Kli Yakar on the Placement of the Menorah
Kli Yakar on Exodus 27:20
The passage explains that God commanded the western lamp of the menorah to burn continuously as a perpetual miracle visible to all in the Holy sanctuary, so that just as the miraculous tablets testified to the Divine Presence in the concealed Holy of Holies, the perpetually burning western lamp would publicly testify to God's presence dwelling among Israel.
וְנִרְאֶה לְיַשֵּׁב כָּל זֶה מִמַּה שֶׁכָּתַב הָרַמְבַּ״ן כִּי מַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״לְהַעֲלוֹת נֵר תָּמִיד״, הַיְינוּ נֵר מַעֲרָבִי שֶׁהָיָה דּוֹלֵק לְעוֹלָם, אֲבָל שְׁאָר הַנֵּרוֹת לֹא הָיוּ תָּמִיד כִּי אִם מֵעֶרֶב עַד בֹּקֶר. בְּהַנָּחָה זוֹ יְתוֹרְצוּ כָּל הַסְּפֵקוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרִים, כִּי אָמַר שֶׁצִּוָּה ה׳ לְמֹשֶׁה עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכָל כֵּלָיו וְחִלֵּק הַמִּשְׁכָּן לִשְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים, וְעַל כֻּלָּם אָמַר ״וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם״ (שמות כה:ח). וְהָיָה הַפָּרֹכֶת מַבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, וְרָצָה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁבְּכָל חֵלֶק יִהְיֶה דָּבָר הַמּוֹרֶה עַל שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהִנֵּה בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים הָיוּ לוּחוֹת הָעֵדוּת אֲשֶׁר יִתְּנוּ ״עֵדוּת ה׳ נֶאֱמָנָה״ (תהלים יט:ח) שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה שָׁם, כִּי הַלּוּחוֹת הָיוּ בָּהֶם מַעֲשֵׂה נִסִּים שֶׁהָיוּ נִקְרָאִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם, וּמֵ״ם וְסָמֶ״ךְ שֶׁבַּלּוּחוֹת בְּנֵס הָיוּ עוֹמְדִים (מגילה ג.). וְתֵינַח שֶׁכָּל הַבָּא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא יִרְאֶה עַיִן בְּעַיִן כִּי שֵׁם ה׳ נִקְרָא עָלָיו. אָמְנָם אַחַר שֶׁהַפָּרֹכֶת מַפְסִיק וְאֵין כָּל אָדָם רַשַּׁאי לָבֹא שָׁמָּה, פֶּן חָלִילָה יֹאמַר הַמְהַרְהֵר ״הָרוֹצֶה לְשַׁקֵּר יַרְחִיק עֵדָיו״ (הרא״ש פרק שבועת הדיינין יג), עַל כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת גַּם בַּהֵיכָל נֵס תְּמִידִי זֶה בְּנֵר מַעֲרָבִי, כְּדֵי שֶׁכֻּלָּם יִסְתַּכְּלוּ בּוֹ וְיִרְאוּ מִנֵּר מַעֲרָבִי שֵׁם ה׳ כִּי הוּא שׁוֹכֵן בְּתוֹכָם. וְאִלּוּ לֹא הָיָה הַפָּרֹכֶת מְכַסֶּה עַל אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת, לֹא הָיָה צֹרֶךְ בְּנֵס זֶה. וּלְהַצָּעָה זוֹ נֹאמַר, שֶׁכָּל פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ אֵין הַכַּוָּנָה לְצַוּוֹת עַל נֵרוֹת הַמְּנוֹרָה כִּי אִם בְּפָרָשַׁת אֱמֹר, שֶׁשָּׁם עִקַּר מְקוֹם שֶׁל צִוּוּי זֶה, וְכָאן עִקַּר הַצִּוּוּי עַל נֵר מַעֲרָבִי זֶה, לְגַלּוֹת לְמֹשֶׁה כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַפָּרֹכֶת מְכַסָּה עַל אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם יִהְיֶה גַּם בִּמְקוֹם הַקֹּדֶשׁ נֵס מַתְמִיד הַמְפַרְסֵם כִּי ה׳ שׁוֹכֵן שָׁמָּה. וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ (דברים לג כא) ״וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ״, כִּי הוּא הָיָה רֵאשִׁית וְהַתְחָלָה לְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּנֵס, וְהוּא הָיָה כְּנֵר זֶה שֶׁמַּדְלִיקִין מִמֶּנּוּ כַּמָּה נֵרוֹת וְהַנֵּר אֵינוֹ חָסֵר. כָּךְ הוּאֲצַל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁפַע רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ עַל כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים שֶׁבָּאוּ אַחֲרָיו, כִּי פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה כַּחַמָּה (ב״ב עה.), וּמִמֶּנּוּ הוּאֲצַל הָאוֹר עַל כֻּלָּם. כָּךְ נֵר מַעֲרָבִי זֶה שֶׁהָיָה אוֹרוֹ מַתְמִיד בְּדֶרֶךְ נֵס, הוּאֲצַל עָלָיו מֵאוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, כִּי הוּא הָיָה אֶמְצָעִי בֵּין אוֹר ה׳ לְכָל מִינֵי אוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר עָמְדוּ בְּנֵס. וְהָיָה הַסִּימָן עַל זֶה שֶׁבְּלֵדָתוֹ נִתְמַלֵּא כָּל הַבַּיִת אוֹרָה, לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁהוּא יִהְיֶה הַמְקַבֵּל הָרִאשׁוֹן מִן הָאוֹר הָעֶלְיוֹן, וּבְאֶמְצָעִיתוֹ הוּשְׁפַּע הָאוֹר עַל כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ דָּבָר הָעוֹמֵד בְּנֵס. לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר ״וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה״ שְׁנֵי נוֹכְחִיּוֹת, לוֹמַר ״וְאַתָּה״ — הַיְינוּ מִמַּהוּת עַצְמוּתְךָ וְתוֹסֶפֶת אוֹרָה שֶׁבְּךָ — ״תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן״ וְגוֹ׳, שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶן יֻקַּח אֵלֶיךָ, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר לְצָרְפוֹ אֵלֶיךָ כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו מֵהוֹדְךָ, כְּדֵי ״לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד״ — זֶה נֵר מַעֲרָבִי שֶׁהָיָה תְּמִידִי בְּדֶרֶךְ נֵס.
It seems appropriate to resolve all this based on what the Ramban wrote, that when it says to light a continuous lamp, this refers to the western lamp that was always burning, but the other lamps were not continuous except from evening until morning. With this assumption, all the aforementioned questions can be resolved, because He commanded Moses about the Tabernacle and all its vessels, and divided the Tabernacle into three parts, and regarding them all He said, And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them. The curtain separated between the Holy and the Holy of Holies, and Moses wanted each section to have something indicating that the Divine Presence dwells among Israel. In the Holy of Holies were the tablets of testimony, which would faithfully testify that the Divine Presence dwelled there, for the tablets contained miraculous elements — they could be read from both sides, and the letters mem and samech in the tablets stood miraculously in place (Megillah 3a). This was appropriate for anyone who came to that place, as they would see plainly that God’s name was associated with it. However, since the curtain separated the areas and not everyone was permitted to enter there, lest someone who doubts and wishes to deceive might say, “One who wishes to lie distances his witnesses” (Rosh, Shevuot HaDayanin 13). Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, needed to create a continuous miracle in the sanctuary as well through the western lamp, so that everyone could observe it and see from the western lamp that God’s name was there dwelling among them. And if the curtain had not covered the Ark of Testimony, there would have been no need for this miracle. For this possible approach, we can say that this entire passage is not intended to command about the lamps of the menorah except in the portion of Emor, which is the main place for that commandment, whereas here the main commandment is about the western lamp, to reveal to Moses that even though the curtain covers the Ark of the Testimony, nevertheless there will also be in the place of the Holy a constant miracle that publicizes that the Lord dwells there. And you already know that about Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, it is said And he saw the first portion for himself (Deuteronomy 33:21), because he was the first and beginning of all things that exist miraculously, and he was like this lamp from which many lamps are lit and the lamp is not diminished. So was the holy spirit that emanated from him to all the prophets who came after him, for the face of Moses was like the sun (Bava Batra 75a), and from him, the light emanated to all of them. Similarly, this western lamp, whose light was constant in a miraculous way, had light emanated to it from Moses’s light, for he was the intermediary between God’s light and all types of light that existed miraculously. And the sign of this was that at his birth, the entire house was filled with light, to indicate that he would be the first recipient of the supernal light, and through his intermediacy, the light was bestowed upon every place where there is something that exists miraculously. Therefore it is said And you shall command — with two forms of direct address — to say and you, meaning from the essence of your being and the additional light within you, shall command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil, etc. That the oil should be brought to you, meaning to join it with you so that you will emanate your glory upon it, in order to kindle a lamp continually — this is the western lamp that was miraculously continuous.