"Vehanach oso Lifnei Hashem". Where are "Lifnei Hashem" here and "Lifnei ha'Eidus" in the next Pasuk referring to?
Rashi and Rashbam: Both Pesukim are referring to in front of the Aron ha'Kodesh. 1
See Sifsei Chachamim.
Seeing as Aharon had not yet been chosen to be the Kohen Gadol ? moreover, we still find that Moshe served as Kohen Gadol ? during the Shiv'as Y'mei ha'MIlu'im - why did Moshe himself not place the bottle of Manna?
Refer to 16:33:1:1.
R. Bachye: It was a hint that Aharon and the Kohanim, who were destined to teach Torah to Yisrael, would be comfortably sustained ? like Yisrael in the desert via the Manna ? seeing as the Torah, which sustains the Neshamah, stems from Chochmah, "ve'ha'Chochmah Techayeh Ba'alehah". 1
Koheles 7:12. See R. Bachye who elaborates.
How could Moshe place the jar of Manna in front of the Aron, "Lifnei Hashem" (see Sifsei Chachamim]), seeing as the Mishkan with its Keilim had not yet been built?
Rashi and Rashbam: This Pasuk was actually said only after the Mishkan had been built, and it inserts it here 1 because it belongs to the Parshah of Manna.
In keeping with the principle 'Ein Mukdam u'Me'uchar ba'Torah.'
What is the definition of "Tzintzenes"?
Rashi (citing the Mechilta and Targum Onkelos), R. Bachye and Targum Yonasan: It is an earthenware jar 1 (which keeps cool ['she'Metznen] and preserves what it contains ? R. Bachye). 2
Mechilta: It is a glass jar 3 - which is the only material through which one can see.
See answer #2 and note. According to this first version of the Mechilta, it continues, '... which is the most porous material.
R. Bachye: And keeps a long time in the ground, as the Pasuk writes in Yirmiyah 32:14.
According to the text of the Vilna Gaon. See Torah Temimah, note 52.
Why does the Torah insert the unusual word "v'Sen Shamah Melo ha'Omer ... " (See Torah Temimah, note 53)?
Yoma 52b: To teach us via a Gezerah Shavah "Shamah" "Shamah" to Parshas Ki Sisa (30:36), in connection with the Aron, that the jar of Mann, like the Aron, was hidden.
What is the Torah referring to when it writes, "Lifnei Hashem" in this Pasuk; and "Lifnei ha'Eidus" in the next (16:34)?
Rashi and Rashbam: Both Pesukim are referring to the Aron ha'Kodesh - after the Mishkan was built. 1
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "Tzintzenes - an earthenware flask." Why need Rashi tell us this?
Gur Aryeh: The doubled root (Tzadi-Nun-Tzadi-Nun) indicates that the word "Tzintzenes" is not merely a name; rather, it has some inherent meaning. 1 Root "Tzadi-Nun-Nun" means 'to cool down;' the function of this type of flask was to cool down its contents, facilitating their preservation. 2
Gur Aryeh: That is why, out of the hundreds of names of places mentioned in Sefer Yehoshua, the Gemara (Gitin 7a) expounds upon only those names that are doubled - such as "Ad'adah" and "Sansanah" (Yehoshua 15:22,31).
Compare to Yirmeyahu 32:14. (The Torah Temimah (note 52) points out, that the Vilna Gaon's text in the Mechilta is "glassware", rather than "earthenware" - i.e., a utensil that one can see through (Meitzitz).)
