Menachos Daf 28 מנחוס דַף 28

The next Mishnah states: שבעה קני מנורה מעכבין זה את זה – the seven branches of the Menorah are essential to one another, and the seven נרות – lamps are essential to one another. A Baraisa teaches that the Menorah was made from עשת – a single block of gold. If it was made from scraps of gold, it is invalid, but if it was made from other metals, it is valid. Since "מקשה" – hammered out (of a block) is written twice, being made from a single block of gold is מעכב. Multiple mentions of "זהב" are darshened: "ככר זהב" – a talent of gold teaches: באה זהב באה ככר – if [the Menorah] is made of gold, it must be the weight of a kikar, but if it is not made of gold, it does not need to weigh a ככר. If the Menorah is made from another metal, the גביעים כפתורים ופרחים – goblets, knobs, and flowers in the Menorah’s design are not required, and "מקשה" is not required (i.e., it can be made from scraps). Regardless, the seven branches are מעכב, without which it would be called a פמוט – candlestick, not a Menorah.

Rav Pappa brei d’Rav Chanin quoted a Baraisa before Rav Yosef teaching that a Menorah made from silver is valid. If it was made של בעץ ושל אבר ושל גיסטרון – out of tin, lead, or a metal alloy, Rebbe says it is valid, while Rebbe Yose bar Rebbe Yehudah says it is invalid. If it was made from wood, bones, or glass, all agree it is invalid. Rav Pappa explained that both Tannaim agree to darshen כלל ופרט וכלל, which includes anything כעין הפרט – similar to the “specification.” Rebbe includes all metals as being similar to gold, while Rebbe Yose bar Rebbe Yehudah only includes דבר חשוב – something valuable, but does not consider cheap metals similar to gold. Rav Yosef rejected this version of the Baraisa in favor of his, in which these Tannaim disagree about a כלי שרת made of wood. He explains that Rebbe Yose bar Rebbe Yehudah darshens the more inclusive "ריבה ומיעט וריבה", which includes everything (even wood), and only excludes חרס – earthenware. This version is supported by two more Baraisos, including one in which these Tannaim debate from what material the חשמונאים made the Menorah.

Shmuel said in an elder’s name: גובהה של מנורה שמנה עשר טפחים – the height of the Menorah was eighteen tefachim. The legs at the Menorah’s base and the פרח – flower just above it were three tefachim, the next two tefachim were blank, then a tefach containing גביע וכפתור ופרח – a goblet, a knob, and a flower, then two blank tefachim. The next tefach is a כפתור with two קנים – branches emerging from it on each side, ונמשכין ועולין כנגד גובהה של מנורה – and they extend and rise parallel to the Menorah’s height. The next tefach is blank, followed by another tefach of a כפתור with two קנים emerging from it, and then another blank tefach followed by a tefach of a כפתור with the last two קנים, and the next two tefachim are blank (totaling fifteen tefachim). This leaves three more tefachim for three גביעין, a כפתור, and a פרח. The גביעין are described as similar to Alexandrian cups, the כפתורים were similar to apples of כרתיים, and the פרחים were similar to flowers sculpted into columns. In total, there were twenty-two גביעין, eleven כפתורים, and nine פרחים, all of which are מעכב each other.