s, knops, and flowers. When it was made of
gold it required a talent; when it was not of gold it did not require a
talent. Rabbi Joshua, the son of Korcha, said, "it (the candlestick) was
made of a talent, but the lights, and the tongs, and the snuff-dishes,
were not from the talent," as is said, "Of a talent of pure gold shall he
make it."(664) "And what do I establish?" "That all these vessels were
vessels of pure gold. But the trumpets which Moses made in the wilderness
were made of silver only, as is said, 'Make thee two trumpets of
silver.' "(665)

Chapter X

"How did Bezaleel make the candlestick?" "He made it from an ingot of
gold, and it was like a beam. And above and below he made bowls, knops,
and flowers, and drew out from it two branches, one on either side, and
from it he drew out two other branches, one on either side, and again drew
out two branches, one on either side, as is said, 'And six branches shall
come out of the sides of it.' "(666) But we could not understand the
hammering of the bowls, until it be said, "And in the candlesticks shall
be four bowls made like unto almonds with their knops and their
flowers."(667) Aisi, the son of Judah, said, "there are five expressions
in the Law, and they have no fixed meaning. These are they,
'accepted,'(668) 'cursed,'(669) 'to-morrow,'(670) 'made like unto
almonds,'(671) 'and will rise up.' "(672) "If thou doest well, shalt thou
not be accepted?" or, "thou shalt be accepted even if thou doest not
well." "Cursed be their anger for it was fierce," or, "for in their anger
they slew a man, and in their self-will they houghed cursed oxen."
"To-morrow I will stand" or "go out, fight with Amalek to-morrow." "Made
like unto almonds with their knops, and their flowers," or "four bowls
made like unto almonds." "And this people will rise up," or, "thou shalt
sleep with thy fathers, and thou shalt rise up." These are the five
expressions in the Law which have no fixed meaning. Aisa, the son of
Akiba, said, "it happened once to be more (than a talent by) a dinar of
gold, and it was brought into the crucible eighty times." The body of the
candlestick was eighteen hand-breadths, the feet and the flowers were
three hand-breadths, and two hand-breadths were smooth, and one
hand-breadth was for the bowl, a knop and a flower, and two hand-breadths
were smooth, and one hand-breadth a knop, and two branches proceeded from
it, one on either side. And two hand-breadths were