Taamei Hamitzvos -The Shulchan
Reasons Behind the Mitzvos
By Rabbi Shmuel Kraines
“Study improves the quality of the act and completes it, and a mitzvah is more beautiful when it emerges from someone who understands its significance.” (Meiri, Bava Kama 17a)
Mitzvah #97; Shemos 25:23-30 and Vayikra 24:5-9
One of the primary elements of the Mishkan was the golden Shulchan(Table). There were two stacks of six loaves of bread upon it, each loaf weighing approximately five kilograms. Placing bread on the Shulchan is serving bread on the table of the King of the world. We are also commanded to put frankincense on the Shulchan, apparently to aromatize the King's table.
The loaves remained throughout the week as hot and fresh as they were when they emerged from the oven. Every Shabbos afternoon, the Kohanim would replace the loaves with new ones and eat the old ones in sanctity. The Kohanim are like the members of the king’s household, who eat along with him (Bechor Shor). Since no part of the loaves is offered to Hashem in the fullest sense by burning, as are most offerings, we burn frankincense that raises a pleasant aroma to Hashem and indicates that the loaves, too, are an offering to Him (Rabbeinu Bechaye).
The presence of the bread on the Shulchan throughout the week provided a constant blessing of sustenance, and all the world's inhabitants were said to "eat from the King's table." Although the world's sustenance includes more than bread, bread symbolizes all sustenance because it is the main part of a meal. There was a manifestation of the blessing in the bread itself, in that whoever would eat even a kzayis (the measure of an olive) would feel satiated (see Yoma 39a).
The offering of bread upon the Shulchan thus follows the familiar theme that acknowledging the good that Hashem provides through a symbolic service brings forth additional blessing (Sefer HaChinuch). It appears that for this reason, the bread is replaced specifically on Shabbos, which is the day that is “good to thank Hashem” (Tehillim 92) and which is a source of blessing for the coming week (Zohar Vol. II, pg. 153b). Some Kabbalists have a custom of serving twelve loaves on Shabbos to correspond to these twelve loaves (Shaarei Teshuvah §274). The Vilna Gaon would serve only two loaves at each meal, but he would cut both of them in two so that they would amount to twelve (Maaseh Rav). According to the common custom of serving two loaves and only cutting what is needed, we may suggest that the two loaves correspond to the two stacks of loaves upon the Shulchan. By dedicating our Shabbos table to Hashem and praising Him for His bounty, we merit additional blessing in the coming week.
The bottom pair of loaves was placed upon the Shulchan itself, and the other pairs were placed on top of them with three pegs dividing between each pair, and two pegs between the top two pairs, to allow for ventilation and to prevent mold. The pegs were held together by vertical pins. This structure symbolizes that sustenance ultimately comes from Hashem’s hand. The row of two pegs and four rows of three pegs correspond to the two bones in the thumb and three in each other finger, and as a whole, they symbolize Hashem’s hand that provides the world’s sustenance. This hand-structure holds twelve loaves to symbolize that all the blessing that flows to the world through the twelve astrological signs ultimately comes from Hashem. Just as the twelve astrological signs are arranged into two groups, the twelve loaves are arranged into two stacks (Malbim). We may further suggest that the twelve loaves symbolize the twelve day-and-night periods in the six days of the coming week that receive sustenance from the Shulchan. See also Baal HaTurim and Rabbeinu Bechaye to Vayikra 24:7 and Torah Shleimah to Shemos 25:30.
The Shulchan was surrounded by a crownlike frame called the misgeres,which the Sages termed “the crown of kingship.” Hashem’s kingship is symbolized by the Shulchan because one of the primary roles of a king is to provide sustenance for his people. The misgeres also symbolizes that the king similarly surrounds the people with his army and protects them (Sforno). The misgeres also hints that a person should set a boundary for earthly pleasures, and that such boundaries raise a person’s stature like a crown. Just as we are commanded to place bread on the Shulchan before Hashem constantly (Shemos 25:30), we should similarly dedicate our own tables to Hashem and "place bread on the table before Him constantly,” by gracing our meals with words of Torah and giving a portion of food to the poor (Malbim).
