Psalm 67 and the Menorah's Shape

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים יְחׇנֵּ֥נוּ וִיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ יָ֤אֵֽר־פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה׃ לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ בְּכׇל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ יִ֥שְׂמְח֥וּ וִירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישֹׁ֑ר וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים ׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃ יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ אֶ֭רֶץ נָתְנָ֣ה יְבוּלָ֑הּ יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְיִֽירְא֥וּ א֝וֹת֗וֹ כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ {פ}

For the leader; with instrumental music. A psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us, showing us favor, selah that Your way be known on earth, Your deliverance among all nations. Peoples will praise You, O God; all peoples will praise You. Nations will exult and shout for joy, for You rule the peoples with equity, You guide the nations of the earth. Selah. The peoples will praise You, O God; all peoples will praise You. May the earth yield its produce; may God, our God, bless us. May God bless us, and be revered to the ends of the earth.

אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֢ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב׃

Happy is the one who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent;

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אָרוֹן שֶׁל אֵשׁ וְשֻׁלְחָן שֶׁל אֵשׁ וּמְנוֹרָה שֶׁל אֵשׁ יָרְדוּ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְרָאָה מֹשֶׁה וְעָשָׂה כְּמוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּרְאֵה וַעֲשֵׂה כְּתַבְנִיתָם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מׇרְאֶה בָּהָר״. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: גַּבְרִיאֵל חָגוּר כְּמִין פְּסִיקְיָא הָיָה, וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה מַעֲשֵׂה מְנוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה״. תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים הָיוּ קָשִׁין לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה, עַד שֶׁהֶרְאָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: מְנוֹרָה, וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, וּשְׁרָצִים. מְנוֹרָה – דִּכְתִיב: ״וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה״, רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ – דִּכְתִיב: ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים״, שְׁרָצִים – דִּכְתִיב: ״וְזֶה לָכֶם הַטָּמֵא״. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: אַף הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״.

§ It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: An Ark of fire and a Table of fire and a Candelabrum of fire descended from the Heavens, and Moses saw their format and fashioned the vessels for the Tabernacle in their likeness. As it is stated after the command to fashion these items: “And see that you make them after their pattern, which is being shown to you in the mount” (Exodus 25:40). Apropos this discussion the Gemara relates: Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The angel Gabriel was girded with a type of wide belt [pesikiyya] in the manner of artisans who tie up their clothes to prevent these clothes from hindering them in their work. And he showed the precise way to fashion the Candelabrum to Moses, as it is written: “And this is the work of the Candelabrum” (Numbers 8:4), and the term “this” indicates that an exact replica was shown to him. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Three matters were difficult for Moses to comprehend precisely, until the Holy One, Blessed be He, showed them to him with His finger, and these are the three matters: The form of the Candelabrum, and the exact size of the new moon, and the impure creeping animals. The Candelabrum was shown to him, as it is written: “And this is the work of the Candelabrum” (Numbers 8:4). The new moon was shown to him, as it is written: “This month shall be for you the beginning of months” (Exodus 12:2). The creeping animals were shown to him, as it is written: “And these are they which are unclean for you among the swarming things” (Leviticus 11:29). And there are those who say that God also showed Moses the halakhot of slaughtering, as it is stated: “Now this is that which you shall sacrifice upon the altar” (Exodus 29:38), and slaughtering is the first ritual of sacrifice.

וְהַהוּא בֵּי דִּינָא הָכָא אִשְׁתְּכַח. (ס"א מכאן דבכלא) וּבְכֹלָּא בָּעֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא, בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא.

And so when the powers of Mercy are awakened, all the celestial lamps are lit on both sides, and then “In the light of the King’s countenance is life” (Prov. 16, 15). So at the moment when the priest is about to kindle the lamps here below and offers up the perfumed incense, the celestial lights are kindled and all is linked together so that joy and gladness pervade all the worlds.

בהעלותך את הנרות כו' (במדבר ח, ב). כי יש לפעמים צדיק נופל ממדריגתו, כי השם יתברך חפץ חסד וכל הנצוצין שנפלו בעמקי הקליפות רצונו יתברך שיתעלו ויעבדו את הבורא. והנראה כשהצדיק נופל אז הוא כמעט במקום הנצוצין ובודאי הצדיק כבר נקשר קשר אמיץ בשורש העליון וחוזר ביתר שאת ויתר עז ומחמת זה הנצוצין גם כן פונים לשרשם ונתעלים. וזהו שאמר הכתוב בהעלותך את הנרות, היינו בהעלותך הניצוצין. אל פני המנורה, לשון פנה כאשר יפנו הניצוצין אל המנורה שזו היא השכינה שורש העליון אזי יתעלו כולם ויאירו שבעת הנרות:

Numbers 7,2. ‎בהעלותך את הנרות‎, “when you are about to ‎kindle the lights, etc.;” it happens on occasion that a ‎‎tzaddik has fallen from his spiritual level. Seeing that G’d is ‎the essence of loving kindness He wishes for the “sparks” from ‎the Shechinah that have at different times fallen into our ‎domain of the ‎קליפות‎, “the peels,” i.e. ritually impure parts of the ‎globe to facilitate their rehabilitation and return to their habitat. ‎He uses the proximity of the “fallen” tzaddik, who is still ‎firmly attached to his holy roots and therefore will make ‎strenuous efforts at doing penance, to be the means by which ‎this will be brought about. Our verse is an allegorical description of such an event. The ‎נרות‎, “lights,” referred to, are the fallen sparks which are facing ‎the menorah, the source of their light before they had fallen ‎off the Shechina, when the penitent sinner kindles the ‎‎menorah he will also include the “penitent sparks” who use ‎this opportunity to restore the Shechinah to its former ‎glory when all of its seven lights were burning.‎ ‎

מצות פסח שני, ומצות הנרות, ופ' בהעלותך את הנרות אל מול פני המנורה יאירו שבעת הנרות וגו' (ח, ב). והספיקות, א' מאי שבעת וגו'. ב' למה אל מול פני המנורה דווקא, ודרשת חז"ל ידוע. ג' איך מצוה הזאת נוהג בכל אדם ובכל זמן.