It states (8:4) עד ירכה עד זהב מקשה המנרה מעשה וזה את עשה כן משה את 'ה הראה אשר כמראה הוא מקשה פרחה המנרה. This pasuk teaches us how the menorah should be made from one piece of gold. We wonder why this pasuk is written in this week's parashah. This parashah discusses lighting the menorah, and not its construction. The details of how to build the menorah are discussed in parashas Teruma, so why is this pasuk written here, in parashas Behaloscha?
The Chidushei HaRim zt’l answers that the Torah wants us to know that the light of the menorah is a result of hard work. The light of the menorah represents the spiritual light one can experience when involved in Torah and avodas Hashem. The Torah tells us that this light can be attained when one works hard and invests all his efforts in avodas Hashem. This is because it states in the pasuk ...היא מקשה ...זהב מקשה. Rashi explains that מקשה means "hammered," since the menorah was made from one piece of gold and hammered into shape.
מקשה can also be translated to mean questions. Chazal (Bamidbar Rabba 15:10) say, נתקשה המנורה במעשה משה, “Moshe didn’t understand how the menorah should be made..." He toiled to understand how the menorah should be made but didn’t succeed. Hashem told Moshe to throw the block of gold into a fire, and the menorah came out, ready-made. As Rashi writes (8:4), מעליה נעשית ה"הקב ידי על, “The menorah was made by itself, by Hakadosh Baruch Hu.”
The Chidushei HaRim zt'l explains that Moshe’s toil to understand the menorah brought out its light because the light of avodas Hashem emerges from struggles and toil. Therefore, we shouldn’t be frightened by the toil we encounter in avodas Hashem because these hardships are the gateway to finding the unlimited pleasurable, spiritual light that is there.
There was a soldier in Czar Nicholas's army who would spend a lot of time in the bar. When his money ran out, he gave the bartender his weapons as collateral and said, "When I have money, I will pay you and take back my weapons." But in the meantime, the weapons were at the bar. The problem arose when Czar Nicholas visited the base to check on the soldiers. This soldier carried a large bag, as though it contained his weapon. This wasn't suspicious because many soldiers held their weapons in bags. Overall, the Czar was pleased with the order and discipline he saw in the camp, but then he called over this soldier and asked him to open his bag. It was filled with straw. He was severely punished.
Rebbe Asher of Stolin zy’a repeated this story and asked how Czar Nicholai knew to suspect this soldier. Other soldiers were carrying their bags, but this soldier aroused his suspicion. Why? The answer is that the Czar noticed the ease with which the soldier was carrying his bag. The exertion involved in carrying a heavy sack filled with ammunition was absent, which gave away the secret. Rebbe Asher of Stolin said that we learn a lesson in avodas Hashem from this story. Avodas Hashem requires effort and exertion. If it is too easy, something is off.
