005 —וזה מעשה המנורה

VeZeh Maaseh HaMenorah Mikshah Zahav Ad Yerechah Ad Pirchah.^[1]

The Menorah is called Knesses Yisrael, which is the sanctity of the collective Jewish people. As explained in the Menoras Zecharyah: "Have you not known what these are... and he answered... this is the word of Hashem"^[2]. The Menorah is "the word of Hashem," which is "by the word of Hashem the heavens were made," giving life to all worlds. It is Knesses Yisrael, so called because it gathers within itself the aspect of Elokus called Yisrael, which is Sovev Kol Almin. As it is written: "And he called him El Elokei Yisrael"^[3]. It includes all souls, from the greatest tzaddikim to those of lesser stature. Therefore, it is written: "To Zerubavel," a person confused between good and evil. The seed of man and the seed of animal—one who makes himself like an animal, following after pleasant speech. Regarding this, the verse says: "VeZeh Maaseh HaMenorah"—whoever wishes to leave the state of evil and make himself into a Menorah should do as follows:

"Mikshah"—at first it was a round talent (of gold), and Rashi explains: "It was a block of a talent of gold, and he would strike it with a hammer, etc., to spread out its limbs." By striking with the hammer, the upper gold descends below and the lower rises above, until all the gold is mixed and nullified from its original form. So too, a person must break his character traits so that they are nullified from their form. As it says: "Nullify your will before His will"^[4]. What is above becomes below and is mixed together, and so on.

Afterwards, the verse says: "Zahav"—he should reach the level of gold, which is awe. Silver is love, from the word "nichsafah" (longing), longing to cleave to its source, to be illuminated by the light of life. This is called hidden love, which is always in the heart of every Jew, as explained elsewhere. Gold is awe: "MiTzafon Zahav Ya'aseh" (from the north comes gold)^[5]. For this, one needs contemplation on the greatness of the Infinite One, blessed be He, how He fills all worlds, and before Him all is as nothing—then he will fear and be ashamed before the greatness of the Infinite One, blessed be He.

Therefore, the Men of the Great Assembly instituted prayer with Pesukei DeZimra. Biblically, one only needs Shema and a little prayer, as in the First Temple, when their intellect was clear as the heavens all day, to see and understand the wonders of the Infinite One, blessed be He. But the Men of the Great Assembly at the start of the Second Temple saw that intellect had diminished and hearts had become more material, seeing only the physical. Therefore, they instituted prayer and its blessings, which are all praises of G-d many times, so that one reaches the level of awe.

This is "Refidato Zahav"^[6]—just as one who arranges a bed sets and places each thing in its place, so too, one who arranges the praises of G-d gives a place to every word of Hashem that was created for His glory, to find His greatness.

There are seven types of gold in the beard. David is the fourth leg of the Merkavah, the aspect of Elokus called "Malchuscha Malchus Kol Olamim" (Your kingdom is the kingdom of all worlds). The beard is called the drawing down from intellect. There are seven types of intellect in the aspect of David mentioned above, which can reach the level of gold, which is awe. This is "Shiv'ah Kanin HaYotzim Min HaMenorah" (seven branches coming out from the Menorah), which are the seven days of building. Each one includes ten, which are the seventy souls of Yaakov.

There are seventy roots in the souls of Israel. Each Jew is attached to one of the seventy roots, which are included in the seven. He can reach the level of gold through one of the seven aspects, to be "Refidato Zahav." His heart will be ignited with revealed fiery passion, which is hot and dry. But the love mentioned above cannot be grasped without the aspect of cold and moist water.

Ad Yerechah Ad Pirchah. The "yerech" is the lower leg, and the "perach" are the upper blossoms; all together are called Menorah. Among the great tzaddikim, called "perach" because their Torah and prayer blossom upward through awe and love, which are wings for ascent, as explained in the Zohar.

Even the leg is truly a Menorah, as long as it is pure gold without alloy. As it says in another verse: "Mikshah Achas Zahav Tahor"^[7]. For if the gold has an alloy of another kind, its appearance changes to greenish. So too, through evil, it changes. The sign of sin is jaundice^[8]. One must completely turn away from evil.

This means to believe in the morning: "Chadashim LaBkarim"^[9]—that each day the world is renewed. As it says: "HaMechadesh BeTuvo Bechol Yom Tamid Maaseh Bereishis" (Who in His goodness renews each day the work of creation), that it is truly created from nothing to something. And today, too, it is newly formed. Like Adam HaRishon—certainly one would fear and be ashamed to rebel against His glory, and would not want to be in the world of nothingness. Even in physical sight, we see every day the act of creation: first the darkness of night, then the light of the sun for the day. This is "Bechol Yom Avarechecha" (Every day I will bless You), for in seeing that "He rolls away light... and darkness before light" each day, I recognize to bless You.

And a person should not say that it is impossible for him to separate from evil and desires that have become rooted in prohibition. For this we say in prayer: "Emes MiMitzrayim Ge'altanu Hashem Elokeinu"—Mitzrayim is called "ervas haaretz," meaning attachment to desires in one's thoughts. The evil surrounds him, and he cannot leave or divert his mind from them. This is the aspect of Mitzrayim, from which one cannot escape except by the will of Hashem.

This is "Nashim Mashlu Vanu"—"nashim" in plural, whether in permitted or forbidden matters, then Hashem takes him out of Mitzrayim. For how does a Jewish person come to the level of Mitzrayim? They are called children to the Omnipresent, and their nature is to do the will of their Father in Heaven.

But it is from Him, may He be blessed, that He gave the evil inclination (as it says: "Asher Hare'osi..."^[10]), just as the exile of Egypt was through a cycle. Hashem cycled with our ancestors until He brought them, etc.

Therefore, it is written: "VaAnochi Netaticha Sorek Kulah Zera Emes"^[11]. Even when a person falls, G-d forbid, to desires in the aspect of "sorek" (twistedness), in crookedness—still, all is seed of truth. He can change and make from this a "segulah," a treasure from all the nations. So it was in Egypt. Hashem said: "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up." "Anochi"—I Myself will go down, and I will also bring you up. Hashem helps him. "Gam aleh"—the aspect of "also" will be for him an ascent.

(See what is written in the discourse "Vayaas Moshe Nachash Nechoshes" regarding the meaning of "Gam Zu LeTovah.")

This is "Emes MiMitzrayim Ge'altanu," for all is seed of truth, as above. Therefore, "MiMitzrayim Ge'altanu Hashem Elokeinu"—the redemption is that Hashem becomes our G-d. "MiBeis Avadim"—from the house of slaves, enslaved to desires: "Pedisanu"—You have redeemed us.

And how was the redemption? "Kol Bechoreihem Haragta"—for in the world, the firstborn is called "peter kol rechem" (the opener of every womb)—the first. So too in the soul, it is the intellect: "Reishis Chochmah" (the beginning of wisdom).

This is "Kol Bechoreihem"—the intellects of Egypt, each one wants to establish his will through his intellect: "Haragta"—that it should fall from its level and will, which is called death. "UBechorcha Yisrael"—the intellect is Elokus, to contemplate the greatness of the Infinite One, blessed be He, in prayer. This is called "mitah" (bed) in the holy Zohar.

In prayer, there is a bed, a throne, a Menorah, and a table. (See Zohar, volume 2, 44a, 133a.) "Refidato Zahav"—

"Ge'altanu"—that it should not be by chance^[12], due to an obstacle^[13]—for that is still exile. But the redemption and freedom from the bondage of livelihood is that nothing should prevent prayer. For without prayer, it is impossible to turn away from evil.

Therefore, they instituted confession every day in prayer. Before prayer, when one contemplates his lowliness—that he is in Egypt—and contemplates the greatness of the Infinite One, blessed be He, he will surely regret the evil. And in prayer, there will be verbal confession. Then there will be: "Menorah Achas Zahav Tahor"—its leg and blossom will be one Menorah.

But the main thing is that there must be complete unity with one another, not looking at the faults of one's fellow, etc. This is knowing that above there is a Menorah of one piece, where the upper descends below and the lower rises above.

The evil sometimes descends below and enters a wicked person, and conversely, the performance of a mitzvah by a wicked person sometimes ascends above and takes another's place.

Each person should attribute the deficiency to himself, and his own good may actually be from another who has ascended above. The evil of others may be his own that has descended below. Then truly the leg and the blossoms will be one, as each one considers himself the leg and his fellow the blossom, and vice versa.

Then Aharon the Kohen can kindle a flame in all seven lamps. He is the Kohen Gadol, abundant in kindness, in whom all kindnesses reside—he can draw from great love to everlasting love. Then, naturally, his inner self will be filled with love, with revealed passion like fiery coals, etc.

This is "BeHa'aloscha Es HaNeiros"—that Aharon should elevate them.

Summary

The Menorah represents the unity and spiritual elevation of the Jewish people. Through breaking negative traits, cultivating awe and love for G-d, and fostering unity, one becomes a pure Menorah, able to illuminate oneself and others. True redemption comes from inner transformation and connection to the Divine.