Beha'aloscha
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken
"And G-d spoke to Moshe, saying, 'Speak to Aharon, and say to him, "when
you kindle the lights..."'" [8:1-2]
Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, quotes a fascinating Medrash: "Why is the
Torah portion concerning the Menorah found immediately following the
portion concerning the princes of the tribes [and their offerings during
the Dedication of the Tabernacle, at the end of Parshas Naso]? Because when
Aharon saw the dedication [offerings] of the princes, he was distressed
that neither he nor his tribe were included. HaShem said to him, 'By your
life, yours is greater than theirs, for you will kindle and prepare the
lights.'"
Yet the Ramban, Nachmanides, is puzzled by HaShem's "consolation" of
Aharon. What is the greatness of the lights, such that preparing and
kindling them would outweigh the offerings of the princes? Aharon and his
children the Cohanim, the Priests, were entrusted with many other unique
tasks, and the lighting of the Menorah seems unexceptional.
The Ramban concludes that this passage is deriving a hint from the Torah to
future events - to the dedication (Chanukah) which would occur during the
Second Temple by way of Aharon's descendants, the Chashmonaim (Hasmoneans,
the Maccabees). He then says that the Ran, Rabbeinu Nissim, found a Medrash
which says the same thing: "G-d said to Moshe, 'speak to Aharon, and say to
him, "there is another dedication which includes the kindling of the
lights, and I will do miracles and save Israel through the hands of your
children, and make a dedication which will be called by their name,"' and
this is the dedication of the Chashmonaim."
The Ramban writes that the Yelamdenu and Medrash Raba go still further, to
connect the kindling of the Menorah found after the offerings of the
Princes, to the Priestly Blessings mentioned before them, which we
discussed last week. Neither the blessings nor the lights were ever
nullified, even after the destruction of the Temple - so, says the Medrash,
it is to Aharon's honor and benefit that he was not included with the Princes.
Yet one may ask: we understand why G-d would want the priestly blessings to
apply for all eternity. But what is the great importance of the lighting of
the Menorah, that we need lights - even without sacrifices - throughout our
exile?
The Ohr Gedalyahu, Rabbi Gedalya Schorr zt"l, offers the following answer:
our Sages tell us that when the princes initially came to Moshe to offer
their sacrifices, he did not want to accept them, for no such sacrifices
had ever been offered. Only when G-d told him to take them, did he do so.
As such, the sacrifices have within them an element of Oral Law, an element
of Torah not found within the written text. So too, the Menorah - Aharon's
'consolation' which is still greater - symbolizes the burning light of
Torah, and on a Kabbalistic level draws down the ability to learn Torah, to
produce novel Torah ideas, into the world.
This light, we have learned, is eternal - for it is found within our
Chanukah lights. It is not only found in the Temple. Each of us, as we
light the Menorah, pulls from this same reservoir of energy and shines its
light into the world.
May each of us learn to truly draw from this source, brightening our homes
with the lights of the Chanukah candles at the appropriate time - and with
the light of Torah, throughout the year.
Good Shabbos!
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