While working on my Tabernacle Explorer 3D, one very interesting question arose that I feel compelled to answer: when was the Tabernacle actually setup? Was it during the day? Or was it during the night ?
Well, according to the Law of Moses, the day begins after sunset and ends right before the sunset.
Exodus 40:17 provides us only with the date when the Tabernacle was setup:
17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.
17 וַיְהִ֞י בַּחֹ֧דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֛וֹן בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ הוּקַ֖ם הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃
As you can see, we are only told that the Tabernacle was setup on the 1st of Abib, of the second year after Exodus from Egypt. But no information provided as to the time of the setup of the Tabernacle.
Did Levites start to assemble the Tabernacle right after sunset and worked through the night? Or did assembly of the Tabernacle begin at some other time of the Hebrew day?
The answer to this question can be found right in the original text, in the last verse of the Book of Exodus, in Exodus 40:38, and also in Numbers 9:15-16.
Let's take a look at Exodus 40:38:
38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
38 כִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהוָ֤ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃
Now, let's compare it with the description provided in Exodus 40:33-34:
33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
33 וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃ פ
34 וַיְכַ֥ס הֶעָנָ֖ן אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּכְב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃
Now we can most definitively say that the Levites started to assemble the Tabernacle sometime after sunrise on the 1st of Abib, so most likely the Tabernacle was fully assembled several hours later, by the early morning hour. This is because the description states that the cloud[of smoke] covered the Tabernacle, not the cloud[of fire]. Thus, as the description states, so it was: the Cloud (Pillar of Smoke) covered the Tabernacle.
And by the evening of the very same day (1st of Abib), the fully assembled Tabernacle was for the very first time covered with Pillar of Fire, like so:
So, as you can see, this question is a prime example of how seemingly minute details can be extracted from the original text just by carefully reading and comparing relevant verses.
12 comments:
Exodus 40:33-34 only says that the work was completed in the daytime, it doesn't say when it began. If it took several hours then its possible it was begun and completed during the same day. There is more than one interpretation possible.
Much rests on the definition of 'day'. There is no statement that says, for example 'this shall be for you a day. It will begin at such and such a time and shall continue until such and such a time'. I suggest the definition of a twenty four hour period running from evening to evening is an understanding that has been accepted rather than a statement given in Torah.
Genesis 1 can also be read as that evening ended the working part (the day) and morning was the beginning of the next working part (next day) and that night, rather than being attached to a day, acted as a separator.
Creation didn't happen in the night.
Just an observation...
I agree that Genesis 1 is somewhat obscure and can be interpreted differently. However, further in the text there are some explicit references of what the "day" is. For example Leviticus 23:32.
Also, the goal of this post was to figure out the time when the "creation" (the Tabernacle) was completed. And as I pointed out in my post, because the cloud of smoke (and not the cloud of fire) appeared above the Tabernacle, it can be said with utmost certainty that it happened during the day (as in when the sun was up).
According to my calculations, the Tabernacle could've been assembled and disassembled relatively quickly considering number of Levites that were involved in the process; perhaps it would take no more than several hours, so in a way you are correct, since it does appear that the sun was up when they started and finished the assembly.
Yes, agreed, the text certainly indicates it was completed in the daytime.
The article includes the statement made with some certainly '...according to the Law of Moses, the day begins after sunset and ends right before the sunset...' and having spent some considerable research of that question myself, I do not find that degree of certainty, but find instead it seems to have become an understanding. Lev 23:32 can also accurately be read as referring to the Day of Atonement as a day set apart from any other.
Not advancing any particular agenda here, it is very obvious that the Mishkan was completed during the daytime. And interesting to learn the fairly quick setup time.
Well, I'm not sure what to tell you...
It seems logical to me that the "day" lasts from sunset to sunset, as the light was created in the darkness (Genesis 1), so the darkness preceded the light.
Also, I do not think that Lev 23:32 refers only to the Day of Atonement. It is just the only verse that explicitly defines the "day". Aside from verses of Genesis 1 of'course.
So I guess I have to disagree with you on this one for now ;)
Yes, that makes it interesting sometimes, doesn't it? :) It is actually quite an interesting study, but in the end, it is still 'day' when creating happens...and Yom Kippur still begins at sunset...so its not a divisive issue.
I just wanted to add...
You are correct in your assumption that the word "day" (yom) means the time when the sun is up. However, throughout the Pentateuch, this word is also used to signify the 24 hour period. There are many indirect references in the text. If you want I can probably give you an example.
So, while it is possible that creation happened during the "day" (as in light), the word itself refers to the 24 hour period from sunset to sunset.
Does this makes any sense? ;)
And you are 'correct in your assumption' that yom is also used for a 24 hour period :)
I'm actually not the only one who questions this common interpretation (though it is rarely questioned), and have actually studied what 'yom' is and how it fits in some depth, returning to it over a period of years. I only brought it up because of the confident assertion in the post that 'according to the Law of Moses the day begins after sunset'...it actually is not a law, as a day is never defined, as are many other things.
I didn't grow up with the idea that a day begins in the evening, and while I did observe it that way for a few years, when noticing one day that there was no such law, I began researching where that understanding came from...at the same time as searching out and examining all Scripture on the subject.
'And there was evening' to close the daytime portion, 'and there was morning' to close the nighttime portion, and this forms a day. The arrival of the morning begins a new day. The time period prior to the day wasn't called night, it was called darkness. The darkness was called night after it was separated from the day.
That is one way to read it; the unusual phrase 'and there was evening and there was morning, one day' makes sense. It's another way to read it that also fits.
It's quite OK that you disagree (many people do)and as you've researched and presented, the Mishkan could have been set up in a few hours, and definitely it was daytime when it was completed. So whether they began in the night or the day...it was ended in the day, and that's more important, right?
Yes, the fact that the Mishkan was setup during the day is the point ;)
And its fine with me if we disagree on this interpretation. I just wanted to provide you with my reasoning and the way I see it. I understand that my rather firm statement that "according to the Law of Moses, the day begins after sunset and ends right before the sunset" may be in error, but like I pointed out to you before, I just can't agree with you at this time. Maybe in the future I will change my understanding of this particular issue (I've done so in the past with other topics), but before I do I need to come to understand it myself.
Your suggestions were interesting and they got me thinking and I will look into this question in more details. Each of these questions is just so complex and requires huge amount of research; I just simply do not have time to cover every single subject.
The Torah was given to the entire nation to be studied. Each question in Torah is NOT a work for one man, no matter how learned he may be. Myself is no exception.
I appreciate your insights though.
Yes I agree on all points. Sometimes even with much individual research there are still going to be different interpretations, and maybe that is not a bad thing, as it kind of emphasizes our need to listen to and respect that others might see differently, and I greatly appreciate that you do this :)
Yes, and I appreciate that you have pointed out this thing to me. I wish there were more people participating on my blog so that there would be more opportunities to learn for me (and for other people as well).
Well, this site has a half million page views...so a lot of somebodies are reading! I think you're so far ahead of most people in understanding this and Torah related things that its hard to participate. But with half a million pageviews...you're making a difference, you're presenting people with information, even if you don't see evidence of their response :)
Thank you. I can only hope so. It is my main goal. Everything else is just a nice bonus ;)
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