ONE MAY NOT BUILD THINGS LIKE IN THE MIKDASH
What is b'Tavnis Heichal?
Rashi: It has the same height, length and width as the Heichal
What is an Achsadra?
Rashi: It is a house open on one side. The same applies to the Ulam.
Tosfos: The Ulam had four walls (Midos 4:6)! Its opening was 40 Amos tall and 20 Amos wide, and there were five planks over it. An Achsadra has only three walls, like is clear from what we say below and in Bava Basra (25a), that the world resembles an Achsadra! Because its opening was so big, and it did not have doors, it seemed like an Achsadra; it appeared to be open on one side.
Why is a candelabra of seven branches forbidden from metals other than gold?
Rashi: It is Kosher [b'Di'eved] for the Mikdash.
Why are the branches on the iron Menorah called Shipudim?
Tosfos: It is because they did not have cups, buttons and flowers. These are only when it is of gold.
Here it says that they made a Menorah of iron. The Ramban (Sof Yisro) says that due to "Ki Charbecha Hanafta Aleha va'Techaleleha", the Yesodos (NOTE: Adanim, i.e. sockets for beams that held up curtains around Chatzer ha'Mishkan - PF) were of copper, even though [physically,] iron is better!
Daf Al ha'Daf: The Ramban said that also in the Beis ha'Mikdash, the only Klei Shares of iron were knives, because Shechitah is not an Avodah. Kli Chemdah says that he did not mention knives in the Mishkan, for we hold like R. Akiva, that Besar Nechirah (killing via the Simanim, without Shechitah) was permitted in the Midbar. If so, why was Shechitah required in the Mishkan? It was an Avodah, so it needed a Kli Shares, so the knives could not be of iron. The Ramban holds that in the Mikdash, even though Shechitah is not Avodah, it requires a Kli Shares l'Chatchilah! We must say that since its purpose is not for Avodah, it may be of iron. The same applies to the Menorah. It is the ultimate Kli Shares, but it is for the sake of Avodah. One could understand the Ramban to say that also in the Mishkan, knives could be of iron.
Why does the first Tana say that the Chashmona'im made a wooden Menorah?
Rashi (Rosh Hashanah 24b): They were very poor, and could not make it from gold. (NOTE: When they became richer, they made a silver Menorah. i.e. initially, they could not make it even from silver! Also, gold is soft. Perhaps one must smelt it a long time before it is strong enough to support its own weight! For the Menoros, Shlomo put gold in the smelting pot 1000 times (29a)! - PF)
Aruch l'Ner citing Mizrachi: First they made a wooden Menorah, which is not Mekabel Tum'ah, for they were Temei'im.
DESIGNS ON THE MENORAH
What is the source that the Menorah was 18 Tefachim tall?
Tosfos: Some say that R. Tam learns from the Senifim by the Shulchan, which were for Lechem ha'Panim. They were 18 Tefachim tall, and the Menorah was to illuminate on the Shulchan.
Tosfos: R. Tam never said so. The Senifim were even with (the same height as) Lechem ha'Panim, and according to R. Meir, the Shulchan was Mekadesh [Lechem] 12 Tefachim above itself, and R. Yehudah holds that it was Mekadesh 15 Tefachim. The Shulchan itself was one and a half Amos tall. All agree that the top loaves were more than 18 Tefachim above the ground!
Where were the cup, button and flower in the sixth Tefach?
Rashi (according to Shitah Mekubetzes): Each was on a different side. (NOTE: E.g. each occupied a third of the circumference. Tosfos says that they were all in one Tefach. i.e. he holds that they were one above the other. - PF)
What shape are cups of Alexandria?
Rashi: They are made in Alexandria of Egypt; they are long and narrow.
What shape are apples of Karti?
SMaG (Ase 163): Their width exceeds their thickness. The Rambam says that they are a little long, like an egg; both ends are pointy.
Daf Al ha'Daf: The Rambam (Hilchos Beis ha'Bechirah 3:2) says that the buttons and flowers on each branch were Meshukadim (with almond shapes). Granted, on the central branch, "Arba'ah Gevi'im Meshukadim Kaftoreha u'Fracheha", the Gemara did not resolve whether Meshukadim refers to the cups (written before it) or the buttons and flowers (written after it); he is stringent about both of them (Mishneh l'Melech). However, it says about the other branches "Sheloshah Gevi'im Meshukadim b'Kaneh ha'Echad Kaftor va'Ferach" - only the Gevi'im are Meshukadim! Derech Chochmah on the Rambam, citing Ma'aseh ha'Melech - since our Gemara asked 'what did the buttons [and flowers] resemble?', this implies that all of them were the same. Derech Chochmah - this is wrong. The Gemara asked only about the form, but not about other matters!