Exodus-Chapter-37
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once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved
Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
As we approach Exodus Chapter 37, we transition from the vision to the reality. While the previous chapters gave us the Divine blueprints, here we see the physical manifestation of those commands. This chapter is a testament to the partnership between the Divine and the human; the Almighty provides the wisdom and the pattern, but it is through the hands of Bezalel and his craftsmen that these holy vessels take shape. This is the moment where the abstract becomes concrete, and the space for the Divine Presence is carved out of the material world.
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Let
us read Exodus
Chapter 37, verses 1 to 29: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you
will find my commentary on same.
1 “And
Bezalel made the ark of acacia-wood: two cubits and a half was the length of
it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height
of it. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold
within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about. 3 And
he cast for it four rings of gold, in the four feet thereof: even two rings on
the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 And
he made staves of acacia-wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And
he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the
ark. 6 And he made an ark-cover of pure gold:
two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and a
cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 7 And he
made two cherubim of gold: of beaten work made he them, at the two ends of the
ark-cover: 8 one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end; of one piece with the
ark-cover made he the cherubim at the two ends thereof. 9 And
the cherubim spread out their wings on high, screening the ark-cover with their
wings, with their faces one to another; toward the ark-cover were the faces of
the cherubim. 10 And he made the table of
acacia-wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a
cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereto
a crown of gold round about. 12 And he made
unto it a border of a hand-breadth round about, and made a golden crown to the
border thereof round about. 13 And he cast for
it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that were on the
four feet thereof. 14 Close by the border were
the rings, the holders for the staves to bear the table. 15 And
he made the staves of acacia-wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the
table. 16 And he made the vessels which were
upon the table, the dishes thereof, and the pans thereof, and the bowls
thereof, and the jars thereof, wherewith to pour out, of pure gold. 17 And
he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick,
even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, were of one
piece with it. 18 And there were six branches
going out of the sides thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the
one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side
thereof; 19 three cups made like
almond-blossoms in one branch, a knop and a flower;
and three cups made like almond-blossoms in the other branch, a knop and a flower. So for the six
branches going out of the candlestick. 20 And
in the candlestick were four cups made like almond-blossoms, the knops thereof,
and the flowers thereof; 21 and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, for the six
branches going out of it. 22 Their knops and
their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was one beaten work
of pure gold. 23 And he made the lamps thereof,
seven, and the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes
thereof, of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure
gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof. 25 And he made the altar of incense of acacia-wood: a
cubit was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, four-square; and
two cubits was the height thereof; the horns thereof were of one piece with
it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, the
top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it; and he
made unto it a crown of gold round about. 27 And
he made for it two golden rings under the crown thereof, upon the two ribs
thereof, upon the two sides of it, for holders for staves wherewith to bear
it. 28 And he made the staves of acacia-wood,
and overlaid them with gold. 29 And he made the
holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the
perfumer”.
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Below is my Commentary on Exodus Chapter 37:
Verses
1-9: (The
Verses
10-16: (The Table for the Showbread). Moving outward into the
Verses
17-24: (The Menorah). The Menorah is perhaps the most intricate piece of craftsmanship.
It is made of “beaten work” from a single talent of pure gold. It is not merely
a lampstand; its botanical language, almond blossoms,
buds, and flowers, links it to the concept of spiritual growth and the ‘Tree of
Life’. Unlike the
Verses 25-28: (The Altar of Incense). The Golden Altar stands directly before the veil. On it, the “sweet incense” is burned daily. Unlike the outer Bronze Altar for animal sacrifices, this altar is for the soul. The fragrance rising upward symbolizes the total dedication of the human spirit to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. Its horns, of one piece with it, suggest that the power of prayer and devotion must be an integral part of our nature, not an attachment.
Verse 29: (The Holy Anointing Oil and Incense). The chapter concludes with the preparation of the oils and spices. This final verse emphasizes that even the fluids and fragrances must be “blended as by the perfumer” calculated, precise, and holy. Everything in the Tabernacle is set apart; there is no room for the mundane when creating a dwelling for the Divine.
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My Closing Message:
Exodus 37 reminds us that holiness is found
in the details. Bezalel did not merely “build a box”; he meticulously followed a
pattern that bridged the gap between ‘heaven and earth’. As we look at these
vessels, the ‘Ark of Law’, the ‘Table of Provision, the ‘Menorah of Light’, and
the ‘Altar of Prayer’, we see a map for our own lives. May we strive to make
our internal selves as “gold” as our external ones, and may
our deeds rise like “sweet incense”, creating a space for the Divine to dwell
within our own borders!
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