Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Parshas Pekudei (5776)

Lineage of Oholiab

The Torah writes (Exodus 38:23):
And with him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman, and a skilful workman, and a weaver in colours, in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky (Sefer Lemakesi Atik) cites in the name of Eldad haDani that Oholiab was the son of Ahisamach, son of Hushim, son of Dan


Kli Yakar (Exodus 35:30) explains that the meaning of this name meant that he build the house of the Heavenly Father (אהלי אב). His father's name (Ahisamach) alluded to the story of the two brothers who owned the location where the Temple would be built.

The Talmud (Arachin 16b) states that Oholiab's descendent was Hiram, who was hired by King Solomon to the built the Temple [i.e. the same job was passed down in his family]
Yalkut Shemoni (Nach 185) says that just like the Tabernacle was built by a partnership between the tribes of Judah (Betzalel) and Dan (Oholiab), the Temple was built via a partnership between Judah (King Solomon) and Dan (Hiram)

How Many Tents?

The Torah writes (Exodus 40:1-2):
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: ’On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
However, earlier we find the following (Exodus 33:7):
Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought the LORD went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.
There seem to have been two tents, one used by Moses before the Tabernacle was built and the Tabernacle itself.

Rashi (ibid) explains that this continued only until the Tabernacle was built:
After God had conversed with him, Moses used to return to the camp and teach the elders what he had learned. This Moses practised from the day of Atonement until the Tabernacle was set up, but no longer
The Midrash (Sifri Zutah Numbers 18:4) disagrees:
Rabbi Shimon said: we learn that there were two tents: a tent for serving and a tent for speaking
[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com / Comments welcome to parsha-people@publishyoursefer.com]

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