Although the prophet does not say explicitly whether or not he saw a Menorah, there is no doubt that it will be present in the Future Beis HaMikdash, for the Future Beis HaMikdash will not lack any of the vessels described in the narrative God communicated to Moshe. Furthermore, Rav Yitzchak Abarbanel interprets the phrase,1Yechezkel 41:21. The phrase is translated here according to Rav Yitzchak Abarbanel’s interpretation. According to Rashi and others, it would be translated differently. “Within the holy place, there was a light like a light” as meaning “Inside the Sanctuary (‘within the holy place’), the Menorah radiated light” (“there was a light”) throughout the entire Beis HaMikdash (“that was like a light”, i.e. like the light every person has at home near his table). [This interpretation can be derived from] the Shunamite woman, who says with regard to the prophet Elisha,2II Melachim 4:10. “Let us place there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him.” The word the Shunamite woman uses for lamp, is “menorah.”
Therefore, in our depiction of the Sanctuary, we placed the Menorah opposite the Table on the southern side of the Sanctuary, 5 cubits from the wall. As explained above with regard to the Table,3See sec. 56. this measure is derived from Rashi’s commentary regarding the Sanctuary,4See Rashi, Shmos 26:35. which states that the Table was positioned 2 1/2 cubits from the wall.
One who desires to know the design of the Menorah as a whole and in detail should study the mishnah in Tractate Menachos,5Menachos 3:7. as explained by Rambam.6There are several differences between Rambam’s conception of the Menorah as reflected in the drawings that accompany the manuscript copies of his Commentary to the Mishnah and the popular illustrations. The most well-known is that Rambam maintains that the branches of the Menorah extended diagonally, not in a rounded form. Tosafos Yom Tov is emphasizing that Rambam’s conception should be adhered to.
אַף כִּי לֹא אָמַר הַנָּבִיא אִם רָאָה מְנוֹרָה אִם לֹא, אֵין סָפֵק לָנוּ כִּי לֹא יִגָּרַע מֵהַכֵּלִים הַכְּתוּבִים עַל פִּי ה' בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה. וּמַה גַּם לְפֵרוּשׁ הרי"א ז"ל שֶׁמְּפָרֵשׁ (יחזקאל מא, כא) "וּפְנֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ הַמַּרְאֶה כַּמַּרְאֶה", יֹאמַר מִבִּפְנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַהֵיכָל הַנִּקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ הָיָה הַמַּרְאֶה כַּמַּרְאֶה. כְּלוֹמַר מְנוֹרַת הַמָּאוֹר שֶׁהִיא הַמַּרְאֶה וְחוֹלֶקֶת אוֹר לְכָל הַבַּיִת. וְלָכֵן אָמַר כַּמַּרְאֶה רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר כִּמְנוֹרַת הַמָּאוֹר שֶׁל כָּל אָדָם קָרוֹב לְשֻׁלְחָנוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (מל"ב ד, י) "וְנָשִׂים לוֹ שָׁם מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה". עכ"ד.
Although the prophet does not say explicitly whether or not he saw a Menorah, there is no doubt that it will be present in the Future Beis HaMikdash, for the Future Beis HaMikdash will not lack any of the vessels described in the narrative God communicated to Moshe. Furthermore, Rav Yitzchak Abarbanel interprets the phrase,1Yechezkel 41:21. The phrase is translated here according to Rav Yitzchak Abarbanel’s interpretation. According to Rashi and others, it would be translated differently. “Within the holy place, there was a light like a light” as meaning “Inside the Sanctuary (‘within the holy place’), the Menorah radiated light” (“there was a light”) throughout the entire Beis HaMikdash (“that was like a light”, i.e. like the light every person has at home near his table). [This interpretation can be derived from] the Shunamite woman, who says with regard to the prophet Elisha,2II Melachim 4:10. “Let us place there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him.” The word the Shunamite woman uses for lamp, is “menorah.”
וּבְכֵן שַׂמְנוּ בְּצִיּוּרֵנוּ הַמְּנוֹרָה נֹכַח הַשֻּׁלְחָן עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּקְדָּשׁ תֵּימָנָה מָשׁוּךְ חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, כִּי כֵן יַעֲלֶה הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן לְפִי מַה שֶּׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י לְשָׁם (שמות כו, לה), שֶׁהָיָה מָשׁוּךְ שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה כְּדִכְתִיבְנָא גַּבֵּי הַשֻּׁלְחָן אועיי”ש בהערה..
Therefore, in our depiction of the Sanctuary, we placed the Menorah opposite the Table on the southern side of the Sanctuary, 5 cubits from the wall. As explained above with regard to the Table,3See sec. 56. this measure is derived from Rashi’s commentary regarding the Sanctuary,4See Rashi, Shmos 26:35. which states that the Table was positioned 2 1/2 cubits from the wall.
וְהָרוֹצֶה לֵידַע תַּבְנִית הַמְּנוֹרָה בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט, יְעַיֵּן בפ"ג דִּמְנָחוֹת (מ"ז) בְּפֵרוּשׁ הָרַמְבָּ"ם זלה"ה.
One who desires to know the design of the Menorah as a whole and in detail should study the mishnah in Tractate Menachos,5Menachos 3:7. as explained by Rambam.6There are several differences between Rambam’s conception of the Menorah as reflected in the drawings that accompany the manuscript copies of his Commentary to the Mishnah and the popular illustrations. The most well-known is that Rambam maintains that the branches of the Menorah extended diagonally, not in a rounded form. Tosafos Yom Tov is emphasizing that Rambam’s conception should be adhered to.