(י) וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֲר֖וֹן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֨יִם וָחֵ֜צִי אָרְכּ֗וֹ וְאַמָּ֤ה וָחֵ֙צִי֙ רׇחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃ (יא) וְצִפִּיתָ֤ אֹתוֹ֙ זָהָ֣ב טָה֔וֹר מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ תְּצַפֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ עָלָ֛יו זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃ (יב) וְיָצַ֣קְתָּ לּ֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו וּשְׁתֵּ֣י טַבָּעֹ֗ת עַל־צַלְעוֹ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּי֙ טַבָּעֹ֔ת עַל־צַלְע֖וֹ הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃ (יג) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בַדֵּ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָֽב׃ (יד) וְהֵֽבֵאתָ֤ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֖ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הָאָרֹ֑ן לָשֵׂ֥את אֶת־הָאָרֹ֖ן בָּהֶֽם׃ (טו) בְּטַבְּעֹת֙ הָאָרֹ֔ן יִהְי֖וּ הַבַּדִּ֑ים לֹ֥א יָסֻ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (טז) וְנָתַתָּ֖ אֶל־הָאָרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (יז) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ כַפֹּ֖רֶת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר אַמָּתַ֤יִם וָחֵ֙צִי֙ אׇרְכָּ֔הּ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי רׇחְבָּֽהּ׃ (יח) וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃ (יט) וַ֠עֲשֵׂ֠ה כְּר֨וּב אֶחָ֤ד מִקָּצָה֙ מִזֶּ֔ה וּכְרוּב־אֶחָ֥ד מִקָּצָ֖ה מִזֶּ֑ה מִן־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י קְצוֹתָֽיו׃ (כ) וְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶ֨ל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃ (כא) וְנָתַתָּ֧ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (כב) וְנוֹעַדְתִּ֣י לְךָ֮ שָׁם֒ וְדִבַּרְתִּ֨י אִתְּךָ֜ מֵעַ֣ל הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת מִבֵּין֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־אֲר֣וֹן הָעֵדֻ֑ת אֵ֣ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֲצַוֶּ֛ה אוֹתְךָ֖ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
(10) They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. (11) Overlay it with pure gold—overlay it inside and out—and make upon it a gold molding round about. (12) Cast four gold rings for it, to be attached to its four feet, two rings on one of its side walls and two on the other. (13) Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; (14) then insert the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark, for carrying the ark. (15) The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark: they shall not be removed from it. (16) And deposit in the Ark [the tablets of] the Pact which I will give you. (17) You shall make a cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. (18) Make two cherubim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover. (19) Make one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end; of one piece with the cover shall you make the cherubim at its two ends. (20) The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their wings. They shall confront each other, the faces of the cherubim being turned toward the cover. (21) Place the cover on top of the Ark, after depositing inside the Ark the Pact that I will give you. (22) There I will meet with you, and I will impart to you—from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on top of the Ark of the Pact—all that I will command you concerning the Israelite people.
Photos/models from "The Tabernacle, Its Structure and Utensils" by Moshe Levine (1969)
Massechet Bava Batra 14a (see also Yerushalmi Shekalim, Perek 6, Halacha 1, Daf 16b)
What and How Big is an Amah?
- R' Meir- 6 tefachim = 1 amah
- R' Yehuda- 5 tefachim = 1 amah
What and How Big is a Tefach?
- A unit of length, approximately equal to eight centimeters, or 3.2 inches. This is the opinion of Rav Avraham Chaim Naeh z'l, 1890-1954)
How big, then, was the Aron Kodesh? (In Amot: 2.5 L x 1.5 W x 1.5 H)
- According to R' Meir:
- 2.5 amot x 6 tefachim per amah = 15 tefachim.
- 15 tefachim x 3.2 inches = 48 inches long, and
- 1.5 amot x 6 tefachim = 9 tefachim x 3.2 inches = 28.8 inches wide, and
- 1.5 amot x 6 tefachim = 9 tefachim x 3.2 inches = 28.8 inches high
- According to R' Yehuda:
- 2.5 amot x 5 tefachim = 12.5 tefachim.
- 12.5 tefachim x 3.2 in = 40 inches long, and
- 1.5 amot x 5 tefachim = 7.5 tefachim x 3.2 inches = 24 inches wide, and
- 1.5 amot x 5 tefachim = 7.5 tefachim x 3.2 inches = 24 inches high
What was actually written on the Tablets?
כֵּיצד הָיוּ הַלּוּחוֹת כְּתוּבִים. רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר. חֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה. הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֔ם עַל־שְׁנֵי֖ לוּחוֹת אֲבָנִֽים: חֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה. וְרַבָּנִן אָֽמְרִין. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה. הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב וַיַּגֵּ֨ד לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־בְּרִית֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת עֲשֶׂרֶ֭ת הַדְּבָרִ֑ים. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אָמַר. עֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה. דִּכְתִיב וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֔ם עַל־שְׁנֵי֖ לוּחוֹת אֲבָנִֽים: עֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה. רִבִּי סִימַאי אָמַר. אַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה ןְאַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה. מִזֶּ֥ה וּמִזֶּ֖ה הֵ֥ם כְּתוּבִים. טֶטְרַגוֹנָה.
The Gemara continues with discussion of the two tablets. How were the tablets written? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel says: Five on this tablet and five on that tablet. This is as it is written: “And He wrote them upon two tablets of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13), i.e., five of the Ten Commandments on this tablet and five on that tablet. But the Rabbis say: All of the Ten Commandments were written on this tablet and the same ten were written on that tablet. This is as it is written: “And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even the ten words” (Deuteronomy 4:13). This teaches that there were ten on this tablet and ten on that tablet. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Twenty on this tablet and twenty on that tablet, as it is written: “And He wrote them upon two tablets of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13). This teaches that there were twenty on this tablet and twenty on that tablet. Rabbi Simai said: Forty on this tablet and forty on that tablet, as it is written: “On the one side and on the other were they written” (Exodus 32:15), as a cube [tatroga].
חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן אֲחִי רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר. בֵּין כָל־דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר דִּיקְדּוּקֶיהָ וְאוֹתוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁלְתּוֹרָה. מְמוּלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ. כְּיַמָּא רַבָּא.
Ḥananya, nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua, says: Between each and every statement that was written on the tablets, its precise details and the explanation of its letters were written as well, as it is written: “Filled with beryl [tarshish]” (Song of Songs 5:14). Tarshish is the name of a sea, or more likely, an area of the Mediterranean. The verse is indicating that the Torah is filled with all of these details, like the great sea is filled with waves.
