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מקשה תיעשה המנורה OF BEATEN WORK SHALL THE CANDELABRUM BE MADE — i. e. one should not make it of separate pieces nor shall one make its branches or its lamps as separate limb — a kind of work called souder in old French, Engl, to solder, but is was to be made in its entirety of a single mass of gold. He (who made it) beat it with the hammer and cut away with the implements of his craft thus making the branches spread out in this direction and in that (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 61:1).

ועשית מנורת זהב טהור. This commandment follows the establishment of “2 crowns,” the crown of Torah as represented by the Ark, and the crown of Royalty as represented by the Table. The Torah arranged the subject of the Menorah as something that it totally integrated, i.e. just as the Menorah was to be constructed of a single chunk of gold, not as a composite structure, so the seven lights were also to be arranged in such a way that the light from the lamps would converge in one above the light burning on top of the central shaft. This is the meaning of the words והאיר על עבר פניה, (verse 36) this means that the lights both on the right of the center shaft and those on the left should be arranged so that the respective flames would focus in the direction of the middle. Inasmuch as the lights symbolised spiritual “enlighten-ment,” the lesson is that in all our efforts at obtaining such enlightenment, and during all the digressions that the pursuit of such disciplines necessarily entails, we must never lose sight of the direction in which we are striving and keep this central idea of such enlightenment resulting in us becoming better servants of the Lord, constantly in front of our mental eye. The reason that there were lights on both the right side of the center shaft as well as on the left side, is that pursuit of enlightenment expresses itself both in gaining of theoretical knowledge, ethical imperatives, but no less so in the practical application of such lessons learned. Both must be placed in the service of the נר המערבי, the light from the center shaft, the one which faces the Shechinah directly. Only the focusing on our spiritual goal ensures that the six lights on the various arms will continue to burn without hindrance. The thought we just tried to portray is expressed in Numbers 8,2-4 בהעלותך את הנרות אל מול פני המנוה יאירו שבעת הנרות “when you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light.” This is the symbolism contained in the words וזה מעשה המנורה מקשה, (Numbers 8,4) i.e. in spite of what appears to be a multiplicity of lights emanating from this Menorah, their function is singular, one of unification, just as the Menorah from which they emanate was cast out of a single chunk of gold, something unified.

תיעשה המנורה, the Lampstand shall be made. Why did the Torah need to write these words at all? Was it not enough to write: "you shall construct a Lampstand made of gold?" Our sages in Menachot 28 comment that the word תיעשה allows for the fact that if necessary the Lampstand could be constructed of other metals. The passive form of תיעשה rather than תעשה, "you shall make," is justified then, seeing that in Moses' time there was no need to take advantage of the permission to construct the Lampstand of inferior materials.

'ועשית מנורת וגו, to illuminate the breads on the table as is mentioned in 26,35 where the position of this Menorah is specifically described as being opposite the table.

Because Moshe had difficulties with it. Hashem saw that Moshe had difficulty, therefore He showed him a menorah of fire. But Moshe still had difficulty, so He said, “Throw the mass into the fire.” This was done by Betzalel. Thus in actuality, the menorah was made by itself, although Hashem never expressly told Moshe that it would be made by itself. This is learned from the word תיעשה , which is written with a י , rather than תעשה . Re”m elaborates here, but I was brief.

V. 31 u. 32. Die Bestimmung, dass der Leuchter מקשה, nur massiv aus einem Stücke gearbeitet sein muss, sowie die vorgeschriebenen Kelche, Knaufe und Blüten, waren nur unumgänglich, wenn er aus Gold verfertigt war, באה זהב באה גביעים כפתורים ופרחים באה זהב באה מקשה אינה באה זהב אינה באה וכו׳ (Menachoth 28 a). Nie jedoch durfte er aus Bruchmetall (גרוטאות), und immer musste er aus Metall verfertigt sein (das.) und auch die übrigen Bestandteile: Fuß, Schaft, Arme sind unumgänglich (das.). Dass, wenn die Umstände die Anfertigung aus Gold nicht erlauben — wie dies in der ersten Zeit der makkabäischen Restauration der Fall war — der Leuchter auch von minder wertvollem Metall angefertigt werden durfte, ist im Texte durch die Wiederholung des תיעשה, nachdem es bereits ועשית וגו׳ hieß, angedeutet. Durch diese Wiederholung wird die Satzform כלל ופרט וכלל und das vorangehende זהב exemplifikatorisch, כעין הפרט: Metall (das. b). Dies dürfte denn auch die ungewöhnliche Schreibweise תיעשה erklären. Es ist damit die passive Form auch ohne Vokalisierung sichtbar gemacht, zur besonderen Beachtung hervorgehoben, und damit die Anfertigung des Leuchters "unter allen Umständen" geboten, תֵיעָשֶה: er soll hergestellt werden!

תיעשה המנורה, “the lampstand shall be made;” the word: תיעשה is spelled here with the letter י, the only time in the Bible it is spelled in this manner, in order to serve as a reminder that Solomon placed ten such lampstands into the Temple that he built.

ועשית מנורת זהב טהור, “you are to construct a candlestick of pure gold;” the function of this candlestick was to provide light for what was on the table. This is why the Torah reports in Exodus 40,24 that Moses positioned the menorah opposite the table.

מקשה — This word is translated in the Targum by נגיד, an expression for “drawing out;” he renders it thus because the parts of the candle-stick were drawn from the lump in this direction and in that by the blow of the hammer. The term מקשה denotes knocking with the hammer — batediz in old French — as the verb in (Daniel 5:6) “and his knees knocked (נקשן) one against another”.

מקשה, he took a chunk of gold and peeled from its side arms, cup-shaped ornaments, flowers, etc., all with aid of a hammer.

ירך ist die Basis, der Fuß, קנה der Schaft. Basis und Schaft bilden die eigentliche מנורה worunter speziell immer der Mittelschaft zur Unterscheidung von den Seitenarmen zu verstehen ist. So auch VV. 34 u. 37 und Bamidbar 6, 2. — גביעים sind Kelche, כמין כוסות אלכסנדריים, nach Art der alexandrinischen Kelche, länglich schmal (Raschi); כפתורים apfelförmige Knaufe, כמין תפוחי הכרתיים, wie kretensische Äpfel; פרחים, Blüten: כמין פרחי העמודים, wie die Blütenformen an Säulen (Menachoth das.). Es waren dies Verzierungen an dem Leuchter, die V. 34 noch näher bestimmt sind. Der Leuchter war 18 טפחים (Faust-, Handbreite) hoch. Unmittelbar auf der Basis war eine "Blüte", פרח, aus der sich der Schaft erhob. Basis und Blüte zusammen nahmen 3 טפחי׳ ein. Darauf stieg der Schaft 2 טפחי׳ ohne Verzierung hinauf. Den 6. טפח füllte ein Kelch-, Knauf- und Blütenstand aus. 2 טפחי׳, somit der 7. und 8. ט׳, stiegen wieder glatt hinauf, den 9. טפח bildete ein Knauf, aus dem, wie VV. 32 und 35 beschrieben, zwei Arme rechts und links ausgingen und sich bis zur Höhe des Leuchters erhoben, der 10. ט׳ stieg glatt hinauf, den 11. füllte wieder ein Knauf aus, aus welchem rechts und links zwei Arme bis zur Höhe des Leuchters ausgingen, der 12. ט׳ wieder glatt, den 13. füllte ein dritter Knauf mit zwei Armen aus, der 14. und 15. ט׳ stieg wieder glatt hinauf, den 16., 17. und 18. טפח nahmen drei Kelche, ein Knauf und eine Blüte ein. Auf dem Schaftgipfel ruhte sodann die Lampe נר. — Aus dem den Mittelschaft bildenden Leuchter gingen zu beiden Seiten קנים, Arme, und zwar drei Paare, zusammen sechs Arme hervor; diese Arme erhoben sich zur gleichen Höhe des Mittelschaftes, so dass oben sieben Lampen in paralleler Linie brannten.

וירכה, “its base;” this is a reference to the base of the menorah;” its total height was eighteen handbreadths, of which the base with its three legs took up three handbreadths. We have a hint of its height in Numbers 8,4 where the subject of the menorah is introduced with the word: וזה, “and this was;” the numerical value of the letters in that word is 18.

מקשה תיעשה, “it shall be made of hammered work.” According to Rashi the reason why the word תיעשה here is spelled with an extra letter י in the middle, was in response to difficulties Moses had in understanding how Betzalel would be able to comply with the detailed instructions concerning the candlestick. What puzzled him most of all was that as opposed to all the other furnishings he had not been given a measurement for the height of this candlestick.

תיעשה המנורה [OF BEATEN WORK] SHALL THE CANDELABRUM BE MADE — The passive form used here in contradistinction to the active forms of עשה used throughout this section in connection with the making of the vessels indicates that it shall be made of itself (automatically). Because Moses was puzzled by it (the work of the candlestick), the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Cast the talent of gold into fire and it will be made of itself.” For this reason it does not say here תַּעֲשֶׂה “thou shalt make” (Midrash Tanchuma, Beha'alotcha 3)

ירכה, the wide base (legs) in touch with the floor, upon which the entire lamp stand was erected.

גביעיה, its cups; all these adornments were to be an integral part of the center shaft, so that if any oil spilled from the top it could be absorbed by the decorations each of which was shaped in, the shape of a receptacle. If the highest one of these became full, the excess could be absorbed by the next lower one, etc.

ירכה — the foot (the base) below, which was made in form of a box, three legs coming out from it underneath.

וקנה, a reference to the central shaft from which three subsidiary arms would branch out in either direction.

וקנה — ITS SHAFT — its middle branch that rose from the central point of the base vertically upwards. On it was the middle lamp, made in the form of a cup into which to pour the oil and to put the wick.

גביעיה כפתוריה ופרחיה ממנה יהיו, all of these would emanate from the center shaft. Wherever there was a knob, two relatively thin arms would branch out, one to the right and one to the left. All this is spelled out in verse 35.

גביעיה — They were like that kind of goblets which are made of glass and which are long and slender; in old French they are termed maderins (cf. Rashi on Genesis 44:2). These, however, were made of gold and came out as projections from each branch to the number which Scripture enjoins for them. They were on it for embellishment only.

כפתריה ITS KNOBS — These were like apples, globular, projecting all round the middle branch (shaft), such as are made for candlesticks of princely houses (lit., which stand before the princes), and which are called pommeaux in old French, apple-shaped ornaments. Their number is stated in this section — how many knobs projected from it (the middle branch) and how much was left plain between one knob and the other.

ופרחיה AND ITS FLOWERS — Figures were made on it in the shape of flowers.

ממנה יהיו SHALL BE OF THE SAME — All shall be of beaten work coming out of this block-shaped piece: one must not make them separately and then join them on the branches.