אבן עזרא — בהעלתך את הנרת / וישמע את הקול מדבר אליו

Q — Why is the menorah parsha juxtaposed to the chanukat hamizbeach of the nesi'im at the end of Nasso? Rashi (citing Chazal) said Aharon was distressed not to be among the nesi'im, so God gave him a daily mizbach-service of his own.

A — Ibn Ezra connects forward differently — not to the chanukah but to the very last pasuk of Nasso ("ובבא משה אל אהל מועד לדבר אתו וישמע את הקול"). The juxtaposed menorah parsha teaches a fact about divine SPEECH to Moshe: it happened also at night, because the candle was burning continuously. The eternally-lit ner is the proof that Moshe's nevuah was around-the-clock — light enables speech. Ramban objected sharply: "ואלו ידע רבי אברהם מה בין נבואת משה לנבואת שאר הנביאים, לא חשב כן" — Moshe's nevuah was distinctively NOT in dreams (which happen at night). Abarbanel defended Ibn Ezra: Chazal's "ולא נדבר עמו אלא ביום" doesn't mean only by day chronologically — it means only "in waking state" (like day), not in dreams (like night); but Moshe COULD prophesy at night while awake (as at Yam Suf). The chiddush hangs on a reading of one verse next to another — Ibn Ezra's typical close-reading method.