“You shall make the Menorah out of pure gold...” (25:31)
The last of the vessels of the Holy Temple described by the Torah is the Menorah, and yet visually it was the most striking. Although its esoteric and mystical meanings are virtually without end, on the simplest level it expressed the majesty of the Holy Temple. It was made of pure gold and its lamps burned constantly. When entering the Holy Temple, one would be awed by its splendor.
It was placed in the outer chamber of the Holy Temple so that it would be impressive and inspiring to all who entered. But its placement in the outer chamber also conveyed another, more subtle message. The Torah, in the Holy Ark, in the Holy of Holies, needed no light. The Torah is its own light. Both the Hebrew word “Torah” and its Aramaic counterpart “Orayasa” contain the same root word, “Ohr,” which means “light.” This emphasizes that the true source of light in this world is the Torah.
