Biblical verse Ex30-32 is written
in a General-Detail style as follows:
- General:
Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting finished;
- Detail: [because] the people of Israel did
according to all that the Lord commanded Moses,
so did they do.
We have inserted the type-faced word because into the
above translation to conform to Rashi's comment - Rashi sees the
General clause, The Temple was completed as being
clarified and explained by the detail clause, the Jews
did as God commanded them.
Advanced Rashi: The above explanation of Rashi may
appear simplistic. Using it we explain a very wild Rashi presented below. We give a
simple explanation to this wild Rashi making it straightforward.
Verse Ex40-17:18 states
And it came to pass in the first month in the second year,
on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was erected.
And Moses erected the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and erected its pillars.
Rashi comments on the passive was erected:
After completing all the utensils the Jews could not erect the Tabernacle
because of the heaviness of the boards. Moses also attempted to erect the
Temple but the boards were too heavy for him. If nobody could erect
the Temple how then did the Temple get erected? The verse explicitly
says that the Temple was erected that is, by itself. The boards
stood upright and fit together.
Because every utensil was
made exactly as commanded therefore the erection
of the temple went smoothly: For example if the
wood boards were not smooth they would not remain
standing after erected. Precisely because they
were cut properly therefore they stood in place.
And precisely because the Jews worked as a team
therefore, all Temple parts were made to precision.
We learn this from the
emphasis in Ex30-32: The Temple was erected
because the Jews did as God commanded.
Thus the miracle did not consist of boards floating
upwards! Rather the miracle consisted of all staff precisely
following orders so that the boards
and parts
fit togethere smoothly and
enabled
a quick efficient erection.
The emphasis here is on the compliance of the Jews
with Gods commands.
Rashi citing a Midrash simply states this in a
pictueresque way: The boards helped erect themselves
by the spirit of God. But again: The emphasis is
that the building fit together quickly and smoothly
because the Jews did as God commanded.
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