(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֵלָ֑יו בְּהַעֲלֹֽתְךָ֙ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹ֔ת אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת׃
(1) The Holy One spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and say to him: ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the menorah.’”
יאירו שבעת הנרות. שִׁשָּׁה שֶׁעַל שֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים, שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמִּזְרָחִיִּים פּוֹנִים לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי — הַפְּתִילוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן — וְכֵן שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמַּעֲרָבִיִּים רָאשֵׁי הַפְּתִילוֹת לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי, וְלָמָּה? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, לְאוֹרָהּ הוּא צָרִיךְ (עי' תנחומא):
יאירו שבעת הנרות shall cast their light: The six on the six branches; the three eastern ones-that is their wicks-facing towards the center one, and likewise, the three western ones, the tops of their wicks facing toward the center one. (Rashi)
(4) This was the form of the menorah: hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower it was hammered work; according to the form that the Holy One had shown Moses, so did he construct the menorah.
מקשה. בטדי"ץ בְּלַעַז, לְשׁוֹן "דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן" (דניאל ה'), עֶשֶׁת שֶׁל כִּכַּר זָהָב הָיְתָה, וּמַקִּישׁ בְּקֻרְנָס, וְחוֹתֵךְ בְּכַשִּׁיל, לְפַשֵּׁט אֵבָרֶיהָ כְּתִקְנָן, וְלֹא נַעֲשֵׂית אֵבָרִים אֵבָרִים עַ"יְ חִבּוּר (עי' ספרא):
hammered work מקשה: There was a block of gold weighing a talent. He pounded it with a hammer, and cut it with a chisel to extend its limbs in the prescribed manner. It was not made limb by limb and then connected together.
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner comments:
"The apparent brokenness, disharmony, and confusion that clutter the universe are illusory. For everything in the world was fashioned by the same Artist...As Menachem Nahum suggested, '...the presence of the Creator can be found in all creation."
One great glistening thread joining all being."
Eyes Remade For Wonder, pages 7-8; https://amzn.to/2AuNdBZ
What keeps us from seeing our One-ness?
What might we have to learn so that we can truly see each other's humanity?
Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu bemitzvotav vitzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.
Blessed are You, Holy One of Blessing, who makes us holy with the commandment of lighting Shabbat candles.
Listen, and feel the beauty of your separation,
the unsayable absence.
There is a moon inside every human being.
Learn to be companions with it.
Give more of your life to this listening.
As brightness is to time,
so you are to the one who talks
to the deep ear in your chest.
I should sell my tongue and buy a thousand ears
when that one steps near and begins to speak.
— Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273)
The Glance: Songs of Soul-Meeting
translated by Coleman Barks
https://amzn.to/3fuwkq5