Commentaire sur L’Exode 25:40

וראה ועשה AND SEE AND MAKE — See here, in the mountain, the pattern which I shew thee. This teaches you that Moses was puzzled about the workmanship of the Menorah until the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the pattern of it in a candlestick of fire (Menachot 29a).

מראה, a past participle of the verb when it is used transitively, i.e. describing an action performed by a third party.

The pattern which I show you. . . Rashi is explaining that this is an elliptical verse. Scripture should have written: “Observe the pattern which I show you, and make them like the pattern. . ..” [Rashi knows this] because otherwise, what is the meaning of, “Make them like the pattern”? Scripture never mentioned that Hashem showed Moshe their pattern! Rashi adds, “See here on the mountain,” in order to explain that the verse’s phrase of “On the mountain” refers to the mountain [in general] which Moshe was standing on, not to a specific place on that mountain. Otherwise, [if it referred to a specific place,] the verse would not say, “That will be shown to you on the mountain,” which is general, but rather the verse would specify the exact place on the mountain. [If Rashi had said only,] “Here,” it would have implied a specific place. [Therefore Rashi says, “Here on the mountain.”] (Re”m)

.וראה ועשה בתבניתם, “note well, and follow their patterns,” (as have been shown to you while on the Mountain.)

אשר אתה מראה WHICH WAS SHOWN THEE — Translate as the Targum does: דאת מתחזי בטורא which thou hast been shown on the mountain. If it were punctuated with Patach (מַרְאֶה) it would mean which you show to others,” now, however, that it is punctuated with חטף קמץ (our קמץ חטוף, short Kametz) it signifies, “which thou hast been shown” — i. e. which others show thee [for the punctuation distinguishes between the words denoting “one who does something” and “one who has something done to him” (i. e. between the active participle מַרְאֶה and the passive participle מָרְאֶה).]

אשר אתה מראה בהר, G’d had literally shown Moses a visual likeness of the Tabernacle while he had been on Mount Sinai. This must be contrasted with such expressions as Genesis 12,7 לה' הנראה אליו, where the image Avraham received was one which originated within him rather than externally.

Until God showed him a menorah made of fire. Here it is implied that Moshe made the menorah. You might ask: Did not Rashi earlier explain that תיעשה means it was made by itself? The answer is: Even [when God showed him the menorah, as stated here,] it did not help, and it was made by itself, as Rashi explained above.