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So that through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?
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Parshas Behaaloscha
The Lesson of the Menorah: Focus
The Torah
instructs Aharon and through him all of his successors, the High Priests
of Israel that when lighting the great menorah one should make certain
that the six outside lamps should all face into the center lamp. There
are various opinions amongst the commentators as to how this was to be
accomplished. The wicks were bent inwards or perhaps the lamps
themselves were tilted towards the middle lamp - or it could have been
that this was only one of the recurring miracles that defined the
Mishkan and later the Temple in Jerusalem. These are just some of the
ideas advanced to explain how this matter was in fact accomplished.
Be all of this as it may have been, the greater question obviously is what lesson is the Torah imparting to us by this instruction that the outside lamps should face the middle lamp. I think that the idea that the Torah wishes us to internalize is that the light of the holy menorah requires focus.
We know that in the physical world the more intense and concentrated
the focus of the light, the greater is its ability illuminate and
reveal. Diffused light creates mood and atmosphere but it does not
really show what lies before us. The light of the menorah is symbolic of
Torah in Jewish life. Torah,
its study, support and observance, requires focus and concentration. It
cannot serve its true purpose in our lives when it exists amongst us
only in a diffused and generalized sense.
Our rabbis taught us what the focus of Jewish life is and should be: Torah,
Godly service, human kindness and consideration for others. Other
causes are only to be granted diffused light and they, by themselves,
will not serve to erase the darkness of our existence and society. Every
human life, every family, even every educational and commercial
enterprise requires focus and concentration in order to be successful
and productive.
We all have priorities in our lives. These priorities become the
plans, actions and ideas that we focus our attention, talents and
resources upon. Judaism demands that we focus upon love and study of Torah and its observances. We should concentrate upon our daily conversation, so too speak – our prayer services – with our Creator.
We are required to serve God and do His bidding. And that requires
effort, sacrifice and devotion. It is perhaps the most challenging area
of our religious life - and demands total focus and concentration And
kindness towards others certainly requires focus. In theory, in a world
of diffused light, we all subscribe to the notions of good behavior,
social responsibility and charitable ideals. However when we are faced
with the individual test of performing a specific human kindness to a
specific human being we oftentimes shirk that responsibility.
Our focus is not present and thus we are prevented, not out of
malice but simply out of lack of concentration and devotion, from
performing the necessary act of kindness that lies before us. Thus the
lesson of the menorah is one of focus – the focus that will allow the
light of spirit and Godliness to light our way through our lives.
Shabat shalom,
Rabbi Berel Wein
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Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author and international lecturer
offers a complete selection of CDs, audio tapes, video tapes, DVDs, and
books on Jewish history at www.rabbiwein.com |
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Say Yes to Abba Yahweh and His Laws special in
this time when Abba Yahweh is 'testing' us:
Hab 1:12 Art thou not mikedem (‘everlasting’ also said of
Moshiach, indicating Moshiach’s eternal divine nature: Dan
7:14 And there was given Him
(Moshiach) dominion, and honor, and sovereignty, that all people, Goyim,
tongues, should pey-lammed-chet. [1](worship
as deity) (see Dan 3:12, serve, reverence as deity Him (Moshiach). His dominion
is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His (Messianic)
Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.]see Michoh 5:1[2]; Yahweh Elohai (my
Elohim) Kedoshi (my Holy One)? We shall not die. Yahweh, Thou hast appointed
them for mishpat (ordinance); O Tzur, Thou hast ordained them for reproof.
(Please read the whole book of HaNavi Habakuk)
Please take it serious what Abba Yahweh is telling us in:
Deu 18:15 Yahweh Eloheicha (your Elohim) will raise up unto thee a Navi
(prophet) from among thee, of thy achim (bretheren), kamoni (like me Exo
32:30 The next day Moshe said to the
people, "You have committed a terrible sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh;
maybe I will be able to atone for your sin."); unto him ye must listen;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou
desired of Yahweh Eloheicha (your Elohimin) Chorev in the Yom HaKahal (day of
the congregation), saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh Elohav
(your Elohim), neither let me see this eish hagedolah (‘great fire’) any more,
that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And Yahweh said unto me, They
have well-spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Navi
(prophet) from among their achim (brethren), like unto thee, and will put My
words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him
[Yn 10:18].
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass,
that whosoever will not listen unto My words which he shall speak Bishmi (in My
Name), I will require it of him.
Joh 8:28 Therefore, Rebbe, Melech
HaMoshiach said to them, When you perform the hagbah (lifting up) of
the Ben HaAdam, you will have da'as (knowledge) that Ani Hu [YESHAYAH
41:4; SHEMOT 3:14-16], and from myself I do nothing, but as HaAv (the Father)
of me taught me, these things I speak.
[1]
Dictionary of the Talmud. M. Jastrow p. 1178 פלח
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