Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 8:4/רמב"ן על במדבר ח׳:ד׳
אוְטַעַם וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה – לִרְמֹז שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְדוֹרוֹת שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מִקְשָׁה, כִּי הוּא מְעַכֵּב בָּהּ. וּלְכָךְ הִזְכִּיר תְּחִלָּה בְּפֵרוּשׁ מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּקְשָׁה, וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁלָּהּ שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהּ קָנִים וְכַפְתּוֹרִים וּגְבִיעִים מְשֻׁקָּדִים. וְהִזְכִּיר זָהָב כִּי כֵן יִהְיֶה מִצְוָה לְדוֹרוֹת לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ, לְרוֹמֵם אֶת בֵּית אֱלֹהֵינוּ. וְהֶחְזִיר מִקְשָׁה הִיא לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין מְעַכֵּב בָּהּ אֶלָּא מִקְשָׁה, לֹא הַזָּהָב, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שְׁאָר יִפּוּיִים שֶׁבָּהּ. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (בהעלתך סא) וּבְמַסֶּכֶת מְנָחוֹת (מנחות כ״ח):
1AND THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE CANDELABRUM, BEATEN WORK OF GOLD. The meaning thereof is to allude [to the law] that throughout all [future] generations the candelabrum must be beaten [and fashioned out of one solid piece of metal], and that this is essential [for the validity of the candelabrum and lighting the lamps therein]. This is why He expressly mentioned at the beginning [that it is to be] beaten work, but did not mention [here] that in the making thereof there should be branches [going out of the candelabrum], knops, and cups shaped like almond-blossoms.30 But He did mention [here that it be of] gold, for it is likewise a commandment for all generations that it be made of gold, in order to glorify the House of our G-d.31 Then He repeated [in the verse before us] it was beaten work, in order to say that it is only [failure to make it] of beaten work that invalidates the candelabrum, but [the requirement] of gold is not [indispensable, since it is valid if made of any metal], and certainly its other embellishments [such as the cups and knops do not invalidate it if they are missing]. And thus have our Rabbis said in the Sifre32 61. and in Tractate Menachoth.33
בוְטַעַם כֵּן עָשָׂה – מֹשֶׁה הַנִּזְכָּר, כִּי הוּא הִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּלִמּוּדָהּ וְעָשָׂה אוֹתָהּ בְּצִוּוּי. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (שם): לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כֵּן עָשָׂה. וְרַשִׁ״י כָּתַב (רש״י על במדבר ח׳:ד׳): כֵּן עָשָׂה - מִי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ, וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה (תנחומא בהעלותך ג) עַל יְדֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ:
2ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH THE ETERNAL HAD SHOWN MOSES, SO ‘HE’ MADE THE CANDELABRUM — that is, Moses mentioned above, for it was he who made efforts to learn about it and directed the making thereof by command. And so the Rabbis have said in the Sifre:32 61. “[This is stated] in order to praise Moses, [by emphasizing] that he made it exactly as the Holy One, blessed be He, told him to make [the candelabrum].” And Rashi wrote: “So he made — [the word ‘he’ refers to] the one who made it [i.e., to whomever it was that made it, and does not refer to Moses]. But a Midrash Agadah2 5. — “Midrash Agadah.” Rabbinic texts on the Five Books of Moses are divided into two classes: “Midrash Halachah” (texts dealing mainly with the legal parts of the Torah), which consist of the Mechilta on the Book of Exodus, Sifra [or Torath Kohanim] on the Book of Leviticus, and Sifre on the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. Another set of texts deal mainly with the narrative, ethical and homiletical aspects of the Scriptures. These comprise two major works — the Midrash Rabbah and Tanchuma. There is in addition a large group of smaller Midrashim that belong to this category. The generic term “Midrash Agadah” includes all this second group of texts. has it: [The subject ‘he’ refers to the Eternal, for] it was made of its own accord [without human intervention], by the Holy One, blessed be He.”