The Midrash, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 15, tells us that crafting the menorah was uniquely challenging for Moses. More so than any other object in the Tabernacle! Can you picture it? Moses, the great leader, the one who spoke to God face-to-face, struggling with a lamp.
The text paints a vivid picture. It wasn't just the menorah, either. There were other instances where God had to show Moses explicitly what to do. Think about identifying kosher animals. "This is the beast that you shall eat," God says in Leviticus 11:2, and "this you shall not eat" (Leviticus 11:4), pointing, as it were, to the specific features. The same with determining the new moon, "This month is for you" (Exodus 12:2).
But the menorah... ah, the menorah. The verse in Numbers 8:4 reads, "This is the crafting of the candelabrum, hammered [miksha] gold." The Midrash emphasizes the word kasha, "how difficult!" It was incredibly hard work for Moses.
So what did God do? Did He give Moses a detailed instruction manual? Nope. Instead, He told him to take a talent of gold – a massive amount – and throw it into the fire. "Take a gold talent, cast it into the fire, remove it, and it will be crafted on its own," God says. The idea is that "Its knobs and its flowers, its cups, and its shaft 'were from it'" (Exodus 37:17). He would strike with the hammer and it would be crafted on its own.
This is where it gets really interesting. Exodus 25:31 says, "Hammered it shall be crafted [tei’aseh]." But the Midrash points out that the word tei’aseh, "it shall be crafted," is written with a missing yod in some versions. The yod is a Hebrew letter, and its absence here suggests something profound: "it shall be crafted on its own." Moses simply had to trust.
So, Moses throws the gold into the fire and says, "Master of the universe, the talent is in the fire. Just as You will it, so it will be crafted." And immediately, the menorah emerges, perfectly formed.
That's why Numbers 8:4 doesn't say, "So Moses crafted the candelabrum." It says, "So was it made" – without elaboration. According to the Midrash, God Himself crafted it.
And here's the kicker: God tells Moses that if the Israelites are careful to kindle the lamps before Him, He will protect their souls from all evil. Because, as Proverbs 20:27 says, "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord." Souls, like lamps, need tending, need kindling.
So, what does it all mean? Maybe it's a reminder that even the greatest among us face challenges that seem insurmountable. Maybe it's about trusting in a power greater than ourselves, letting go, and allowing things to unfold as they should. And perhaps, most importantly, it's about recognizing the sacredness of our own souls and the importance of keeping that inner light burning bright.