How hard is it to make the Menorah?

Moshe was ready to make the Menorah out of gold, together with all the decorated pieces that go on its base and branches. He was given all the instructions, to create this beautiful vessel of the Holy Temple.

There is one instruction that stands out.

“The menorah shall be made of hammered work….it shall all be one piece with it.”

This means that the Menorah must come constructed entirely from one piece of gold, beaten with a hammer and cut with a tool.

Its branches and its lamps should not be made individually and then attached.

But rather it must always be one piece of solid gold throughout the entire process of crafting the Menorah.

Indeed a very difficult task.

Imagine asking your handyman to make a wooden table for you, but asking him to carve it out of the tree and keeping in one piece.

Why does the Menorah have to be constructed in such a way? Why the emphasis on it being from just one solid piece of gold?

It would be much easier and simpler to take different pieces separately and then put them together to form this articulate and complicated structure of a Menorah.

The Torah is teaching us an important lesson about being a shining light to others.

Just like the Menorah in the Holy Temple would shine with divine light, so too we in our lives have the obligation and privilege to shine onto others.

But that light and message must be of “one piece of gold.” Not fragmented and made of different pieces.

When we live the life, we are preaching, then our life and message is one solid piece of gold. Then we become a Menorah and are successful in imparting our messages.

However, if we live one way, and preach and teach something else, our light would be difficult to accept. Then it is like fragmented, separate pieces, that won’t be able to shine like the Menorah.

When we teach others about important values, our message will be heard when we do that ourselves. When we endeavor to teach our children, they will listen when they see us showing an example.

An inspirational speaker was once giving advice to young aspiring leaders. As he concluded his talk he said, “do you know what is the best sermon, speech, or talk you can ever give?”

The audience became silent sitting at the edge of their seats, ready to hear a life changing message. He responded, “The best sermon you can give, is the life that you will live.”