​Parashat Beha’alotecha 5786, 2026: "By the Light of the Menorah"

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The menorah is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Judaism. Little wonder, then, that nearly every synagogue in the world contains some representation of this sacred object. On measure, it seems that the menorah of the Beit HaMikdash, perhaps more than any other, has captured the heart and soul of our people.
 
The beginning of our parasha discusses the kohan’s daily mitzvah to light the menorah:
Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to Aharon and say to him: “When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the Menorah.” Aaron did so; he lit the lamps toward the face of the Menorah, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. (Sefer Bamidbar 8:1-3, this, and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The next pasuk presents a brief description of the physical aspects of the menorah: “This was the form of the Menorah: hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower it was hammered work; according to the form that Hashem had shown Moshe, so did he construct the Menorah.” (8:4) The final words of this pasuk, “so did he construct the Menorah,” are difficult to interpret, since we do not know to whom “he” refers.
 
The Ramban (1194-1270), was one of the many Torah commentators who wrestled with the meaning of our phrase. Based in part on the principle of proximity of language (s’michut), the Ramban, in his Commentary on the Torah on our verse, determined that Moshe constructed the menorah, since his name was mentioned immediately prior to our indeterminate phrase. Most students of Tanach however, know that while Moshe was our teacher, the humblest person who ever lived, and the greatest prophet of all time, he is never referred to as an artisan with the requisite skills to create something as intricate as the menorah. Therefore, the Ramban, based on the Midrash Sifrei on Sefer Bamidbar, suggests that Moshe learned how to construct the menorah based upon extensive study and yeoman efforts:

He applied himself assiduously in its study [that is the menorah] and he made it according to the mitzvah he had been commanded. So did they state in the Sifrei: “To make known to us the praise that Moshe deserved, for just like the Holy One Blessed be He had spoken to him, so did he do.” (Sefer Bamidbar 8:4, translation and brackets my own)
 
In notable contrast, Rashi (1040-1105) explains the phrase, “so did he construct the Menorah,” as referring to Bezalel, the chief artisan of the mishkan: “that is, the one who made it [namely, Bezalel].” Rashi's suggestion is straightforward. Moreover, in some ways it is the most logical explanation, since the menorah’s construction is viewed within the context of the overall building of the mishkan. As such, since the Torah explicitly tells us that Bezalel was the chief architect of the mishkan (Sefer Shemot 31:1-5), he would have been the most likely person to have planned, designed, and construct the menorah. His renowned God-given talents made him the perfect candidate for this holy and challenging task.
 
Fascinatingly, both Rashi and the Ramban offer a third candidate as the creator of the menorah. In Sefer Shemot 25:31 we read: “And you shall make a Menorah of pure gold. The Menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.” The Hebrew word employed for “shall be made” is “taiasah,” instead of the expected “ta’aseh.” The first expression is passive and reflexive, whereas the second one is active. Rashi formulates the significance of this grammatical change in this way:
​
The Menorah shall be made: By itself. Since Moshe found difficulty with it [that is, understanding how to create the Menorah], the Holy One, blessed is He, said to him, “Cast the talent [equivalent to sixty-four pounds of gold] into the fire, and it will be made by itself.” Therefore, it is not written: ta’aseh but taiasah. (Based upon Midrash Tanchuma, Beha’alotecha III, underlining my own)
 
The Ramban closely follows Rashi’s explanation. Consequently, he explains the above-stated passage as referring directly to Hashem: “[The menorah] was created via the Holy One blessed be He, by itself.” Therefore, according to the midrash, Rashi and the Ramban, the designer of the menorah was none other than the Creator Himself!
 
Neither Rashi nor the Ramban develop the previously mentioned notion any further. I would like, however, to build on their analysis, and note that it is very significant that Hashem, rather than man, was the artisan of the menorah; for after all, one of its major functions was to bring light to the mishkan and allow the kohanim to operate with a newfound vision of hope and purpose. In addition, just as the Torah’s purpose is to bring spiritual light and meaning to the world, so, too, did the menorah bring physical light to the Jewish people and, by extension, all mankind. As Shlomo Hamelech taught us so long ago: “Ki ner mitzvah v’Torah ohr--For a commandment is a candle, and the Torah is light.” (Sefer Mishle 6:23). The midrash’s explanation of Hashem as the creator of the menorah, therefore, leads us to view it, in the post-Eigel HaZahav world, as the ultimate symbol of reconciliation between the Hashem and our people. Our relationship is, once again, shalame (complete), for at long last, the golden menorah signifies our complete kapporah for the horrific excesses of the Golden Calf.
 
With Hashem’s help, may the Beit HaMikdash be rebuilt soon and, in our days, and may we be zocheh to bask in the divine light of the menorah for evermore. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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