Rabbi Levi bar Rabbi says: A pure candelabrum descended from Heaven, as the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Craft a candelabrum of pure gold” (Exodus 25:31). He said to Him: ‘How shall we craft it?’ He said to him: “The candelabrum shall be crafted hammered” (Exodus 25:31). Nevertheless, Moses encountered difficulty.
He descended and forgot its crafting. He ascended and said ‘how shall we craft it?’ He said to him: “The candelabrum shall be crafted hammered.” Nevertheless, Moses encountered difficulty.
He descended and forgot. He ascended and said: ‘My Master, I forgot it.’ He showed it to Moses but he still encountered difficulty with it. He said to him: “See and craft” (Exodus 25:40), until He took a candelabrum of fire and showed him its crafting.
Nevertheless, it was difficult for Moses. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Go to Betzalel and he will craft it.’ He said to Betzalel and he crafted it immediately. He wondered and said: ‘I, several times the Holy One blessed be He showed it to me, but I encountered difficulty in crafting it.
But you, who did not see, crafted it on your own. Betzalel, were you standing in God’s shadow [betzel el] when the Holy One blessed be He showed me its crafting?’ That is why, when the Temple was destroyed, the candelabrum was sequestered. This is one of the five items that was sequestered: The Ark, the candelabrum, the fire, the Divine Spirit, and the cherubs.
When the Holy One blessed be He will, in His mercy, rebuild His Temple and His Sanctuary, He will restore them to their place to bring joy to Jerusalem, as it is stated: “Wilderness and wasteland will be glad; the desert will rejoice” (Isaiah 35:1); “It will blossom and rejoice” (Isaiah 35:2).