Purpose of the Shulchan and Lechem HaPanim/2

Purpose of the Shulchan and Lechem HaPanim

Exegetical Approaches

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Dining Hall of Hashem's Earthly Palace

The Tabernacle was built to resemble a human palace, and thus the Shulchan and Lechem HaPanim represent the dining hall of Hashem's abode.

Sources:Midrash Aggadah (Buber)Shemot 27:1, #1About Midrash Aggadah (Buber), R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 25:23-30Shemot 30:1About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Abarbanel #2Shemot 25:23About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel,¹ Seforno #1Shemot 25:23-29About R. Ovadyah Seforno, Cassuto

Does Hashem need a palace and dining room? Midrash Aggadah asserts that Hashem had no need for such a structure and that, in fact, the request to build a house stemmed not from Him but from the people.  Since the nation only knew how to relate to Hashem via human models of relationship, they thought to honor God in the way that subjects glorify a king, by building him a palace.

Relationship to other vessels in the Mishkan – R"Y Bekhor Shor and Abarbanel suggest that each section of the Mishkan and its accompanying vessels was equivalent to a different room in a king's palace.  The Bronze Altar represented the the kitchen, outside and far from the king's actual throne.  The Outer Sanctum (הקדש) with the Table, Menorah and Incense was like a living room, providing food, light, and aromatic fragrances as servants entered.²  Finally, the Inner Sanctum (קדש הקדשים) and the Ark symbolize the king's private abode and throne, to which he alone had access.

Secondary vessels – "קְּעָרֹתָיו וְכַפֹּתָיו וּקְשׂוֹתָיו וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו" – Most of these sources³ maintain that these were all food related vessels which were placed on top of the Shulchan,⁴ much like any king's table might be adorned with golden ware.

• According to Cassuto the "קערות" and "כפות" were plates or bowls of varying size, while the "קשות"and "מנקיות"  were vessels to hold libations.  He asserts that similar vessels were found on tables in pagan temples, where they would be filled with food and thought  to be necessary sustenance for the gods.  Here, in contrast, the vessels were intentionally left empty to show that Hashem has no need for food.
• R"Y Bekhor Shor, in contrast, suggest that the various vessels were used during the process of making the Lechem HaPanim.  The קערות were used to mix the dough, while the קשות held the water for kneading it.⁵  The "קשות" held the frankinsence⁶ and the מנקיות were used to clean the Table.

Priestly eating of the bread – Abarbanel and Cassuto explains that the Bread was eaten by the priests to highlight how Hashem had no need for it and its role was purely symbolic.  One might question why bother placing any bread on the table at all.  This position might answer that to resemble a palace, it was not enough to place empty vessels in the Tabernacle but each had to be utilized.  Thus the Menorah was lit, the incense burned and the bread was baked.

"בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת יַעַרְכֶנּוּ" – This position does not explain why the Table would be set specifically on Shabbat.  Perhaps this day was chosen since Shabbat testifies to Hashem's role as creator and king, and is thus an appropriate day to honor Him in His palace.

לֶחֶם פָּנִים – Abarbanel follows Ibn Ezra in suggesting that the bread was called "לֶחֶם פָּנִים" because it was placed "לִפְנֵי י"י".  This position might explain that the text wants to highlight not the bread itself but the aspect of serving and honoring a king.

Focal point – According to this approach, it would seem that the Table, rather than the bread, is the focal point of this vessel.

Symbol of Material Blessings

The Table and Showbread symbolize that Hashem is the source of sustenance for all of mankind.

Sources:RashiShemot 25:24-30About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki,⁷ AbarbanelShemot 25Shemot 25:23About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoShemot 25:23-29About R. Ovadyah Seforno, Keli YekarShemot 25:23-31About R. Shelomo Ephraim Lunshitz, NetzivVayikra 24:5-9About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

Relationship to other vessels in the Mishkan

• According to Abarbanel the Ark stands for Hashem's Torah and laws, while the vessels of the Outer Sanctum represent the rewards promised to those who follow them.  The Table stands for physical blessings, the Menorah for wisdom and intellectual gifts, and the Incense Altar for spiritual rewards.
• R. Hattin⁸ pairs just the Table and Menorah, pointing to their juxtaposition in Vayikra 24 as evidence of their being a twosome.⁹  He suggests that the point of each is to ensure that all recognize that Hashem is the provider of both physical and spiritual needs.

"וְעָשִׂיתָ לּוֹ זֵר זָהָב" – These sources assert that the "זֵר" symbolizes the crown of kingship.  Rashi connects this to the wealth and grandeur symbolized by the table as a whole.  Seforno goes further and points to the double mention of the "זֵר" as representing the two responsibilities of a king, to provide for the nation's livelihood and to protect them form enemies. If so, the Table's decorations further reminded the people how their King, Hashem, constantly looks out for both their sustenance and physical well-being.

"וְעָשִׂיתָ לּוֹ מִסְגֶּרֶת" – Keli Yakar asserts that this frame represents the fact that one should always curb one's desires and not overindulge in material blessings.¹⁰

Secondary vessels – "קְּעָרֹתָיו וְכַפֹּתָיו וּקְשׂוֹתָיו וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו" – Most of these sources view these vessels (with the exception of the "כפות")‎¹¹ as part of the structure of the Table itself.  The "קערות" were molds for the bread, while the "קשות" and "מנקיות" were horizontal and vertical rods that served as racks to hold the bread and prevent mold.¹² Keli Yakar suggests that the list ends with the "מנקיות" to teach that a person should always earn his sustenance by clean methods and not through cheating.  Likewise, when a person provides for the poor, he should do so in a clean and non-degrading way.

Why is it called "לֶחֶם פָּנִים" – According to Rashi, following Bavli Menachot, the bread was so called after its form; it had many "faces" or sides.  If so, perhaps the shape was chosen to further express the symbolism of abundance and blessing.

"לִפְנֵי י"י תָּמִיד" – Abarbanel asserts that the fact that bread is supposed to be on the table "always" represents the continuous nature of Hashem's providence and blessings to those who abide by his commandments.

Twelve – Abarbanel similarly suggests that the twelve breads might represent the twelve months of the year, showing how Hashem provides for all the whole year long.  Alternatively they stand for the twelve tribes of Israel who will be the recipients of Hashem's blessings.

Lechem HaPanim and the Manna – Abarbanel draws a connection between the Showbread and the manna, suggesting that the two groupings of six breads represent the six days of the week in which the nation was provided for by Hashem's miracles in both the morning and evening.  The bread is arranged by the priest specifically on Shabbat, the day the manna did not fall.  Abarbanel does not give an explanation for the connection but could posit that through both the manna and Lechem HaPanim, the nation learned to recognize Hashem as Provider.

Focal point – This position might suggest that it is the Showbread itself, the staff of life, rather than the supporting Table, which is the focal point of the vessel.

Sign of Covenant

The Lechem HaPanim constitutes a covenant sealing meal which renews the eternal covenant between the nation and Hashem.

Sources:R. Yechieli

"בְּרִית עוֹלָם" – This phrase, found by the arrangement of the Lechem HaPanim but not by any of the other vessels,¹³ supports the  idea that the Bread represents the continuous renewal of the covenant sealed at Sinai

Covenant sealing meals – In Tanakh, covenants are often sealed with an accompanying meal.  See, for example, the story of Yaakov and Lavan in Bereshit 31:44-54, Yitzchak and Avimelekh in Bereshit 26:28-31, and the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai in Shemot 24:3-11. As such,  R. Yechieli suggests that here, too, the eating of the Showbread symbolized the sealing of the covenant.

Relationship to other vessels in the Mishkan – R. Yechieli connects the Table with the Ark of the Covenant. The latter held the document containing the contents of the covenant (לוחות הברית) , while the Table represented the agreement of the two sides to abide by it.  He suggests that several similarities in the form of the two vessels reinforce the connection between the two:

• Materials – Both vessels are made of the same material, accacia wood covered by gold. [Compare 25:10 and 23.]¹⁴
• Dimensions – Both the Ark and Table are two and a half amot in length, one and half amot in width and one amah high. [See Shemot 25:10 and 23.]
• Design – Each vessel is surrounded by a "זֵר זָהָב", a wreath of gold.  [See Shemot 25:11 and 24-25.]¹⁵
• Rings and Poles – Though several of the vessels had rings attached so that that they could be carried on poles, only these two have four rings of gold.

R. Yechilei does not address why the other vessels normally associated with the Shulchan (the Menorah¹⁶ and Incense Altar¹⁷),  do not similarly play a role in commemorating the covenant.

Secondary vessels – "קְּעָרֹתָיו וְכַפֹּתָיו וּקְשׂוֹתָיו וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו" – According to R. Yechieli these vessels were all eating utensils.  The קערות were bowls, while the כפות were much smaller¹⁸ and perhaps resembled a spoon which was used for eating.  Both the מנקיות and קשות held liquids, as the phrase "אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן" suggests.¹⁹  In fact, R. Yechieli claims that the libation of the Daily Offering was placed in these utensils.²⁰  As such, the utensils lay on the table, filled with food/liquid, the best way to represent a meal.

Priestly eating of the bread – The priests, as representatives of the nation, eat of the bread weekly to continuously re-enact the sealing of the covenant. 

Two Layers of Six – R. Yechilei sees in the choice of twelve breads a symbol of the 12 tribes.  Moreover, he points out that the division into two groups of 6 might be common to other covenantal ceremonies as well, such as that atop Mt. Eival and Gerizim in which the 12 tribes were similarly divided into two groups to renew the Covenant of Sinai.

"בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת יַעַרְכֶנּוּ" – According to R. Yechieli it was specifically on Shabbat that the bread was replenished because Shabbat is also called a "בְּרִית עוֹלָם"‎²¹ and itself commemorates the nation's covenental relationship with Hashem.²²

Focal point – os position views the act

¹ Abarbanel combines this approach with the idea below that the table represented material blessings.

² Seforno point to the Shunamite women who similalrly sets up a room for Elisha with bed, table, chair and menorah.

³ Abarbanel does not offer his own opinion, but brings the explanation of Rashi, that the "קשות" and "מנקיות"were part of the Tables' structure, serving as racks to hold the bread.

⁴ See Shemot 37:16 which states "וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת הַכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן".

⁵ He understands the phrase "אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן" to refer back to the "קשות" rather than the "מנקיות",leading to his suggestion that they played a role related to the pouring of a liquid.  This is supported by the parallel verse in Shemot 37:16 in which the term ""אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן" is juxtaposed to the word "קשות"and by the phrase "קְשׂוֹת הַנָּסֶךְ" in Bemidbar 4:7.

⁶ See Vayikra 24:5-9 that this was poured over the breads.

⁷ See also Bavli YomaYoma 72bAbout the Bavli and Shemot Rabbah34:2About Shemot Rabbah whom Rashi draws off when speaking of the Table as representing the crown of kingship.

⁸ See his article, "The Table of the Show Bread".

⁹ The decision not to include the Incense Altar and  view the vessels as a threesome might also be supported by the fact that the Altar is first discussed in Shemot Chapter 30, and not connected to the descriptions of the Menorah and Table in chapter 25.

¹⁰ Abarbanel points out more simply that it served the practical function of ensuring that the bread did not fall off the table.

¹¹ These were meant to hold the frankincense.

¹² According to Rashi the word " יֻסַּךְ" comes from the root סכך, to cover.  Thus, the phrase, "אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן" refers to he "קשות" which acted as a cover to the bread.

¹³ The Ark is also connected to the concept of ברית (see points below) but in Torah is only referred to as "אֲרוֹן הָעֵדֻת", containing the tablets that testify to the covenant.  It is only in Sefer Yehoshua that the Ark is called "אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית".

¹⁴ This is not unique to these two vessels, however.  The Incense Altar is also made of accacia wood and covered with gold.

¹⁵ It should be noted that the Incense altar is also surrounded by a ""זֵר זָהָב""

¹⁶ In Chapter 25, the Ark, Table and Menorah seem to be a threesome, all discussed together.

¹⁷ Since the Table, Menorah and Altar were all placed in the Heichal, it is natural to connect the three.

¹⁸ He proves this from the the relative weights given for each when describing the presents of the princes in in Bemidbar 7.  While the "קערות"  weighed 130 shekalim each, the "כפות" only weighed ten.

¹⁹ He asserts that the phrase refers to both vessels.  While in Shemot 25 the word "מנקיות" appears last in the list of vessels, right before the phrase ""אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן" but in Shemot 37, the order is reversed and the "קשות" re mentioned last, connecting them to the libation.  To resolve the seeming contradiction, R. Yechieli claims that the phrase "אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן" simply refers to both utensils.

²⁰ He points out that in general the vessels of the "קדש" played a role in public service rather than in individual sacrifices, eliminating the possibility that the vessel was used for libations accompanying individual offerings.  He points instead to the libation of the Daily Offering, and the command in Bemidbar 28   "בַּקֹּדֶשׁ הַסֵּךְ נֶסֶךְ".  According to halakhah this refers to the Bronze Altar, but R. Yechieli suggests instead that "קדש" here, as in many other places, refers to the Outer Sanctum of the Mishkan. 

²¹ See Shemot 31:16.

²² He also suggests that the number seven (שבע) is related to שבועה, oath, a key component in a covenant.