Terumah

Back

Forward

25:33

25:34

25:33	There shall be three embossed cups, as well as a sphere and a flower on each and every one of the branches. All six branches extending from the menorah's [stem] must be the same in this respect. Shloshah gevi'im meshukadim bakaneh ha'echad kaftor vaferach ushloshah gevi'im meshukadim bakaneh ha'echad kaftor vafarach ken lesheshet hakanim hayotse'im min-hamenorah.
25:34	The [shaft of the] menorah shall havefour embossed cups along with its spheres and flowers. Uvamenorah arba'ah gevi'im meshukadim kaftoreyha ufracheyha.

Commentary:

embossed
(Targum; Yad, Beth HaBechirah 3:2). Rashi states that this is niello, a word used also in English to denote an art of decorating metal with incised designs and black antiquing. Others say that it is a kind of beaten work (Ibn Ezra, from Proverbs 8:34). Others say that the Hebrew word me-shukad-im comes from the word shaked, as almond. It can thus mean almond-shaped (Saadia), decorated with almonds (Rashbam), or engraved like almonds (Radak, Sherashim; Ibn Janach). Others say that the metal is beaten in such a way that the surface appears like a pattern of tiny almonds (Rambam on Menachoth 3:7).

four embossed cups
(Saadia; cf. Yoma 52b). One of these was below the branches, and three were above, paralleling the cups on the branches (Menachoth 28b; Rashi).

spheres and flowers
Above the cups (Menachoth 28b).

Notice: This computer program is protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program, or any portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under the law.