TorahParsha

The Menorah and Terrorism - from the Forward

For this Chanukkah, the political climate being what it is, I've written a piece for the Forward about the Menorah and terrorism--and about a friend I lost to tragedy.

 

You can read it here.

 

I hope you find it meaningful. 

 

 

Wishing you much light,

 

Abe

Why the Menorah is like all of us

 

(for Parshat Terumah)

 

i

The nation of Amalek comes to attack. Moses goes up to the hilltop, carrying his staff. Aaron and Hur go up with him. And Moses lifts his hand up.

And as Moses would lift up his hand, the people would overcome Amalek. But Moses’ hands grew heavy.

So Aaron and Hur helped Moses’ hands—one holding from here and one from here, and Moses’ hands hold steadfast until the sun sets.

*

The raised hand is the sign of an oath.

 (God swears years later: I will raise My hand to Heaven.)

The people overcome and are strong in the sign of the oath, in the steadfastness of a raised hand—

in the steadfastness of holding each others’ hands up.

 

ii

Aaron’s two hands from here, and Hur’s two hands from here, and Moses’ two hands and his staff in the center, all steadfast—

it is like the Menorah, the  seven-branched Candelabra in the Temple:

three branches from one side and three from the second side, the seventh pole at the center,

all seven lit continually, for all generations.

*

Our source of light

is like our source of strength:

many uniting together, sharing together for the long work.
 

 

____

Shabbat Shalom, Abe

____

Note: Aaron and Hur holding with two hands is my presumption; the text only says they “helped Moses’ hands.” But I think the fundamental parallel in structures stands regardless.

____

Please pray for the premature infant  Baer Yakov ben Emunah. Please pray for Fievel ben Chaya, Ahuvah Rachel bat Orah and for Rachel Tovah bat Yehudit Esther.

 

For Parshat B'HaAlotcha

What is Light?

 

i

In the Beginning, God said: Let there be Light.

And there was Light.

And God separated the Light from the Darkness.

He separated the waters above from the waters below.

He gathered the waters to one place, so dry land would appear.

He saw that what He had made was very good.

*

Having made Light, God separates light from darkness, above from below, dry land from water.

And Light sheds light, clarifying differences.

In this clarification God creates.

 

ii

God commands how the High Priest will light the Menorah—the candelabra—in the Temple.

Then God says: you must separate the Levites from among the Children of Israel.

The Levites will serve in the Temple.

And the Levites will stand in place of the firstborn—whom God had sanctified to Himself, in Egypt, as He struck the firstborn of Egypt down but passed over the firstborn of Israel.

*
Here is light.

Here, too, is separation: firstborn from other children, Israel from Egypt, Levites from the rest of Israel.

*

God illuminates distinctions in the universe, creating a universe.

God says to us: you, too, will illuminate.

You must illuminate distinctions—uniqueness—amongst peoples, creating humanity.

 

 

___________

Shabbat Shalom, Abe

 

___________

See Gen 1:1 – 2:3; Num. 8:1-22

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Please continue to pray for Ahuvah Rachel bat Orah, and for Rachel Tovah bat Yehudit Esther

The Schedule of God

God commands that the priests are to light the Menorah in the Mishkan, the place where God will dwell among the Children of Israel.

God says: The priests shall order the flames there, from evening to morning.

God says: the Menorah is to burn always; the priests are to light the Menorah in this way this forever.

*
That is God's introduction to the role of the priests in the Mishkan.

ii
The Mishkan is the dwelling-place of God among Israel.

The priests' first role there is the lighting of the Menorah lights, daily, from evening to morning and forever.

This is the beginnings of how the priests make God dwell among us.

*
God comes to us when we make a schedule out of Light.

[This may have been based on a lecture of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein.]

~~~~~