Tafsiran Keluaran 25:37: Rashi, Chizkuni, Da'at Zekenim & Rashbam

את נרתיה ITS LAMPS — a kind of small bowls into which the oil and the wicks were put.

ועשית את נרותיה, “and you are to make its lamps etc.;” the reason why the word: ועשית is repeated here is that these lamps were separate vessels, not part of the shaft and its six arms. Proof of this is provided by the wording: כפתוריהם וקנותם ממנה היו, “its knobs and shaft (only) were all of the same chunk (of gold).” In addition, the Torah uses a separate verse in 37,23 to tell us that Betzalel made these seven lamps. This proves that they were separate vessels.

והאיר, ”it will illuminate, etc.” the meaning of the verse is that the lights from the menorah will illuminate the showbreads on the Table opposite it. This is spelled out in detail in Exodus 49,24. The plain meaning of the verses dealing with this is that the broadside of the lampstand faced from east to west so that it could easily provide light for the Table standing opposite it. According to the view of the scholar claiming that the position of the menorah had been in a north-south direction, we would have to assume that the lamp burning on top of the center shaft was pointing westward, whereas all the other six lamps were facing towards the center shaft. This is not very convincing, as clearly the purpose of the lamps was primarily to illuminate the showbreads on the Table. Alternately, we would have to accept Rashi’s explanation that the six lamps were facing in the direction of the lamp in the center in order to emphasize the light of that particular lamp.

והאיר על עבר פניה AND MAKE THEM GIVE LIGHT OVER AGAINST IT — Make the mouths of those six lamps which are on the top of the branches that come out from its sides so that they are turned towards the middle branch, in order that when you kindle the lamps they shall cast their light over against its (the candlestick’s) front-side, i. e. their light should be directed in the direction of the front of the central branch which forms the candlestick proper.