Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar and Daily Aliyah. As always, you can Order The Daily Aliyah <https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-daily-aliyah/> and receive your hard copy of these daily practical and relevant Torah thoughts (all proceeds go to Daily Giving), or join this Whatsapp group <https://chat.whatsapp.com/DnAFialrvmy6hNahBkU61F> to receive one per day. I hope you find this meaningful... _______________________________________________ The Torah tells us that the knobs and the branches of the Menorah should all be made from one piece of gold (37:22). However, Rav Hirsch points out that the word “ְוקנֹתָם ” (and their stems) makes it sound as if the stems belong to the knobs (one would expect the non-possessive word here) when the stems should belong to the Menorah itself. Why does the description of the crafting of the Menorah seem to contain this anomaly? Rav Hirsch suggests that the Menorah has two broader branches, each with its own stems. The knobs were supported by stems, which were held together by a broader branch; there was a sound structure to help them stay in place. The Menorah is symbolic of an emotional support system in which the branches support the stems, which support the knobs. This is a model for making everyone in our lives feel supported, literally and figuratively, so they can shine their light onto the world. Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: “The devil whispered in my ear, "You aren't strong enough to withstand the storm." Today, I whispered in the devil's ear, "I am the storm!"