The Lampstand Beaten From a Single Talent of Gold

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 369:6

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

It was taught: the lampstand and its lamps come from the talent, but its tongs and its fire pans do not come from the talent. Rabbi Nehemiah says: the lampstand comes from the talent, but its lamps, tongs, and fire pans do not come from the talent. On what do they differ? On this verse, for it was taught: "a talent of pure gold shall he make it" (Exodus 25:39); we have learned that the lampstand comes from the talent. Whence to include its lamps? Scripture says, "all these vessels." One might include its tongs and fire pans; Scripture says "it" [excluding them], the words of Rabbi Nehemiah. This raises a contradiction in Rabbi Nehemiah against himself; the answer is that two teachers report differing traditions in Rabbi Nehemiah's name. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha says: the lampstand comes from the talent, but its lamps, tongs, and fire pans do not. Then how do I uphold "all these vessels"? That they all be of gold. But that they are gold is stated explicitly: "and you shall make its seven lamps," and it is written, "and its tongs and its fire pans of pure gold" (Exodus 25:38). The verse is needed only for the rims of the lamps; you might have thought that since the rims of the lamps blacken, the Torah spared the money of Israel and they might be made of anything, so it teaches us otherwise. Rav Huna son of Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav Sheshet: the lamp of the Sanctuary was made in detachable sections. He holds that "talent" and "hammered" are written of the lampstand and its lamps, and since it needed cleaning, it could not be cleaned unless it was in sections. They objected: how did he do it? He removed them, set them in the tent, wiped them with a sponge, put oil in them, and kindled them. This accords with the teaching that the Sages say they would not move it from its place, implying that in principle one could; rather say, it did not move from its place. And who are the Sages? Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Tzadok, who said: a kind of gold plate sat upon it; when he trimmed it he pressed the plate toward its mouth, and when he put in oil he pressed it toward its top. The lampstand Moses made in the wilderness was of gold and hammered, as it is said, "and you shall make a lampstand of pure gold." I might hear that he should make its limbs and attach them; Scripture says, "of one piece shall they be," to include its lamps. "It shall be made" teaches that after the Torah included and excluded, I include its lamps that are made with it and exclude its knobs and flowers that are not made with it.

Themes

TemplePriesthoodCommandments

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