"דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת"
'Speak to Aharon, and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.'
Rashi:
אל מול פני המנורה – נר האמצעי שאינו בקנים אלא בגוף המנורה.
יאירו שבעת הנרות – שעל ששת הקנים, שלשה מזרחיים (ה)פונים למול האמצע הפתילות שבהן וכן שלשה מערביים ראשי הפתילות למול האמצעי. ולמה כדי שלא יאמרו לאורה הוא צריך.
אל מול פני המנורה OVER AGAINST THE CANDLESTICK – i.e. over against the central lamp which is not on one of the branches, like the others, but on the body (the central shaft) of the candelabrum itself (cf. Menachos 98b).
יאירו שבעת הנרות SHALL THE SEVEN LAMPS GIVE LIGHT – the seven lamps: this central lamp itself which naturally gave light over against the shaft (the פני המנורה) and the six lamps which were on the six branches, viz., the three on the east side of the central shaft should have their wicks turned towards the central one, and similarly the three on the west should have the ends of their wicks turned towards the central one (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 59). And why was this? In order that people should not say: He (God) is in need of its (the candlestick's) light (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Beha'alotcha 5).
This is a HUUUUGE problem because it emerges according to Rashi that it is not SEVEN lights that are giving light in front of the candlestick [i.e. the central lamp] but SIX.
Uh oh!:-)!!
