English translation — בהעלותך א

1.

At the beginning of our parshah,

after the verses¹

"When you raise up the lamps, toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light" and "And Aaron did so; toward the face of the menorah he raised up its lamps," etc.

it stands in the verse²

"And this is the work of the menorah: hammered out of gold, from its base to its flower it is hammered out; according to the appearance that the Lord showed Moses, so he made the menorah."

It is known what commentators ask³

: In the first verses of the parshah it speaks, after all, about the command to Aaron how the lighting of the lamps should be,

that "toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light"; about the manner of the work of the menorah it spoke much earlier,

in parshas Terumah⁴

— so what is the connection of the verse "And this is the work of the menorah" to the parshah here?

And since this is a question that is in study in the manner of plain meaning of Scripture,

is not understandable,

why does Rashi not address this in his commentary?

B.

The Ramban⁵

explains that the reason of the verse "And this is the work of the menorah" is "to hint that it is required for generations that it be hammered out, for it is essential for it."

It is, however, still not understood according to Rashi⁶

: also the law that also for generations "made of a single piece" is indispensable,

should seemingly have stood not here,

but⁷

in the earlier portions — in Parshat Terumah or in Parshat Emor⁸?

The Or HaChayim⁹

explains¹⁰,

that the verse comes to warn against an error in the interpretation of the verses: since it says "when you raise up the lamps",

and this means

(according to his interpretation)

that the lamps were not fixed in the branches of the menorah,

they would remove them and afterwards raise them back up onto the menorah¹¹

one might think that so too with the other parts of the menorah, that after the menorah was made there is no obligation that it be "made of a single piece"; and that which it says "made of a single piece" is only at the beginning,

but "afterwards he may do as he pleases"¹²

— therefore the verse adds "and this is the work of the menorah, made of a single piece, etc." that the law of "made of a single piece" applies also later.

One can, however, not explain it this way according to Rashi — because although it can be said that also according to Rashi on the Torah the lamps were not one part with the menorah,

and consequently there is room to say that each time they removed and raised the lamps onto the menorah,

it is, however,

since in the place of the commandment about this in Parshat Terumah it is clear

that the entire menorah must be "hammered out"

(aside from the lamps)

— is]

In the explanation of the verse "Beha'aloscha" Rashi explains in the commentary "because the flame rises it is written regarding their lighting an expression of ascent, that one must light until the flame rises on its own."

One sees,

that Rashi learns the explanation in "Beha'aloscha es ha'neiros" not that one raises the lamps onto the menorah

(because if so, then there is no source for his explanation¹⁴

; the verse speaks

(according to its simple meaning)

about "flame" — "that the flame rises" — and lamps, who mentions them?).

The question remains: why is the verse "And this is the work of etc. mikshah"¹⁵ stated here.

3.

Also one must understand: What is the addition in the portion "Beha'alotecha et ha'nerot el mul penei ha'menorah ya'iru shiv'at ha'nerot"?

The command was already said in Parshas Terumah¹⁶

"Ve'asita et neroteha shiv'ah ve'he'elita et neroteha ve'he'ir al ever paneha"¹⁷.

Furthermore: Since the making of the nerot was in a manner that they turn towards the middle candle,

as Rashi explains in Parshas Terumah¹⁶

"Ve'he'ir al ever paneha — make the six lamps that are at the heads of the branches coming out from its sides turned towards the middle so that the lamps, when you light them, will shine towards its face, their light turned towards the face of the middle branch which is the body of the menorah" — how does a command about this fit at all,

when it is so by itself automatically,

the nerot must be made in this manner as stated regarding the making¹⁸.

And it can be said that Rashi explains that.

He explains "the seven lamps shall give light — six¹⁹

that are on the six branches: the three eastern ones face toward the middle, the wicks in them, and likewise the three western ones, the heads²⁰

<span>of the wicks face toward the middle."</span>

From this, that Rashi changes his wording here "the wicks...

the heads of the wicks" — not like in his commentary in Parshat Terumah "the mouth of the six lamps" — it is understood,

that here there is a special command to Aaron,

that in addition to the fact that the mouths of the six lamps are turned toward the middle²¹,

must²²

Aaron also tilt the wicks²³,

they

<span>should face toward the middle,</span>

from which depends how it will be the "the seven lamps

(from the)

shall give light".

According to this, one must however understand the wording of the verse in our portion "Al mul pnei haMenorah ya'iru shivat haNeirot": since here a command was added in the act of lighting by Aharon,

it should have been stated in the imperative to Aharon "Ta'ir shivat haNeirot",

and not "ya'iru",

that the candles should shine²⁴?

D.

The explanation of this is — with an introduction:

In the portions where it discusses the menorah, one finds a dispute between Rashi and Ramban:

a)

In Parshas Emor²³,

where it states the command "Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron order it from evening to morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually," Rashi says: This is the section of the commandment of the lamps, and the section of Ve'atah Tetzaveh was said only in the order of the work of the Mishkan to explain the need of the menorah.

The Ramban there in Parsha Emor disagrees with Rashi and learns "the need of this portion"

(Parsha Emor)

regarding the kindling of the menorah,

that "there

(in Parsha Tetzaveh)

it did not yet say but 'Aaron and his sons shall arrange it' etc. and it would be understood on the menorah or without a menorah if it breaks or is lost etc. and now²⁶

it said explicitly 'on the pure menorah'²⁷

that they should kindle only on the pure menorah."

D.

E.

According to Rashi, Parsha Emor is the command of the "portion of the commandment of the lamps",

and according to the Ramban, this is a continuation and a detail in the commandment of the kindling of the lamps

(that is in Parsha Tetzaveh),

that it must be specifically on the menorah.

2)

At the beginning of our parshah, Rashi explains: "Why is the section of the menorah juxtaposed to the section of the princes? Because when Aharon saw the dedication of the princes, etc., the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, yours is greater than theirs, for you kindle and prepare the lamps."

The Ramban questions Rashi and learns differently,

that just as the section in Emor is an addition to the section of Ve'atah Tetzaveh

(that the kindling must be specifically upon the menorah),

so too is this section — "And here, when he finished mentioning the erection of the Mishkan, he further completed all the laws of the lamps and commanded that the seven lamps should all be burning for generations toward the face of the menorah,

as he mentioned in the making of the menorah, etc., not without a menorah and not without all of them shining toward the face."

(And so it should also be for generations,

which is why "he did not mention in this section the lighting of the menorah to teach that it should be so in the Temple, etc.")

And accordingly the difference between Rashi and Ramban emerges:

According to Rashi there are three separate sections regarding the menorah: the command in the beginning of Parshat Tetzaveh is a part of the command and order of the work of the Mishkan

(from Parshat Terumah),

In Parshat Emor is "the section of the commandment of the lamps",

and our parshah "Beha'alotecha et ha'nerot" is "the section of the menorah"

(not "the section of the

lamps" — as in Parshat Emor)

But according to the Ramban,

is Parshas Tetzaveh the portion of the mitzvah of the kindling of the lamps,

and the commands in Parshas Emor and in our parshah are both details and completions in the laws of the kindling of the lamps

(that it must be specifically on a menorah,

and they shall shine toward its face).

5.

Based on the above,

there emerges a difference between Rashi and Ramban — also regarding the verse "And this is the work of the menorah, hammered out etc.":

According to the Ramban,

since the content of the parshah

("When you raise up the lamps toward the face of the menorah shall they give light, etc.")

is a continuation "of the laws of the lamps" — the lighting of the menorah,

therefore the conclusion,

the verse "And this is the work of the menorah, hammered out, etc." is a detail and completion in the laws of the lamps — in order to fulfill the commandment of lighting the lamps: just as the lighting must be specifically on a menorah

(and not "without a menorah"),

it must be on a menorah that is "hammered out,"

and if not, this invalidates the lighting of the lamps.

According to Rashi, however,

who calls the parshah "the parshah of the menorah"

(as above),

it turns out,

that the main point in our parshah is about the work of the menorah

(not the lighting of the lamps)

which is stated in the verse "And this is the work of the menorah, hammered out, etc."

64

לק וטי

Talks

It is, however, in need of explanation: the portion speaks indeed ostensibly

(mainly)

not about the menorah itself,

but about the commandment of lighting the lamps,

"toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light"?

Is from this understandable,

that also the matter of "toward the face of the menorah" pertains

(not so to the fulfillment of the commandment of lighting the lamps,

but)

to the very body of the menorah.

6.

The explanation in this:

In the verses in Parshas Terumah,

where it speaks about the making of the Menorah,

_______it says²⁸

"And you shall make a Menorah of pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah be made, its base and its shaft, its cups, its knobs, and its flowers shall be from it."

Afterwards it says in the verse "And six branches coming out of its sides, three branches of the Menorah from its one side and three branches of the Menorah from its second side."

It turns out,

that even though the entire Menorah was "one hammered piece of gold"²⁹

there is nevertheless a difference between the central shaft "the body of the Menorah" and the "six branches": in the body of the Menorah no separate parts were visible,

one clearly saw one vessel,

thing: but not so the six branches, although their making was from the same "piece of

gold"³⁰,

it was nevertheless after the making of the Menorah not openly recognizable how this is one thing with "the body of

menorah".

When, however, Aharon fulfills "When you raise up the lamps, toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light,"

is through this that

All the six lamps light toward the face of the menorah,

opposite the middle lamp,

it becomes apparent not only that this is one menorah,

but that all the lamps are a part of

(and secondary to)

the body of the menorah,

the middle lamp³¹.

It follows accordingly,

that although in practice the command here pertains to the act of lighting of Aaron,

the action of Aaron with the wicks³²

(not an action connected with the making of the menorah — the act in the opening of the lamps),

is however its content and definition pertains

(also)

to the menorah itself³³.

And therefore the verse does not use the term "ta'ir ba'et ha'nerot" in the style of a command to Aharon,

but rather "ya'iru shiv'at ha'nerot",

because the content and definition of "el mul penei ha'menorah" is

(not only a law and commandment in the act of lighting of the person,

but)

a law in the object of the menorah.

And in order to bring out the matter that "el mul penei ha'menorah" is a part of "parashat ha'menorah" — not of "parashat mitzvat ha'nerot" — the verse adds

Here "And this is the work of the menorah, hammered out of gold, from its base to its flower, it is hammered out"; and furthermore: the verse does not enumerate here separately the menorah,

the body of the menorah with its branches, cups, knobs, and flowers as in Parshat Terumah,

but one general expression "the menorah ...

to its flower".

And one can say that this is the precision of the language in Rashi "the body of the menorah entirely and everything attached to it",

because here it does not pertain

(only)

the essential thing that "it is entirely one hammered piece" in the manner of its making

(as in Parshat Terumah),

but rather that everything is a part of the body of the menorah "the body of the menorah and everything attached to it".

7.

At first glance, however, one can ask:

Rashi at the beginning of the parshah explains,

that regarding that "his mind was weak

(of Aharon)

when he was not with them in the dedication, neither he nor his tribe",

the Almighty comforted him "that you light and prepare the lamps".

That means, then, that the parshah speaks mainly about "lighting and preparing the lamps",

how does it fit with the aforementioned that the content of the parshah is

(not the actual act of lighting and preparing of the lamps,

but rather)

"the parshah of the menorah",

which pertains to the body of the menorah?

So the explanation in this is:

Already spoken once at length³⁴

that the word of G‑d "

(your laughter is greater than theirs)

that you kindle and make the lamps burn well" does not mean

(only)

the kindling of the lamps of Aaron in itself

(and that this is greater than the dedication of the altar by the princes)³⁵,

only

It means that what "you kindle and improve the lamps" is a category of the dedication of the menorah: in all those twelve days that the princes brought their offerings for the dedication of the altar — all those twelve days Aaron kindles and improves the lamps,

which is a category of the dedication of the menorah

(and the "great shin" is in several details as explained that³⁴),

And its essence and content of the matter of the dedication is not so much the action of the work,

the

(offering and)

kindling of the person,

but rather what he effects the completion of the deed and the sanctity of the object — the menorah,

which makes possible the continuation of the work — kindling and improving of the menorah — in completeness.

8.

The explanation in the inwardness of the matters:

The³⁶

soul is called a candle,

as it is said³⁷

<span> The candle of God is the soul of man,</span>

so the collective of the souls of Israel is called a menorah,

in which in the menorah there are seven candles,

which are the seven levels in the service of God.

So in this there are two matters³⁸

: as the souls of Israel are from the aspect of their root,

where "all of them are compatible and one Father to all of them"³⁹,

they all stand in inclusion and in unity,

until also all Jews are one thing⁴⁰.

Afterwards,

after each soul is drawn from the root,

each Jew becomes an existence in and of himself,

separate from the other,

each one

of them possesses his particular virtues, and in accordance with this is his mission "I was created to serve my Creator"⁴¹.

"And this was the work of the menorah, hammered out of gold, from its base to its flower it was hammered out" — shows⁴²

the unity of Jews as they stand in their root — "one hammered piece of pure gold",

they stand in complete unity,

without division of levels among them⁴³.

Afterwards they are divided into seven separate branches,

seven separate modes in the service of G‑d.

And⁴²

The verse says: "When you raise up the lamps,"

How should it be when each lamp, the soul of man, does its particular service?

— It must be in the manner of "toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light,"

It should be evident also openly that each one's particular service is not a matter in itself,

Rather they are all connected; in each one it is evident that the essence and content of his particular service — is the general point of "

(I was created)

to serve my Maker"⁴¹,

which shines equally in every manner of service.

9.

And in this itself there are two manners: whether "and this is the work of the menorah, hammered out of gold" pertains to a detail in the kindling of the lamps

(according to the opinion of the Ramban),

or conversely — that "toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light etc." completes and perfects the work of the menorah

(as according to the opinion of Rashi).

In the action of Aaron regarding the souls of Israel — "When you raise up the lamps" — there is as it is according to the simple meaning and as this is according to its inner dimension and purpose:

<span>Rashi,</span>

whose subject is the simple meaning of the verse, explains the action of Aaron of "When you raise up the lamps"

(according to its simple meaning),

that he effects among the souls of Israel that each individually should ascend,

to draw themselves to their root and source,

which is the level of Aaron — the groomsman of the Matronita⁴⁴

<span> — who elevates the souls of Israel to their root and source</span>⁴⁵,

where there they stand in the manner of "one hammered piece."

It comes out,

that the action of lighting is its content the elevation to the aspect of "mikshah".

Therefore Rashi teaches that the main subject in our parshah is "the portion of the menorah" — the making of the menorah,

d.

h.

That which the menorah is in the manner of "mikshah",

and the lighting of the menorah in the manner of "toward the face of the menorah" is a part of "mikshah",

this completes the unity of the "mikshah" that is in the making of the menorah.

Ramban however,

whose commentary is not only "simple meanings" but also "pleasant words for those who know grace"⁴⁶

— secrets of the Torah — his commentary is in accordance with the inwardness and purpose of the raising of the lights that were done by Aaron: the ultimate purpose of the raising of the souls of Israel is indeed in order to make

(make)

a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He, in the lower realms⁴⁷,

specifically

In this lower world,

the place of the public domain,

is from this understandable,

that the purpose of the Miksheh — the unity of Jews as they are from their root and source — is to draw down this unity

(also)

into the place where the souls stand in division into seven separate candles,

separate modes of service,

that also there the unity should be drawn from

their root³⁸

which is expressed in the phrase "toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light."

And accordingly, it emerges that according to the Ramban, the main thing here is the lighting,

but in order that the lighting be proper,

this is through that in the lighting the unity of "from a single piece" is evident,

which is from the essence of the soul.

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Beha'aloscha 5730)