The Menorah
Parsha Pages | February 12, 2024
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The Menorah

Parsha Pages | December 10, 2025

ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE MENORAH

Regarding the menorah, the Mishnah mentions two separate parts - both the seven branches and the seven lamps. The branches refer to the six arms that branch out from the center branch of the menorah, three on each side (see Sefer Shemos 25:32); the lamps are the bowls at the top of each one of the branches that hold the oil and the wicks.

Aside from the branches, the Torah teaches that the menorah was decorated with 22 gevi'im (goblets), 11 kaftorim (balls) and nine perachim (flowers). Shmuel teaches that -

  • The gevi'im looked like Alexandrian cups (Rashi explains: long and narrow; according to the Rambam they were thin at the bottom and wide at the top).
  • Kaftorim looked like apples from the city (or island) of Kartim, which, apparently, were not perfectly round, but were more of an oval shape.
  • The perachim were like the flower decorations on columns.

Regarding the perachim, Rashi explains that these were decorations placed on the side of the branches of the menorah; the Rambam suggests that they were a type of crown that went around each of the branches as decoration.

The Rambam drew a diagram of his understanding of the Menorah although he writes that this is not meant to be an accurate representation, rather a general description. Two points are of particular interest:

  1. The branches are straight, and at an angle, rather than curved.
  2. The gevi'im appear upside-down, with their opening at the bottom and stem at the top.

Although the Gemara concludes that the 22 gevi'im, 11 kaftorim and nine perachim are all essential and if any one of them was missing the menorah was invalid, this was only true for the golden menorah used in the Tabernacle and in the first Temple. When it was made out of other metals these decorations were not essential.

The Menorah should not be made out of sections, and its branches and lamps should not be made piecemeal and welded together. Rather, it should originate in its entirety as a single piece [of gold], which should be hammered and spliced into shape, and the branches bent in either direction.

REMAZIM FROM THE MENORAH

כה,לא וְעָשִיתָ מְנֹרַת זָהָב טָהוֹר מִקְשָה תֵּיעָשֶה הַמְנוֹרָה יְרֵּכָהּ וְקָנָהּ גְבִיעֶיהָ כַפְתֹרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ מִמֶ נָה יִהְיוּ:

The Malbim cites that the Menorah alludes to wisdom and to the Torah. He then brings a wonderous item that the beginning of each sefer of Torah indicates the Menorah:

  • The first Pasuk in Sefer Bereshis has seven words opposite the seven branches of the Menorah
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer Shmos has 11 words opposite the 11 kaftorim
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer VaYikra has 9 words opposite the 9 perachim
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer BeMidbar has 17 words opposite the height of the Menorah (without the one tefach of the base’s leg)
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer Devarin has 22 words opposite the 22 gevi’im

The Malbim says he has not found a source for this but it is logical.

שמות כה,לו: כַפְתֹרֵּיהֶם וּקְנֹתָם מִמֶנָה יִהְיוּ כֻּלָּהּ מִקְשָה אַחַת זָהָב טָהוֹר:

Medrash (Bereshis Rabbah): HaKodesh Baruch Hu said to Moshe to make the Menorah. Moshe responded how should it be made? HaShem provided verbal instructions and visual demonstration. But Moshe still found it difficult and was unable to make it. HaKodesh Baruch Hu told Moshe to go to Betzalel and he would make. Moshe went to Betzalel and asked him to make the Menorah and he immediately made it.

In Lekutei Yehudah he writes that his grandfather the Imrei Emes was bothered for forty years by this Medrash. How is it possible that Moshe Rabeinu, the master prophet find it difficult and Betzalel was able to immediately make the Menorah?

One time the son-in-law of the Imrei Emes had a procedure in the hospital which had complications and he went to the doctor to have the matter explained as to what occurred. The doctor provided two stories. First, the King had a very precious stone in his collection which had a very slight flaw. The King requested the master jewelers to fix the stone. They were all hesitant (perhaps knowing the cost of failure). What did they do? They brought the stone to a competent jeweler who did not know it was the King’s, and he fixed the stone quickly without a problem. The second story occurred when the wife of Napoleon was having trouble with childbirth. All the top doctors refrained from getting involved. So they called a mid-wife who was unaware of the true identity of the mother, and she was successful in having an easy delivery. The doctor explained that he did not treat the son-in-law of the Imrei Emes as a regular patient and due to his agitation did not perform the procedure properly. The Imrei Emes thanked the doctor since he now obtained the understanding of the Medrash that had been bothering him for forty years.

Rabbeinu Efraim on the Torah (one of the Baalei Tosfos) writes that the words כֻּלָּהּ מִקְשָה אַחַת has the Gematria total of 909 alludes to writings of the Rambam since the following words also have a gematria of 909: זהו יסוד רנינו משה בו מימון, since the Ramban was able to place the entire Torah (written and oral) into his set of unified writings. He continues and quotes the end of the Devarim (34,12) alludes to the writings of the Rambam:

  • "לכל היד החזקה" this is the 14 books of the Mishneh Torah
  • "ולכל ממורא הגדול" this is the Moreh haNevuchim
  • "אשר עשה משה" refers to Moshe ben Maimon that they has not been a Tzadik in the past or the future that would provide a creative idea in Torah that has not already been alluded to his writings.

The Chazon Ish relates that the Rambam was able to structure the entire Torah (written, oral, customs, general principles, etc.) into one unified understanding. This was a venture of supra natural proportions that was given as a gift to one who merited as a result of learning Torah lishmah. The Rambam was able to make the Torah “one hammered mass” which is “pure gold.”

Menorah (wisdom) – Shulchan (riches)

R. Yitzchak: One who wants to grow wise should face southwards when praying. One who wants to grow rich should face northwards when praying (Bava Basra 25)

A memory device: (in the Heichal) the Menorah was in the south; the Shulchan was in the north.

ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE MENORAH

Regarding the menorah, the Mishnah mentions two separate parts - both the seven branches and the seven lamps. The branches refer to the six arms that branch out from the center branch of the menorah, three on each side (see Sefer Shemos 25:32); the lamps are the bowls at the top of each one of the branches that hold the oil and the wicks.

Aside from the branches, the Torah teaches that the menorah was decorated with 22 gevi'im (goblets), 11 kaftorim (balls) and nine perachim (flowers). Shmuel teaches that -

  • The gevi'im looked like Alexandrian cups (Rashi explains: long and narrow; according to the Rambam they were thin at the bottom and wide at the top).
  • Kaftorim looked like apples from the city (or island) of Kartim, which, apparently, were not perfectly round, but were more of an oval shape.
  • The perachim were like the flower decorations on columns.

Regarding the perachim, Rashi explains that these were decorations placed on the side of the branches of the menorah; the Rambam suggests that they were a type of crown that went around each of the branches as decoration.

The Rambam drew a diagram of his understanding of the Menorah although he writes that this is not meant to be an accurate representation, rather a general description. Two points are of particular interest:

  1. The branches are straight, and at an angle, rather than curved.
  2. The gevi'im appear upside-down, with their opening at the bottom and stem at the top.

Although the Gemara concludes that the 22 gevi'im, 11 kaftorim and nine perachim are all essential and if any one of them was missing the menorah was invalid, this was only true for the golden menorah used in the Tabernacle and in the first Temple. When it was made out of other metals these decorations were not essential.

The Menorah should not be made out of sections, and its branches and lamps should not be made piecemeal and welded together. Rather, it should originate in its entirety as a single piece [of gold], which should be hammered and spliced into shape, and the branches bent in either direction.

REMAZIM FROM THE MENORAH

כה,לא וְעָשִיתָ מְנֹרַת זָהָב טָהוֹר מִקְשָה תֵּיעָשֶה הַמְנוֹרָה יְרֵּכָהּ וְקָנָהּ גְבִיעֶיהָ כַפְתֹרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ מִמֶ נָה יִהְיוּ:

The Malbim cites that the Menorah alludes to wisdom and to the Torah. He then brings a wonderous item that the beginning of each sefer of Torah indicates the Menorah:

  • The first Pasuk in Sefer Bereshis has seven words opposite the seven branches of the Menorah
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer Shmos has 11 words opposite the 11 kaftorim
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer VaYikra has 9 words opposite the 9 perachim
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer BeMidbar has 17 words opposite the height of the Menorah (without the one tefach of the base’s leg)
  • The first Pasuk in Sefer Devarin has 22 words opposite the 22 gevi’im

The Malbim says he has not found a source for this but it is logical.

שמות כה,לו: כַפְתֹרֵּיהֶם וּקְנֹתָם מִמֶנָה יִהְיוּ כֻּלָּהּ מִקְשָה אַחַת זָהָב טָהוֹר:

Medrash (Bereshis Rabbah): HaKodesh Baruch Hu said to Moshe to make the Menorah. Moshe responded how should it be made? HaShem provided verbal instructions and visual demonstration. But Moshe still found it difficult and was unable to make it. HaKodesh Baruch Hu told Moshe to go to Betzalel and he would make. Moshe went to Betzalel and asked him to make the Menorah and he immediately made it.

In Lekutei Yehudah he writes that his grandfather the Imrei Emes was bothered for forty years by this Medrash. How is it possible that Moshe Rabeinu, the master prophet find it difficult and Betzalel was able to immediately make the Menorah?

One time the son-in-law of the Imrei Emes had a procedure in the hospital which had complications and he went to the doctor to have the matter explained as to what occurred. The doctor provided two stories. First, the King had a very precious stone in his collection which had a very slight flaw. The King requested the master jewelers to fix the stone. They were all hesitant (perhaps knowing the cost of failure). What did they do? They brought the stone to a competent jeweler who did not know it was the King’s, and he fixed the stone quickly without a problem. The second story occurred when the wife of Napoleon was having trouble with childbirth. All the top doctors refrained from getting involved. So they called a mid-wife who was unaware of the true identity of the mother, and she was successful in having an easy delivery. The doctor explained that he did not treat the son-in-law of the Imrei Emes as a regular patient and due to his agitation did not perform the procedure properly. The Imrei Emes thanked the doctor since he now obtained the understanding of the Medrash that had been bothering him for forty years.

Rabbeinu Efraim on the Torah (one of the Baalei Tosfos) writes that the words כֻּלָּהּ מִקְשָה אַחַת has the Gematria total of 909 alludes to writings of the Rambam since the following words also have a gematria of 909: זהו יסוד רנינו משה בו מימון, since the Ramban was able to place the entire Torah (written and oral) into his set of unified writings. He continues and quotes the end of the Devarim (34,12) alludes to the writings of the Rambam:

  • "לכל היד החזקה" this is the 14 books of the Mishneh Torah
  • "ולכל ממורא הגדול" this is the Moreh haNevuchim
  • "אשר עשה משה" refers to Moshe ben Maimon that they has not been a Tzadik in the past or the future that would provide a creative idea in Torah that has not already been alluded to his writings.

The Chazon Ish relates that the Rambam was able to structure the entire Torah (written, oral, customs, general principles, etc.) into one unified understanding. This was a venture of supra natural proportions that was given as a gift to one who merited as a result of learning Torah lishmah. The Rambam was able to make the Torah “one hammered mass” which is “pure gold.”

Menorah (wisdom) – Shulchan (riches)

R. Yitzchak: One who wants to grow wise should face southwards when praying. One who wants to grow rich should face northwards when praying (Bava Basra 25)

A memory device: (in the Heichal) the Menorah was in the south; the Shulchan was in the north.

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Parsha Pages | February 12, 2024