Why the Menorah Stood Outside the Veil in the Tent of Meeting

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Tetzaveh 5:1

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

(Exodus 27:21:) IN THE TENT OF MEETING, OUTSIDE THE VEIL. Let your evil inclination not mislead you, saying that He needs light. See what is written: OUTSIDE THE VEIL, and so forth. The menorah needed only to be placed inside the veil, beside the Ark; yet it is placed outside the veil, to inform you that He does not need light. Why did He tell you to set it up? In order to grant you merit through the light. Another interpretation: By the custom of the world, a king of flesh and blood makes himself a couch and a table, and he sets the menorah to his left. But in the Temple it is not so; rather, the menorah was placed to the right of the table, to inform you that He does not need light from you. Why did He tell you to set it up? To give you light in the world to come, when darkness shall come upon the nations of the world, as it is said (Isaiah 60:2): FOR BEHOLD, DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH, AND THICK DARKNESS THE PEOPLES; BUT THE LORD WILL SHINE UPON YOU, AND HIS GLORY WILL APPEAR OVER YOU.

Themes

World To ComeEvil Inclination

Biblical References

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