"And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst." (Shemot 25:8)
The Human Body as a Sanctuary Housing the Soul (the Menorah)
The expression "I will dwell in their midst" can be understood as "within each person." The plain sense of the verse suggests that every human being possesses a sanctuary within. Thus our Sages taught in the Gemara (Taanit 11a): "A person should always see themselves as if a sacred Presence dwells within them," as it is written: "for the Holy One is in your midst" (Hoshea 11:9).
Therefore, it is appropriate to interpret that in the craftsmanship of the Menorah, there is an allusion to the soul residing within the body. That is: the human being as a whole is like a Sanctuary, and the soul is comparable to the Menorah.
"You shall make a Menorah of pure gold": This alludes to the soul, which is pure and is compared to gold. Just as gold was not created for common use, but exclusively for the Beit Hamikdash (Bereshit Rabbah 16:2), likewise it was not fitting for the body – which is matter and dust – to utilize the soul, which is a Divine portion from on High.
"Of one piece shall the Menorah be made, its base and its shaft": The soul comes into the world to exert effort, for "man is born for toil" (Iyov 5:7), and through that effort, one receives their reward. Whether in physical matters and those of this world – represented by the base, the lower part – or in matters of the World to Come – represented by the shaft, the principal part – everything is of one piece. As our Sages said: "If someone says: 'I did not exert myself and [yet] I found,' do not believe him" (Megillah 6b). Effort is always necessary, and only through it is the reward attained.
"Its cups, its knobs, and its flowers shall be out of it": Our Sages taught (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12) that Israel is divided into four groups:
- Those who possess Torah and mitzvot are like the etrog (citron), which has taste and aroma.
- Those who possess Torah but not mitzvot are like the lulav (palm branch), which has taste but no aroma.
- Those who possess mitzvot but not Torah are like the haddas (myrtle), which has aroma but no taste.
- Those who possess neither Torah nor mitzvot are like the aravah (willow), which has neither taste nor aroma.
These four groups are hinted at here:
- The cups represent those who have Torah but not mitzvot; there were twenty-two cups in the Menorah, alluding to the twenty-two letters of the Torah.
- The knobs, similar to apples – as Rashi explains – have taste and aroma, representing those who possess both Torah and mitzvot.
- The flowers have aroma but no taste, representing those who possess mitzvot but not Torah.
These three groups perfect the soul and make it worthy of the light of Life. In contrast, those who possess neither Torah nor mitzvot are not mentioned, as they contribute no rectification. (Zera Shimshon, Parshat Terumah, Art. 12)
