. ¹⁵ Similarly for the other side, on either side of the gate of the courtyard were hangings of 15 cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. ¹⁶ All the hangings of the courtyard all around were of finely twisted linen. ¹⁷ The bases for the pillars were bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, the overlaying of their capitals were silver, and all the pillars of the courtyard were ringed with silver.

¹⁸ The curtain for the gate of the courtyard was the work of a color weaver, of blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen. It was 20 cubits long and five cubits high, like the hangings of the courtyard. ¹⁹ Their four pillars and four bases were bronze. Their hooks along with the overlaying of their capitals and their bands were silver. ²⁰ All the pegs of the Tabernacle and the courtyard all around were bronze.

Parashat Pekudei

²¹ These are the accounts of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were recorded according to the commandment of Moses, by the service of the Levites, under the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the kohen. ²² Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah made all that Adonai commanded Moses. ²³ Along with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman, a skillful workman, and a weaver of colors, in blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen.

²⁴ The entirety of the gold that was used for the work of the Sanctuary, including the gold of the offering, was 29 talents^[d] and 730 shekels, according to the Sanctuary shekel. ²⁵ The silver from those numbered from the congregation was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the Sanctuary shekel— ²⁶ that is, a beka, or half a shekel per head, according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, for everyone who was recorded, from 20 years old and upward, for 603,550 men. ²⁷ The 100 talents of silver were for casting the bases of the Sanctuary, and the bases for the inner curtain, 100 bases for 100 talents, a talent for each base. ²⁸ The 1,775 shekels he made into hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made bands for them.

²⁹ The bronze from the offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. ³⁰ With it he made the bases for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating, all the utensils for the altar, ³¹ along with the bases of the courtyard all around, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, as well as all the pegs of the Tabernacle and the pegs for the courtyard all around.

Holy Garments for Aaron and His Sons

39 Next they made woven garments of blue, purple and scarlet, for ministering in the holy place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as Adonai commanded Moses.

² He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen. ³ They hammered the gold into thin plates, and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple and scarlet, within the fine linen, the work of a skillful craftsman. ⁴ Then they made shoulder pieces for it, joined together at the two ends. ⁵ The artfully woven band on the ephod, with which to gird it, was of the same piece and the same kind of workmanship of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen, as Adonai commanded Moses.

⁶ They placed the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold, etched with the engravings of a signet seal, according to the names of Bnei-Yisrael. ⁷ He put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, to be memorial stones for Bnei-Yisrael, as Adonai commanded Moses.

⁸ He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful craftsman, like the work of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen. ⁹ It was square and folded doubled, a span long and a span wide. ¹⁰ They mounted within it four rows of stones. A row of ruby, topaz and emerald were the first row. ¹¹ In the second row were a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond. ¹² In the third row were a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst, ¹³ and in the fourth row were a beryl, an onyx and a jasper. They were enclosed in fittings of gold within their settings. ¹⁴ The stones corresponded to the names of Bnei-Yisrael, like the engravings of a signet seal, each one according to its name for the twelve tribes.

¹⁵ They attached braided chains to the breastplate, of wreathed work from pure gold. ¹⁶ They made two settings of gold, and two golden rings, and set the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. ¹⁷ They attached the two golden chains to the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. ¹⁸ The other two ends of the chains they placed on the two settings, and fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, in the front. ¹⁹ They also made two golden rings, and set them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge that was toward the side of the ephod facing inward. ²⁰ They made two more rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod underneath, in the front, enclosed by their coupling, above the artfully woven band of the ephod. ²¹ Then they bound the breastplate by the rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue thread, so that it would rest on the artfully woven band and not be loosened from the ephod, as Adonai commanded Moses.

²² He also made the robe of the ephod from woven work, all of blue, ²³ with a hole in the center of the robe, and a binding woven around the hole as a collar, so that it would not be torn. ²⁴ They also made, on the hem of the robe, pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet and twisted linen. ²⁵ Then they made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around, between the pomegranates, ²⁶ a bell and a pomegranate, then another bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe, to minister in, as Adonai commanded Moses.

²⁷ Then they made the sashes of fine linen, woven work for Aaron and for his sons, ²⁸ the turban of fine linen, the headwear, the linen undergarments of finely twisted linen, ²⁹ along with the tunic of checkered work, in blue, purple and scarlet, the work of a color weaver, as Adonai commanded Moses.

³⁰ Finally they made the plate of the holy coronet from pure gold, and wrote an inscription on it, like the engraving of a signet seal: HOLY TO Adonai. ³¹ They tied to it a blue thread, to fasten onto the turban above, as Adonai commanded Moses.

³² So all the work of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was finished. Bnei-Yisrael did everything according to what Adonai had commanded Moses—they did it just so. ³³ Then they brought the Tabernacle to Moses, along with the tent and all of its furnishings, its clasps, its boards, its crossbars, its pillars, and its bases; ³⁴ along with the covering of ram skins dyed red, and the covering of sealskins, the veil of the curtain; ³⁵ as well as the Ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the atonement cover; ³⁶ the table and all of its utensils, the showbread; ³⁷ the pure menorah with its lamps to be set in order, along with all of its utensils, and oil for the light; ³⁸ the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the curtain for the entrance of the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar, its grating and its poles along with all of its utensils, and the basin and its base; ⁴⁰ the hangings for the courtyard, with its pillars, its bases and the curtain for the gate of the courtyard, with its cords and its pegs, along with all the instruments for the service of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting; ⁴¹ as well as the woven garments for ministering in the Sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the kohen and for his sons to serve as kohanim.

⁴² According to everything that Adonai had commanded Moses, Bnei-Yisrael had done all the work just so. ⁴³ When Moses saw the entire work, and that they had done it just as Adonai had commanded, Moses blessed them.

Setting up the Tabernacle

40 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “On the first day of the first month, you will set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. ³ You are to put the Ark of the Testimony there, and screen off the Ark with the curtain. ⁴ Then bring in the table, and set in order the bread that is on it. Bring in the menorah and light its lamps. ⁵ Set the golden incense altar in front of the Ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain over the entrance of the Tabernacle.

⁶ “Set the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. ⁷ Set up the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ⁸ Set up the courtyard all around, and hang the curtain of the gate of the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle, and everything within it, and consecrate it, along with all of its furnishings, and it will be holy. ¹⁰ Also you are to anoint the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils and consecrate the altar. The altar will be most holy. ¹¹ Then you are to anoint the basin along with its base and sanctify it.

¹² “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. ¹³ Put the holy garments on Aaron, anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may minister to Me as a kohen. ¹⁴ Also bring his sons and put tunics upon them. ¹⁵ You are to anoint them, as you did their father, so that they too may minister to Me as kohanim. Their anointing will be for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” ¹⁶ Moses did so, just as Adonai had commanded him.

¹⁷ Now it happened during the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the Tabernacle was raised up. ¹⁸ Moses raised the Tabernacle, and laid its bases, set up the framework of boards, put in the crossbars and set up its pillars. ¹⁹ Then he spread the tent over the Tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on it, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

²⁰ He placed the Testimony into the Ark, set the poles on the Ark, and put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. ²¹ He brought the Ark into the Tabernacle, set up the curtain as a screen, and screened off the Ark of the Testimony, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

²² Then he set up the table inside the Tent of Meeting, on the side of the Tabernacle northward, outside the curtain. ²³ He set a row of bread in order upon it before Adonai, just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ²⁴ Then he placed the menorah in the Tent of Meeting, over against the table, on the south side of the Tabernacle. ²⁵ Then he lit the lamps before Adonai, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

²⁶ Next he placed the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the curtain, ²⁷ and he burned sweet spices of incense there, just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ²⁸ He hung the curtain over the entrance of the Tabernacle. ²⁹ Then he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

³⁰ Next he set up the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, ³¹ so that Moses, Aaron and his sons could wash their hands and their feet there. ³² When they went into the Tent of Meeting and when they came near to the altar, they washed, just as Adonai had commanded Moses.

³³ He set up the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar and set up the screen at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

Glory Fills the Tabernacle

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Adonai filled the Tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses was unable to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud resided there and the glory of Adonai filled the Tabernacle.

³⁶ Now whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle, Bnei-Yisrael went onward, throughout all their journeys. ³⁷ But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not move out until the day that it was. ³⁸ For the cloud of Adonai was on the Tabernacle by day and a fire was there by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.