Parshat Terumah gives us a very detailed description of what
the Menorah should look like. Is there any significance to all of the details-
the seven lamps, the six branches, the three almond shaped cups on each branch
etc?
Although we don’t know God’s reason for all of these
details, some will try to find allegorical interpretations while others will
say that it is not even worth trying to guess.
Abravanel explains: I personally am convinced that it is
pointless to look for significance in every detail of the Tabernacle or
it as measurements, the flowers, the cups and other minutiae. They were merely
necessary parts of the construction.
Abravanel does, however, explain the allegorical significance
of the articles in the Mishkan: There are two kinds of reward: material- wealth
and honor- corresponding to the table and showbread and the reward for wisdom
and attaining greater spiritual heights- the Menorah symbolized this. The Lamp
of the Lord is the soul of man. The seven lamps symbolize the seven degrees of
wisdom to be found in the Divine law. All the lamps turned inwards to the
middle one, towards the Holy of Holies symbolizing that true wisdom must
harmonize with the fundamentals of the Torah, housed in the ark. The Menorah
was made of pure gold implying that wisdom must not be tainted by alien ideas.
The cups, knops and flowers symbolize the various sciences which branch out
from each other. It was “beaten work” out of one piece, symbolizing that all
the various types of sciences have one common source.
You could say that Abravanel believed in Torah U’Mada, a
term coined by
Torah and the sciences can coexist.
Rambam says that 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.
Rambam is not paying attention to the details but he is
still teaching us what can be learned from the Menorah and curtain in a more
general way.
Although we may never understand the details that went into
making the Mishkan and even though we don’t have the Beit HaMikdash or vessels
today, as we hope and pray that the Third Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt
speedily in our day, the idea of the Menorah can teach us about spirituality
and the importance of bringing light into the world.
