Shalom,
In Menochos 88b, the Menorah is described as being made "Perokim".
According to Rashi's first pshat, the branches could be bent down for cleaning/refilling.
1) How do you understand this bending?
Surely the metal wasn't actually bent down and up? The metal would weaken after being moved many times.
Maybe there were some sort of wheels? Or tubes inside each other? Certainly not how we normally imagine the menorah being made by banging all around
2) How does Rashi translate "Perokim" in this pshat?
Kol Tuv
Meir Eliezer Bergman
Manchester UK
1) We must say that there are metals that are flexible but not brittle. Also, remember that it was only moved up and down once a day.
2) Rashi writes that when the Gemara states that the Menorah was of Perokim, this means that the rods of the candles could easily be moved up and down.
It seems to me that this can be compared to the Gemara Shabbos 47a which discusses whether one may reconstruct the bed of the "Tarsi'im" on Shabbos. Rashi explains that this refers to a travelling bed; a "Mitah Shel Perokim". So the word Perokim implies something which is movable. In the case of the bed, it presumably means that it is constructed of joints ("Chulyos") that fit together. Here, in Menachos, Rashi writes that the Menorah was not made out of "Chulyos"; "joint limbs"; (which is the more standard use of the word Perokim) but it is considered as Perokim for a different reason, namely because the rods were flexible.
To summarise, in this pshat Rashi translates "Perokim" as flexible.
The special property possesed by pure gold should be mentioned. It can be bent without breaking, and is so soft that it can be shaped into almost anything. In fact pure 24 karat gold is never used in jewellery as it is too flexible and will be bent. However in the light of this we can appreciate better what Rashi writes; that the rods of the Menorah can be bent and leaned downwards.
Dovid Bloom