MENACHOTH (Fol. 28b) Samuel said: "The height of the candle-stick was eighteen hand-breadths; the stem with the ornaments extended up to three hand-breadths; two hand-breadths were plain [without ornament], etc." (Fol. 29) (II Chr. 4, 21) And the flowers and the lamps of gold, of gold, and that perfect gold; why is the word Kaloth used here for 'perfect'? Said Rab: "Because they consumed all the closed gold of Solomon"; for R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "Solomon made ten candlesticks, and each one consumed one thousand gold talents. They applied it a thousand times into the smelting-furnace until it was refined and reduced to the weight of one talent." Is it then possible that the smelting-furnace should reduce such a quantity? Behold we are taught that R. Jose b. R. Juda says: "It happened that the candlestick of the Temple was heavier than that of Moses with one golden dinar; it was applied eighty times into the smelting-furnace until it was reduced to the weight of a talent." [Hence the smelting-furnace does not reduce to a quantity as stated above.] After it had been reduced [by Solomon] it was indeed hard to reduce it much more. R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan: "What is the meaning of the passage (Lev. 24, 4) Upon the pure candlestick? This means that the manner of its workmanship came down directly from heaven. (Ib.) Upon the pure table, i.e., infer from this that the priests would lift up the show-bread and show them to those who came to Jerusalem during the holidays, saying to them: "See how beloved ye are before the Holy One, praised be He!" In what was such love visible? As R. Joshua b. Levi said, for R. Joshua b. Levi said: "A great miracle happened in connection with the show-bread that at the time of their removal they were [just as fresh and warm] as when they were placed upon the table, for it is said (I Sam. 21, 7) So as to put down hot bread on the day it was taken away."
We are taught that R. Jose b. R. Juda says: "A fire in the shape of an ark, in the shape of a table and in the shape of a candle-stick, came down from heaven, which Moses saw and make like those shapes, for the passage says (Ex. 25, 40) And see that thou make them after their pattern, which is being shown thee in the mount." According to this then the verse (Ib. 26, 30) And thou shalt rear up the Tabernacle according to its rules thereof which hath been shown thee in the mount, does it also mean [that a fire in the shape of the Tabernacle was shown to Moses]? Here the passage says, according to its rules, but there [concerning the ark, the table, and the candle-stick] it is written according to their pattern. R. Chiya b. Abba said in the name of R. Jochanan that Gabriel attired himself with an apron and showed Moses how to make the candle-stick, as it is written (Num. 8, 4) And this was the work of the candle-stick. In the academy of R. Ishmael it was taught that three things were difficult for Moses to comprehend, until the Holy One, praised be He! showed them to him. The three things are: The candle-stick, the new moon and the [distinction between the clean and unclean] reptiles. Concerning the candle-stick we infer from the above-mentioned passage, And this was the work of the candle-stick; the new moon, as it is written (Ex. 12, 2) This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; reptiles, as it is written (Lev. 11, 29) And these shall be unclean unto you. According to some authorities also the laws concerning slaughtering were difficult for Moses to understand, as it is written (Ex. 29, 38) And this is what thou shall offer upon the altar.
(Ib. b) R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "At the time when Moses ascended to heaven he found that the Holy One, praised be He! was providing [certain] letters with crownlets, whereupon Moses said unto Him: 'Sovereign of the Universe, who prevented Thee [from having fixed the crownlets in the very beginning]?' The Holy One then said: "After a period of many generations there will live a man by the name Akiba b. Joseph, who is destined to interpret mounds of rules on every tip [of these letters] .' Moses then said to Him: 'Sovereign of the Universe, may I see him?' 'Turn thyself backwards,' came the answer. Moses went back eight rows, but he could not understand what they (R. Akiba and his associates) were arguing. Moses became despondent [on account of being unable to understand], until they reached a discussion concerning which the disciples asked R. Akiba: 'Rabbi, whence do you know this?' 'This law,' replied R. Akiba, 'is a tradition delivered by Moses on Sinai." Moses then felt relieved. He then said before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe, since Thou hast such a man why do You give the Torah through me [and not through him]?' 'Be silent,' came the reply. Moses pleaded Again: 'Sovereign of the Universe, Thou hast shown me his learning, show me his compensation?' 'Turn thyself backward,' Moses was ordered. He turned backward and, lo, he noticed that his flesh is being marketed in meat markets. 'Sovereign of the Universe,' Moses pleaded, 'is this the compensation for studying this Torah?' 'Keep silent,' came the reply; 'so it was decided by Me.'"
(Fol. 33b) R. Chanina said: "Come and see how the custom of the Holy One, praised be He! differs from the custom of frail man! The custom of frail man is that the king sits within [the palace] and his servants guard him from without [the palace], but the custom of the Holy One, praised be He! is not so. His servants sit within and He watches them from without, as it is said (Ps. 121, 5) The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand."
(Fol. 53b) (Deut. 28, 10) And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon thee and they shall be afraid of thee. We are taught that R. Eliezer the great says: "This refers to the Tephilin (phylacteries) of the head." Said R. Chana b. Bizna in the name of R. Simon the pious: "Infer from this that the Holy One, praised be He! showed unto Moses the knot of the Tephilin."