(31) You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, buttons, and flowers shall be of one piece. (32) Six branches shall issue from its sides; three branches from one side of the lampstand and three branches from the other side of the lampstand. (33) On one branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with buttons and petals, and on the next branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with buttons and petals; so for all six branches issuing from the lampstand. (34) And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with buttons and petals: (35) a button, of one piece with it, under a pair of branches; and a button, of one piece with it, under the second pair of branches, and a button, of one piece with it, under the last pair of branches; so for all six branches issuing from the lampstand. (36) Their buttons and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single hammered piece of pure gold.
תיעשה המנורה. מֵאֵלֶיהָ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מִתְקַשֶּׁה בָהּ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה הַשְׁלֵךְ אֶת הַכִּכָּר לָאוּר וְהִיא נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ, לְכָךְ לֹא נִכְתַּב תַּעֲשֶׂה (תנחומא):
תיעשה המנורה [OF BEATEN WORK] SHALL THE CANDELABRUM BE MADE — The passive form used here in contradistinction to the active forms of עשה used throughout this section in connection with the making of the vessels indicates that it shall be made of itself (automatically). Because Moses was puzzled by it (the work of the candlestick), the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Cast the talent of gold into fire and it will be made of itself.” For this reason it does not say here תַּעֲשֶׂה “thou shalt make” (Midrash Tanchuma, Beha'alotcha 3)
(6) גביעיה — They were like that kind of goblets which are made of glass and which are long and slender; in old French they are termed maderins (cf. Rashi on Genesis 44:2). These, however, were made of gold and came out as projections from each branch to the number which Scripture enjoins for them. They were on it for embellishment only.
Zechariah, like Haggai and Malachi, was a prophet of the Persian period. He prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile around 520 BC when the Persian Empire was ruling the world. Each of these prophets encouraged the Jews to continue the work of God and rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah begins his message reminding the Jews that the captivity had been a result of their own disobedience, and God rebuked their fathers as well. Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed his plan for the history and future of the world, showing that he is ultimately in control and he will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham. The city of Jerusalem is seen as a city so wonderful and prosperous that it needed to be enlarged in order to contain all the people (Zechariah 2). In the vision of Joshua the high priest Zechariah saw him in filthy rags, which was no doubt the nation of Israel repenting and receiving their Messiah and being cleansed of their sins (Zechariah 3). Other visions reveal the coming judgment of God, and his victory over sin, and everything is about the Messiah and his coming. Zechariah prophesied about the nations that oppressed Israel, there be a time of destruction and later they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem.
And he answered: As you have seen that the menorah was created without any human intervention, organised and with oil in them, so too the building of the temple will not be created through the strength of man, but with the spirit of G-d, and with his will.
The 'Spirit' of Knowledge
(א) וַיָּ֕שָׁב הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי כְּאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֵע֥וֹר מִשְּׁנָתֽוֹ׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה ויאמר [וָאֹמַ֡ר] רָאִ֣יתִי ׀ וְהִנֵּ֣ה מְנוֹרַת֩ זָהָ֨ב כֻּלָּ֜הּ וְגֻלָּ֣הּ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֗הּ וְשִׁבְעָ֤ה נֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ שִׁבְעָ֤ה וְשִׁבְעָה֙ מֽוּצָק֔וֹת לַנֵּר֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ׃ (ג) וּשְׁנַ֥יִם זֵיתִ֖ים עָלֶ֑יהָ אֶחָד֙ מִימִ֣ין הַגֻּלָּ֔ה וְאֶחָ֖ד עַל־שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ׃ (ד) וָאַ֙עַן֙ וָֽאֹמַ֔ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי׃ (ה) וַ֠יַּעַן הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּי֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הֲל֥וֹא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־הֵ֣מָּה אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃ (ו) וַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֚ה דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
(1) The angel who talked with me came back and woke me as a man is wakened from sleep. (2) He said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl above it. The lamps on it are seven in number, and the lamps above it have seven pipes; (3) and by it are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and one on its left.” (4) I, in turn, asked the angel who talked with me, “What do those things mean, my lord?” (5) “Do you not know what those things mean?” asked the angel who talked with me; and I said, “No, my lord.” (6) Then he explained to me as follows: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit—said the LORD of Hosts.
This is not like an interpretation of a wise man who would understand from the dream that this is its interpretation. It is also not like the interpretation of the magicians of Pharaoh that know from the spirit world what was said to him in a dream. Rather he knows this interpretation through spiritual holy knowledge (Ruach Hakodesh).
(30) And Moses said to the Israelites: See, the LORD has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. (31) He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft
The "spirit" that energises - Leadership
(21) And everyone whose heart carried him and everyone whose spirit moved him came, bringing to the LORD his offering for the work of the Tent of Meeting and for all its service and for the sacral vestments.
There are two ways in which a person can give a donation. The first is one who donates because he is anxious if he doesn't give like every one of his colleagues, and that will be embarrassing. This is called "whose heart carried him". However, there are those who donate because their intellect and good-naturedness suggest that they should do this. This is called someone "whose spirit moved him".
[BUT MY SERVANT CALEB, BECAUSE HE HAD] ANOTHER SPIRIT [WITH HIM] — The word “another’ suggests that he was filled with a twofold spirit — the one to which he gave utterance (lit., one in his mouth), and another which he concealed in his heart. To the spies he said, “I am with you in your counsel”, whilst in his heart he had the intention to tell the truth, and it was only on this account that he possessed the power to silence them (the people), as it is said, (Numbers 13:30) “And Caleb silenced [the people concerning Moses]” (cf. Rashi on that verse), for they thought that he would say the same as themselves (as the spies). It is this that is alluded to in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 14:7) where it states that Caleb said “And I brought him (Moses) word again as it was in my heart” — but not as it was in my mouth (i.e. not what I had said to the spies) (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 10).
(24) The woman bore a son, and she named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the LORD blessed him. (25) The spirit of the LORD first moved him in the encampment of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
The two purposes of Light:
Rabbi Shimshon Refael Hirsch
'Candles' and light' are representative of the source of spiritual enlightenment. To cause light means to provide spiritual and cognitve enlightenment.
We find in many places that 'candles' and 'light' are used as parables for the source of growth and life, sprouting and growth, progress and wealth...
The second essential principle of light is movement, in the understanding of energy which characterises organic and spiritual development and expansion. Light lights up life and it also causes life....
Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch:
If we introspect about the external shape of the Menorah, we see immediately that its appearance - with its base which is adorned with flowers, the middle stem and the branches that extend from the sides with the cups in the shapes of almonds and buttons (which have the shape of apples) - has an immediate comparison to an organic tree which grows upwards from its stem, and is elevated to become the carrier of the light.
We need to also remember that the Menorah is the only vessel of all the vessels in the temple which was made completely of metal- all made of gold, it expresses something which has both consistency. Its shape however expresses blooming and expansion. These two elements of the Menorah exemplify the growth and expansion which come from the power of consistency, and immutability...it expresses eternality which sprouts and grows through the spirit of the Torah.
Rabbi Shimshon Refael Hirsch:
The Prophet Zechariah was the messenger of G-d to Zerubavel, the leader whose task it was to establish the cornerstone of new national Jewish life on the ruins of the previous Jewish country. His task was beset by many traps on every side. The prophet Zechariah was shown the prophecy of a menorah which validates my explanation of it...
The light of the menorah is symbolic of 'spirit' - the spirit of G-d. This is something which is so obvious that the angel retorts to Zecharia "Don't you know what this means?"...
When Zerubavel is being told that he can accomplish his mission through the spirit of G-d, it is not only through the level of understanding alone, but also with the intention of action. The purpose was not only to tell the Jewish people G-ds will but to actually to accomplish it!