Shabbos Parashas Terumah - 5778

Shabbos Parashas Terumah - 5778

Rabbi Hal Miller

And you shall make a menorah of pure gold [Shemos 25:31-39]

The Torah goes into intricate detail explaining the fashioning of the Menorah. Exact

numbers of flowers and cups, branches, etc., fill some ten verses. The Torah does

not do this for other utensils. What do we learn here that we would not have learned

had it treated the Menorah the way it treated other things?

Rambam summarizes his view: "The Menorah was placed in front of the curtain to

enhance the glory and splendor of the house, for an abode illuminated by a continual

light concealed by a curtain makes a deep psychological impact." Nechama Leibowitz

is troubled by this Rambam, and notes, "He ignores the details of manufacture and

gives no reason why the Torah insists on those details. Sefer HaChinuch follows

Rambam as usual, but mentions that "mystics have discovered profound mysteries

in these matters". Nechama continues from the Rambam, "There was no point in asking

why the Menorah had seven branches and not six. The Torah had to specify one number

or another."

But Rambam is not supported by many others. In fact, Kli Yakar goes so far as to say,

"All our commentators have agreed to seek an inner meaning for these vessels and not

confine themselves to the surface sense. All these details cannot have just been

ordained at random without some deliberate patterning," which certainly does not seem

like the simple understanding of this Rambam, although elsewhere Rambam seems to

acknowledge such allegory.

In Nechama's understanding, Abarbanel rejects Rambam's explication as "very feeble"

and Ralbag's as "tedious and far-fetched". He rejects the philosophical explanations of

Christian scholars: "It was quite unnecessary for G-d to transmit philosophic ideas and

concepts arrived at by direct exercise of the human intellect, through the medium of

the structure of His sanctuary." Abarbanel continues, "we have no alternative but to

assume that they (the details in the verses) have an allegorical meaning over and

above their immediate literal sense." But then, Abarbanel (II Kings with regard to the

Temple) says, "I personally am convinced that it is pointless to look for significance in

every detail of the Tabernacle or Temple's construction, be it the measurements, the

flowers, the cups, and other minutiae. They were merely necessary parts of the construction."

So what side is Abarbanel on? Nechama says that Abarbanel, who objects to Rambam's

"excessive rationalism" and strives to find an allegorical explanation for each and every

item admits that there is a limit to such probing. The dividing line is admittedly a highly

personal, subjective one: "I personally am convinced." So he insists on seeking allegorical

explanation, but not inventing it.

Other commentators find many such allegories on our verses. The Ba'al HaTurim, for

example, says, "The word Menorah is mentioned seven times, corresponding to the seven

heavens", for which he references Chagigah 12b. The Rama in Toras HaOlah, Rav Hirsch,

and the Gra all find specific connotations for each of the numbers. They add the various

parts and come up with 49, then refer to the Menorah itself as the 50th Gate of

Understanding. The Gra explains that to be Moshe's source of puzzlement, and why he

needed a Divine picture of the Menorah--it was a why question rather than a how. Sfas

Emes relates this 50 to the 50 weeks of the lunar year that the Menorah will encompass.

Akeidas Yitzchak sums up the lessons here. "We should look for a reason for every detail

and note how meticulous was the Divine wisdom in its recipe for the construction of the

Menorah. Far be it from our Fashioner to include such detailed descriptions of both the

order to make and the execution thereof in His perfect Torah, just for the sake of beauty

and human adornment." In other words, there may not be any material, logical reasons

for these details, but it is proper for us to look for hidden meanings, here and elsewhere

in the Torah. They are there, but as Abarbanel seems to teach, if we have to look too

deeply, then maybe we would be better off spending our time learning more background

in the Torah before we search again for allegory.