Exodus 36:1-8 -- activities in plural language --
Sharing Fox translation (Schocken)
Exodus 38:1-38:8 activities in singular language: Betzalel crafts cherubim and then the rings and trees and knobs
Looking more closely at 38:8....
וַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְחֹ֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ {ס}
He made the basin of bronze, its pedestal of bronze,with the mirrors of the women’s working-force that was doing-the-work at the entrance of the Tent of Appointment.
-- FOX (Schocken) translation
וַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְחֹ֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ {ס}
He made the basin out of copper and its base out of copper, from the mirrors of the women who had gathered [come to pray] at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
-- Metsudah (Onkelos translation, so English based on Aramaic translation vs. Hebrew)
וַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְחֹ֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ {ס}
He made the laver of copper and its stand of copper, from the mirrors of the women who performed tasks* at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
-- Jewish Publication Society translation
*1985 JPS footnote: Meaning of the Hebrew uncertain.
2023 REVISED footnote: Precise nuance of Heb. ṣoveʼot ʼasher ṣaveʼu uncertain.
וַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְחֹ֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ {ס}
And he made the laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.
-- JPS 1917
NOTES on language:
1) MAROT -- מַרְאֹת֙
unusual word -- in other places it means "visions." Here it's a construct with women, so read as "mirrors of the women."
2) TZAV'U -- צָֽבְא֔וּ
Brown Driver Briggs [Biblical Dictionary] via Bible Hub --
2 serve at sacred tent, Levites, with accusative צָבָא Numbers 4:23; Numbers 8:24 (P); women Exodus 38:8 (twice in verse) (P) 1 Samuel 2:22.
Only two uses of this word, tzav'u. Here and in 1 Sam 2:22
TZOV'OT -- צֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת
is more common. It is sometimes spelled (as in Samuel, below) with a stand-alone vowel following the alef: צֹּ֣בְא֔וֹת. It usually means something like "army" or "arrayed for war" or "host" -- as in "YHVH-tzev'ot, God of Hosts." It lends itself to some interesting explanations for what kind of gathering was happening here outside the Tent of Meeting and to what purpose....
...FWIW: I grew up thinking "God of Hosts" had something to do with large parties -- you know, like huge hosted gatherings -- and it took me a long time to get my mind around the more military reading of the Hebrew root.
וְעֵלִ֖י זָקֵ֣ן מְאֹ֑ד וְשָׁמַ֗ע אֵת֩ כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשׂ֤וּן בָּנָיו֙ לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֵ֤ת אֲשֶֽׁר־יִשְׁכְּבוּן֙ אֶת־הַנָּשִׁ֔ים הַצֹּ֣בְא֔וֹת פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
Now Eli was very old. When he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who performed tasks* at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
*Meaning of Hebrew uncertain
-- JPS 1985/2023
Other translations of 1 Sam 2:22 --
JPS 1917: women who did service at the door
Metsudah: women who assembled at the entrance
Koren: women who assembled at the door
Fox: Women who were acting-as-a-workforce at the entrance
----------------------
COMMENTARY from Cassuto (1883-1951):
Our passage [Ex 38:8] records a new fact, namely, the material of which the laver and the base were made: from the mirrors of the women in array [צֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת tzov'ot*] who stood in array at the door of the tent of meeting. This is an obscure detail, concerning which haggadists have developed various fanciful interpretations and modern exegetes have advanced a number of conjectures. According to he simple sense of the verse, its intention seems to be to indicate that the laver and its base were not made from the material of the Lord's contributions, which was designated for the service but were used for preparation of the priests for their ministrations (see above, p. 395 [on Ex 30:17-21]). What is stated here explicitly accords with what Scripture implies later on (vv 29-31), when it enumerates all the articles made from the bronze of the wave-offerings, and neither the laver nor its base is mentioned among them. The mirrors are not included in the contribution of the sanctuary.**
Possibly the ancient poetic tradition related that the women, in their generosity of heart, came in their multitudes to offer to Moses their most precious treasures such as the mirrors, forming a long queue for the purpose, literally צֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת tzov'ot ['standing in array'] at the door of the tent of meeting -- in front of Moses' tent, which served at the time as a Tent of Meeting and was so designated (see above on xxxiii 7-11). Although the Torah did not incorporate this particular in its narrative, and only alluded to it incidentally, yet since the episode was known to the Congregation as part of its poetic tradition, the allusion was understood without difficulty.
The wording of the text in i Samuel ii 22 ('how they lay with the women who stood in array' [הַצֹּ֣בְא֔וֹת hatzov'ot], usually rendered: 'who served']) is derived from our verse or from the ancient source on which our own verse is dependent.
-- p.466-7. U Cassuto. A Commentary on the Book of EXODUS. Magnes Press, Hebrew University, 1967. Hebrew first published, 1951.
*Cassuto transliterates with phonetic characters not available on my keyboard and in a kind of an old-fashioned system. This is my best effort at conveying what he wrote.
**I added a paragraph break here just for easier reading on-line. Cassuto has one long paragraph until the bit about Samuel: "The wording in i Sam..."
NOTE: Sefaria is adding this commentary. But it is only available in Hebrew thus far.
וטעם הצובאות. כי משפט כל הנשים להתיפות לראות פניהם בכל בקר במראות נחשת או זכוכית לתקן הפארות שעל ראשיהם. הם הנזכרים בספר ישעיה כי מנהג ישראל היה כמנהג ישמעאל עד היום. והנה היו בישראל נשים עובדות השם שסרו מתאות זה העולם ונתנו מראותיהן נדבה כי אין להם צורך עוד להתיפות. רק באות יום יום אל פתח אוהל מועד להתפלל ולשמוע דברי המצות. וזהו אשר צבאו פתח אוהל מועד. כי היו רבות.
[THAT DID SERVICE.] Scripture states this because it is the custom of all women to beautify themselves. They look at their faces in brass or glass mirrors every morning to arrange the head coverings upon their heads. These head coverings are mentioned in the Book of Isaiah. The custom of Israel was the same as the Moslem practice unto this very day. Now there were in Israel women who served God and removed themselves from the pleasures of this world. These women gave their mirrors as a free-will offering because they had no need to beautify themselves. They rather came daily to the door of the tent of meeting to pray and to hear the words of the commandments. Scripture states, that did service (tzave’u) at the door of the tent of meeting because there were many such women.
במראת הצבאת. בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ בְיָדָן מַרְאוֹת שֶׁרוֹאוֹת בָּהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן מִתְקַשְּׁטוֹת, וְאַף אוֹתָן לֹא עִכְּבוּ מִלְּהָבִיא לְנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְהָיָה מוֹאֵס מֹשֶׁה בָּהֶן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשׂוּיִם לְיֵצֶר הָרָע, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה קַבֵּל, כִּי אֵלּוּ חֲבִיבִין עָלַי מִן הַכֹּל, שֶׁעַל יְדֵיהֶם הֶעֱמִידוּ הַנָּשִׁים צְבָאוֹת רַבּוֹת בְּמִצְרַיִם; כְּשֶׁהָיוּ בַעְלֵיהֶם יְגֵעִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ, הָיוּ הוֹלְכוֹת וּמוֹלִיכוֹת לָהֶם מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה, וּמַאֲכִילוֹת אוֹתָם וְנוֹטְלוֹת הַמַּרְאוֹת, וְכָל אַחַת רוֹאָה עַצְמָהּ עִם בַּעְלָהּ בַּמַּרְאָה, וּמְשַׁדַּלְתּוֹ בִדְבָרִים, לוֹמַר אֲנִי נָאָה מִמְּךָ, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ מְבִיאוֹת לְבַעְלֵיהֶן לִידֵי תַאֲוָה וְנִזְקָקוֹת לָהֶם וּמִתְעַבְּרוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ (שיר השירים ח'), וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּמַרְאֹת הַצּוֹבְאוֹת. וְנַעֲשָׂה הַכִּיּוֹר מֵהֶם, שֶׁהוּא לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ – לְהַשְׁקוֹת מִמַּיִם שֶׁבְּתוֹכוֹ לְמִי שֶׁקִּנֵּא לָהּ בַּעְלָהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה; וְתֵדַע לְךָ שֶׁהֵן מַרְאוֹת מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה שִׁבְעִים כִּכָּר וְגוֹ', וַיַּעַשׂ בָּהּ וְגוֹמֵר, וְכִיּוֹר וְכַנּוֹ לֹא הֻזְכְּרוּ שָׁם, לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה נְחֹשֶׁת שֶׁל כִּיּוֹר מִנְּחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה, כָּךְ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס בְּמֶחְזְיָת נְשַׁיָא וְהוּא תַרְגּוּם שֶׁל מַרְאוֹת, מירוריי"ש בְּלַעַז. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ וְהַגִּלְיוֹנִים (ישעיה ג') – מְתַרְגְּמִינָן מֶחְזְיָתָא:
במראת הצבאת OF THE MIRRORS OF THE WOMEN CROWDING — The Israelitish women possessed mirrors of copper into which they used to look when they adorned themselves. Even these did they not hesitate to bring as a contribution towards the Tabernacle. Now Moses was about to reject them since they were made to pander to their vanity, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Accept them; these are dearer to Me than all the other contributions, because through them the women reared those huge hosts in Egypt!” For when their husbands were tired through the crushing labour they used to bring them food and drink and induced them to eat. Then they would take the mirrors, and each gazed at herself in her mirror together with her husband, saying endearingly to him, “See, I am handsomer than you!” Thus they awakened their husbands’ affection and subsequently became the mothers of many children, at it is said, (Song 8:5) “I awakened thy love under the apple-tree”, (referring to the fields where the men worked). This is what it refers to when it states, מראות הצבאת “the mirrors of the women who reared the hosts (צבאות)” (Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 9). And it was for this reason that the laver was made of them (the mirrors) — because it served the purpose of promoting peace between man and wife viz., by giving of its waters to be drunk by a woman whose husband had shown himself jealous of her and who nevertheless had associated with another (cf. Numbers ch. V) thus affording her an opportunity to prove her innocence (cf. Sotah 15b). You may know that the מראות mentioned in the text were really mirrors (and that the word does not mean visions, or appearance, etc.), for it is said, (v. 29) “And the copper of the wave-offering was seventy talents etc. … and therewith he made [the sockets etc.]” — the laver, however, and its base are not mentioned there amongst the articles made from that copper; hence you may learn that the copper of which the laver was made was not a part of the copper of the weave-offering, which is the only copper mentioned as having been contributed by the people. Thus did R. Tanchuma 2:11:9 explain the term מראת הצבאת. And so does Onkelos also render it: במחזית נשיא, and this first word is the Targum translation of מראות, in the sense of mireors in old French, for we find that for the word (Isaiah 3:23) “And the גליונים”, which are mirrors, we have in the Targum the same word מחזיתא.
במראת הצבאת לשון ראיה פי׳ היה נתון בין אהל מועד ובין המזבח משוך מעט כלפי צפון כדי שתראנה אותו הנשים הצובאות ויהיה נזכר להם שמשם משקים את הסוטות כדכתיב בפרשת סוטה מים קדושים בכלי חרס, ומתרגמינן מי כיור במאן דחסף. ולפי פרש״י במראת הצבאת כמו ממראות בי״ת במקום מ״ם, דוגמא והנותר בבשר ובלחם.
במראות הצובאות, “with the mirrors of the serving women.” The word מראות is based on ראיה, “eyesight.” The laver was placed between the entrance to the Tabernacle and the copper altar (the altar on which most sacrifices were offered) slightly north of center. It was placed there so that the women who had contributed their mirrors could see it from the section in the courtyard reserved for women. It would also serve as a reminder that women whose husbands suspected them of infidelity without having proof that could be presented at court, and who had denied the accusation, would have to drink “bitter” waters drawn from the water in the laver, and would risk their lives by doing so if they had lied. [Compare Numbers 5,11-31.] According to Rashi, the prefix ב in the word במראות is to be understood as if it had been the letter מ, so that the word means: ”from the (material) of which their mirrors was made of,” i.e. polished copper. Exchanging the letter מ for the letter ב, is not unique. One example is found in Leviticus 8,32: והנותר בבשר ובלחם, “and whatever remains from the meat and from the bread.
Listening to Heart-Wisdom by Jill Hammer
There are two modes of revelation in the Torah. One mode is that of Sinai; revelation comes from a mountaintop, in the form of laws and principles. The law treats everyone equally. It is a transcendent law, Divine in origin and descends to touch every member of the covenant with its truths. The other mode is that of the mishkan, the Tabernacle or Sanctuary. As the Israelite people build the mishkan, the shrine they will carry through the wilderness, they rely on their inner wisdom and individual gifts. Although the pattern of the mishkan comes from the Eternal, the gifts that make the sanctuary what it is come from the depths of the human heart. The mishkan is replete with images of love and relationship: images we can use to transform our experience of what Torah is. -- p.113
These mirrors, which Moses at first rejects as unsuitable for service because of their "illicit" erotic content, are placed at the entrance to the Tabernacle to show that everyone is made in the Divine image. The story of the mirrors teaches us that the wisdom of the heart is also the wisdom of sexuality and he body and the wisdom of love.
At the heart of the Tabernacle is a further sign that heart-wisdom is welcome in holy places. Parashat Vayakhel tells of the making of the cherubim: the two mysterious winged creatures that spread their wings over the Ark of the Covenant, providing a throne for the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence. Jewish tradition conceives of the cherubim as human beings with wings, facing each other across the Holy Ark. Their gazes look toward each other but do not quite meet. Instead, the two gazes intersect at a point above the Ark. Dr. Aviva Zornberg has suggested that "God is at the place where the two gazes intersect." [citation: lecture on Parashat Vayakhel, Jerusalem, March 1998.] -- p.115
Listening to Heart-Wisdom. Parashat Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20)
Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentary on the Hebrew Bible. Edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer. NYU Press, 2009
EXODUS 23:2 and BENDING TO THE MAJORITY
In one Talmudic story, Moses asks God about the calendar, wanting to know exactly what to do: "What is the practice?"
Instead of giving a set ruling, God responds:
“acharei rabim l'hatot[bend after the majority]" -- J Sanhedrin 4:2
Whatever decision wins the majority vote, that is the practice.
According to this story, and centuries of commentary, it's important for people in every age to work things out together. Practices can change when circumstances change. If Moses had been given all the decisions, already set, change would not be possible. "Bend after the majority" is more flexible.
?? "Bend to the Majority"??
The phrase, "acharei rabim l’hatot" (used in the Talmud story above) appears in the portion Mishpatim:
You shall not follow after rabim to do wrong;
you shall not testify in a dispute so as to acharei rabim l'hatot. -- Exodus 23:2
Some usual translations of the whole verse:
"Do not follow the powerful to do wrong; Do not twist dispute testimony to incline toward the powerful." OR
"Do not go after a crowd (many) to do wrong; Do not twist dispute testimony to bend toward a crowd."
This verse is the heart of important teachings about power and evil: Do not be pressured into doing wrong because the crowd is doing so. Do not let a powerful person or a majority stop you from doing what you think is right. Don't let a person's status in the world stop you from telling the truth. All warnings about what not to do.
In the Talmud story quoted in the 9 Adar discussion, and in several others, the last three words of Exod 23:2 are separated from the rest of the verse. The three words -- "acharei rabim l'hatot" -- are taken as a positive statement: "Bend to the majority" or "follow after the majority." In the story above, they are used (by God) to give authority to the people in every generation to make decisions as a group. In another Talmud story, they are used to talk back to God, saying: You should not interfere in our decision- making because "You already wrote in the Torah, 'follow after the majority'" (B. Baba Metzia 59b).
In these Talmud stories, the three words are used in way that seems opposite to the verse in Mishpatim. But they're still teaching about power and the role of words.
-- from Divrei Matir Asurim Adar1
הלכה: דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת מַטִּין כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי יַנַּאי. אִילּוּ נִיתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה חֲתוּכָה לֹא הָֽיְתָה לָרֶגֶל עֲמִידָה. מַה טַעֲמָא. וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה. אָמַר לְפָנָיו. רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁלְּעוֹלָם. הוֹדִיעֵנִי הֵיאָךְ הִיא הַהֲלָכָה. אָמַר לוֹ. אַֽחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטּוֹת׃ רָבוּ הַמְזכִּין וָכוּ. רָבוּ הַמְחַייְבִין חִייְבוּ. כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא הַתּוֹרָה נִדְרֶשֶׁת מ״ט פָּנִים טָמֵא וּמ״ט פָּנִים טָהוֹר. מִנְייָן ודגלו. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר אִֽמֲר֣וֹת יְי אֲמָר֪וֹת טְהֹ֫ר֥וֹת כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּֽעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ מְזוּקָּק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃ וְאוֹמֵר מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃
HALAKHAH: “Civil suits are decided,” etc. Rebbi Yannai said, if the Torah had been given decided, no foot could stand. What is the reason? The Eternal spoke to Moses. He said before Him: Master of the Universe, inform me what is the practice. He told him, to bend after the majority (Ex 23:2) [1]. If there was a majority for acquitting, they acquitted; if there was a majority for convicting, they convicted; so that the Torah could be explained in 49 ways impure and 49 ways pure, the numerical value of ודגלו [2] And so it says: the commands of the Eternal are pure sayings; molten silver in an earthenware crucible, refined sevenfold. (Ps. 12:7) [3] And it says, the straightforward love You.
1) commentary says Moses had a question about the calendar, based on Exodus 12:1
2) Song of Songs 2:4 -- "...and his banner [v'dagelo ודגלו] of love over me." Gematria of "and his banner" = 49.
3) Psalm 12:7 with "sevenfold" = 7 X 7
4) Song of Songs 1:4. "Since מישרים is a plural, it indicates that the Torah has a plurality of straightforward interpretations." -- from Guggenheimer translation
לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים לְרָעֹ֑ת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת׃
You shall neither side with the mighty to do wrong—you shall not give perverse testimony in a dispute so as to pervert it in favor of the mighty—
הֱבִיאַ֙נִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י אַהֲבָֽה׃
He brought me to the banquet roomAnd his banner of love was over me.-b
אִ֥מְר֣וֹת יְהֹוָה֮ אֲמָר֢וֹת טְהֹ֫ר֥וֹת כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃
The words of the LORD are pure words,silver purged in an earthen crucible,refined sevenfold.*
*Sevenfold is read as 72=49
מׇשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ {פ}
Draw me after you, let us run!The king has brought me to his chambers.-dLet us delight and rejoice in your love,Savoring it more than wine—Like new wine-e they love you!
לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?