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This past Shabbat in Bamidbar 8:1 -4 we read the final section of the Channukah sacrifices that was continued from Bamidbar 7:1 – 89, which as previously discussed are repeatedly connected to the Event Horizon in 5778 HC through the gematria of the listed sacrificial offerings and to the Light of Binah.  In these last 4 verses we hear about the lighting of the 7 lamps and the making of the 42 aspects of the Menorah, which is one of the 42 elements of the Mishkan. We should also note that the Hebrew word for the flame (להבה) ignites atop each of the 7 lamps has the numerical value of 42, meaning the process of lighting the Menorah connects us to the 42 of the 42 of the 42 and thus the Source, in the same way that it unites the 600,000 souls of the Israelites.

As the Arizal explains, when we divide One (1) by the 600,000 Israelites and those 600,000 by the 70 who entered Egypt and then those by the 12 princes (tribes) who brought the sacrifices and the 3 Patriarchs we get:

Since the log of 600,000 is 5.778, as in the Event Horizon in 5778 HC at the edge of Moshiach Consciousness, it bears repeating that as the Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria of blessed memory) told us 450 years ago, the way to reintegrate the souls of the 600,000 was through the 42-Letter Name, just as Rav Abraham Brandwein, may his memory be for a blessing, said, “It is through the understanding of the 42-Letter Name that the geulah (final redemption) will come about.”

 

“‘Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.'”

דַּבֵּר, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן, וְאָמַרְתָּ, אֵלָיו:  בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת (Bamidbar 8:2)

The concept of lighting the 7 lamps of the Menorah in the Mishkan or in the Holy Temple, or lighting the 9 lamps during Chanukah is to help us unite, or elevate, the 70 dimensions (sefirot) of Zeir Anpin with Binah. This is purposefully akin to the 70 branches of the Tree-of-Life and the 70 faces of the Torah. Indeed, we find in the word for “The Lamps, H’Nerot (הנרות), the word Torah (תורה) along with the letter Nun (נ) of numerical value 50, as in the 50 Gates of Binah. This is the reason the Menorah and 42-Letter Name are the main tools for counting the Omer.

“And this was the work of the lampstand, it was hammered work of gold; hammered from base to flower, it was beaten work; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so was the lampstand.”

וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה מִקְשָׁה זָהָב, עַד-יְרֵכָהּ עַד-פִּרְחָהּ מִקְשָׁה הִוא:  כַּמַּרְאֶה, אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה–כֵּן עָשָׂה, אֶת-הַמְּנֹרָה. 

(Bamidbar 8:4)

The expression used here “from base to flower” means from the dimension of Malchut to the top of Zeir Anpin and this is where all the work must be done, all the hammering and the beating that gives shape to the elevation.  The numerical value of that phase (עַד-יְרֵכָהּ עַד-פִּרְחָהּ) is 676 or 262, as in the squaring and spreading of the Light of the YHVH (יהוה), the Name associated with Zeir Anpin. Any time in the Torah we see a 4-word phrase connected with twin Ets (את) or Ads (עד), it aligns with the phrase “the Heavens and the Earth (אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ)” from the Torah’s first verse and it is thus reflective of the 7 levels of Zeir Anpin inclusive of Malchut.

The hammering or work of beating was purposely repeated 3 times in this verse, reflecting that the work must be done in the 3-dimensions of Zeir Anpin, aligned with the 3 columns of the Tree-of-Life paradigm, and the 12 letters in those 3 symmetrical words (מקשה־מעשה־מקשה) represent the unity of the 12 tribes.

The ordinal value of the full phrase “וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה מִקְשָׁה זָהָב, עַד-יְרֵכָהּ עַד-פִּרְחָהּ מִקְשָׁה הִוא” is 408, as in the Name of the letter Chet (חת), the 8th letter, representing Binah, and as in the missing 408 component letters from the Torah that has exactly (600,000408) component letters. It would appear that the missing letters necessary for unification is the work itself. The complete gematria of that verse is 2733, as in the 7 dimensions/words/lamps of the Torah’s first verse and the 32 Paths of the Tree-of-Life.

It was critical that the Menorah be hammered out of One solid piece of gold, because the 42 design elements, like the 42-Letter Name and the 42 letters in the names of the sefirot are designed to bring about Oneness and are never separate from the whole, the One, the Source.  Each of the 7 rungs of the ladder that is the 42-Letter Name are part of an inseparable block or Matrix of 42, no matter which rung, Triplet, or letter we may strike or which combination of them.

The word hammered mikshah (מקשה) not only contains the Name Moses (משה) in sequential order, but has the same gematria value, 445, as the 7 Double letters that Abraham Avinu assigned in the Sefer Yetzirah to the 7 planets in the Cosmic Wheel. We can see their connection to the hammering that must be done upon the 7 sefirot that are One and to the workings of the Cosmic Wheel. These are the same Doubles (בגדכפרת) we find orbiting the central position of the 42-Letter Name Matrix.

There is a concept in Kabbalah called knocking or the striking of letters together. It does not take away from the letters but adds to them. The same can be found in the beating or hammering of the gold.  The verse 8:4 begins with the subordinate phrase “This is the work of the lampstand, hammered out of gold (וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה מִקְשָׁה זָהָב),” whose 5 final letters total 22, as in the 22 Names of the letters of the Alef-bet, just like the 7 initials of the Torah’s first verse that also total 22.  Like Ma’aseh Bereshit, the Work of Creation, our work revolves around the 22 letters. Our work is the work of understanding. The Creator is telling us that the gold and light is already there, but that we must keep hammering away to shape it into a form that will elevate us. Moreover, the Torah is telling us that the design was given to Moses who gave it to us to follow.

Sefer Yetzirah 1:2

Ten Sefirot of Nothingness

And 22 Foundation Letters:

Three Mothers,

Seven Doubles

And Twelve Elementals

According to Abraham Avinu, the 22 Names of the Alef-bet consist of 3 Mothers, 7 Doubles, and 12 Elementals. These have their counterparts in the design of the Menorah with the 3 legs aligned with the 3 Mothers (אמש); the 7 doubles (בגדכפרת) with the 7 planets and the 7 lamps; and the 12 Elementals (הוזחטילנסעצק) with the 12 spatial elements that are comprised of the 12 sets of knobs, flowers, and cups.

In describing the Menorah, the 3 legs of the lampstand must act as a base for the candlestick that supports the 6 arms (branches) in specific pairs, the 1 + 7 pair, the 2 + 6 pair, and the 3 + 5 pair, or 8, 8, 8 for 24, as in the 24 hours in each of the 6 Days of Creation. When the central candlestick or 4th lamp is added, the 7 lamps equal (24 + 4) or 28, as in the 28 letters in the 7 words of Creation, and as in the complete gematria of gold (זהב) or (14 + 14) = 28.

As noted previously, the Menorah of 42 Aspects and 7 Lamps is one of the 42 elements of the Mishkan and is akin to the 42-Letter Name Matrix of 7 levels, with the central candlestick equivalent to the central Path, the 4th level or row of the 42-Letter Name Matrix.

The 3 legs (רגל) of the Menorah each have a numerical value of 233, which is known to the kabbalists as the sum of the second iteration of both the Name Ehyeh (אהיה) and the Name YHVH (יהוה) or (161 + 72) representing the fusion of Zeir Anpin with Binah. The 3 legs together have a numerical value with the kolel (3) of 702, that of Shabbat, the 7th Day. This 3-pronged base of the Menorah is aligned with the base of the 72 Names (Triplets) whose 9th or bottom row has a numerical value of 702 and whose digits sum to 72.

Typically, the Tree-of-life dynamic of the 10 sefirot has the 3 upper sefirot above and the 7 lower sefirot (dimensions) of Zeir Anpin and Malchut below, but in the case of the Menorah we find the 3 of the base clearly below with the 7 dimensions of the lamps above them. Since the 3 legs (רגל) of the Menorah sum to 702, as in Shabbat, we are afforded a clue into the understanding. On Shabbat the dimensions of Zeir Anpin rise up into Binah, representing the upper 3 dimensions, so what we see with the Menorah is the 3 upper dimensions of one level already risen into a higher level and thus supporting and pushing up the 7 sefirot of Zeir Anpin to the top of that level. All 10 are shifted upwards, overlapping, and accessing a higher state of consciousness. When the Menorah is lit, our abilities to connect with elevated consciousness are automatically heightened, as they are on Shabbat. When we do not have the Menorah to light, we utilize the 7 rows and 6 branches of the 42-Letter Name Matrix gifted to us at the dawn of Creation.

When the 12 counterspace segments (טפחים) are added to the 12 spatial aspects of the Menorah that are the 12 sets of conjoined knobs, flowers, cups, with the 3 legs, the total is (12 + 12 + 3) 27, as in the 27 positions/letters in the Magic Essential Cube of 42 and the 27 letters of the Alef-bet.

Of those 12 counterspace segments, 6 are in the central candlestick. When they are added to the 12 spatial elements of that same candlestick, the total of 18 aligns with “The One (האחד),” like the final letters in the phrase (עַד-יְרֵכָהּ עַד-פִּרְחָהּ).  The central column candlestick thus represents 1/3 of the (42 + 12) = 54 total spatial and counterspatial elements, as in the 54 portions of the Torah, etc.

Once lit, with the 7 flames or (7 x 42) the (42 + 7) = 49 spatial aspects of the Menora total (294 + 42) = 336, as in the 336 letters in the 112 Essential Triplets of Creation, that include the 14 Triplets of the 42-Letter Name Matrix aligned with the numerical value (14) of gold (זהב).

While the word hammered mikshah (מקשה) contains the name Moses (משה) in sequential order so does the word work M’aseh (מעשה). The Torah is obviously juxtaposing these two words used 3 times in this verse and thus the name Moses (משה) is found 4 times in this verse. With the first word hammered mikshah (מקשה), the name Moses (משה) is found 620 times within words in the Torah, as in the numerical value of keter and the 620 letters of the 10 Commandments.

The value 1000 represents completion of the Tree-of-Life in the level of Binah, while 100, as in the letter koof (ק) of mikshah (מקשה), represents completion of the Tree-of-Life at the level of Zeir Anpin. The letter Ayin (ע), as in M’aseh (מעשה) has a numerical value of 70 and represents the full expression of Zeir Anpin or the branches within the Tree-of-Life.  The work cannot be done without Moses and the Torah.  Meanwhile, the two letters Ayin-Koof (עק) have the numerical value 170, indicating that the work of the hammering must be done on all the levels from the base to the petals of Zeir Anpin.

As we know everything has multiple purposes in the Torah so perhaps the inclusion of the words (עד) here of numerical value (70 + 4) = 74 and of ordinal value 20, ties in with the 74 core nucleons in each of the 20 amino acids in our DNA as we have previously discussed, or with 423, as in the flame (42) of the 42 aspects of the Menorah within 42 elements of the Mishkan that equals 74088, or the central 4th row of the 42-Letter Name Matrix that equals 704.  These are just some of the understandings that happen when we keep hammering away at the gold (זהב) of numerical value 14, which when subtracted from 74088 gives us 74074.

We can only elevate by understanding. We can only understand by hammering away at the Torah that is One solid piece of gold.

Finally, there are 4 verses in the section about the Menorah and the 4 final words, the last word in each verse, permute to “Moshe saying the Lights of the Menorah.” Their collective gematria value is 1577, as in the number 9 divided by string gematria of the 42-Letter Name Matrix 9/.1230490273… = 73.14157771495…, which in addition to being 70 plus Pi (π), and being representative of the 9th sefira of Chochma (73) that defines the Torah’s first verse through the value of the 73rd Triangular Number, gives us 1577, the year 5777 HC, and the 1495 sum of the 22 Letters of the Alef-bet.  That value 1577 is the sofit value of Ein Sof (אין־סוף), the metaphysical Endless, the Infinite, G-d transcendent, the Pure Essence of G-d, the state of the Creator before all Creation. It is the state of existence before existence, the ultimate Source.

The concept of 42 truly does hold all the secrets of the universe, which may be why (4200 + 1577) = 5777 HC.

Alternatively, the 4 initial words equal 832, as in the 832 years that the two Holy Temples stood, so it would seem that in the formulation of the Menorah, the future of its time in the Holy Temples was preordained.

With the lighting of each candle we can apply the same kavannot (intention) as that used to connect with Binah in the lighting of the chanukiyah and the lighting of the Shabbat candles. Unifying the 3 Names Ehyeh (אהיה), Elohim(אלהים) and, Adonai (אדני) individually with the 3 YHVH (יהוה) comprise the concept of the hyperspace candle (נר) of numerical value (172 + 78) = 250. It is ignited by and conjoined with the 42-Letter Name as the flame (להבה) of numerical value 42 and of small gematria 173, which the Zohar refers to as the 173 Keys to Heaven. When One (1) is added as the kolel, the lit candle unites physicality with metaphysical spirituality and becomes (250 + 173 + 1) = 424, Moshiach Ben David, radiating the light of Moshiach Consciousness, the light of elevation.