Rabbi
Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi,
Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance
Counselor – ASHAR
Principal
– Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
STAM
TORAH
TETZAVEH 5776
“INTERNAL FLAME”
Naftali was a
hard-working innkeeper - honest, respected, and well-liked. For years he made a
respectable living and made sure to pay his rent to the Poritz on time. But
then, all at once, business took a turn for the worse. People stopped flocking
to the inn and one month Naftali found himself without money to pay the Poritz.
After years of faithful
prompt payment the Poritz agreed to extend his debt for a few weeks. But when
another month went by and things only became worse, Naftali began to feel
desperate. He knew he only had one option, to run for his life.
He and his family furtively
loaded a wagon with as much of their belongings as they could pack onto it. The
Poritz had gone to a spa up north. They hoped to be far away before he
returned.
However, after only two
hours of travel, Naftali was seized with terror. On the road headed his way,
was unmistakably the Poritz's elegant carriage. Suddenly an idea entered his
head. He pulled the reins and drew the horse to a halt, and waited for the Poritz's
carriage to reach him. He offered up a short prayer that his scheme work.
"We are just going
to stay with relatives for the holiday. When we come back, I'll be sure to
bring the money I owe to you," he told the Poritz.
"Holiday ?"
echoed the Poritz. "I thought I knew all about your Jewish holidays. What
special day do you have now?"
"It's the Festival
of Flight," answered Naftali.
"The Festival of
Flight? I don't remember that one. It doesn't really matter; just make sure
that you come to me as soon as you're back home."
The Poritz seemed
satisfied so Naftali bid him farewell and quickly sped off. Before he returned home
the Poritz stopped at the market. While there he saw many Jews conducting their
business. He stopped one of them, "Tell me, when is this 'Festival of the
Flight' that my tenant told me about, as he sped away to his relatives for the
holiday? If it’s a holiday why are you all still working?”
The Jew quickly realized
what had occurred and answered wittily. "The Festival of Flight is an
unusual holiday, for each person must choose when to celebrate it. Your tenant
obviously felt that this is the most opportune time for him to celebrate it. That's
how the Festival of Flight is; each person knows when it's just the right time
for him to keep it best."
“Now you shall command the Children of Israel that they shall take
for you pure, pressed olive oil for illumination, to kindle the lamp
continually. In the Tent of Meeting… Aaron and his sons shall arrange it from
evening until morning, before G-d, an eternal decree for their generations,
from the Children of Israel
The Menorah is of the most cherished symbols in Judaism[3]. The
light of the Menorah represents the spiritual light of Torah, the source of the
vitality of Klal Yisroel.
In discussing the laws of the lightning of the Menorah, Rambam
writes[4] “The
cleaning of the Menorah and the preparation of its lights every morning and
every evening is a positive commandment, as it says, “Aaron and his sons shall
arrange it from evening until morning”. Rambam continues by discussing the
process for cleaning the menorah and preparing the new candles.
It is fascinating that Rambam writes that it is not the lighting
of the Menorah which is a positive commandment, but rather the cleaning out
of the previous day’s candles in preparation for the new lighting that is a
commandment. In fact, Rambam[5] rules
that although only a Kohain is permitted to prepare the candles of the Menorah
for the lighting, a non-Kohain is permitted to actually light the candles of
the Menorah[6].
Prima facie, one would think the primary focus of the Menorah is
the actual lighting of its candles. Thus if there were to be any part of the
Menorah’s service which should require a Kohain’s involvement it would be the
lighting itself. The preparation and cleaning out of the previous day’s ashes
and wicks would seem to be no more than a means to enable the lighting to take
place. Yet Rambam writes that the opposite is true.
What is the logic and deeper message that lies here?
Rabbi Chaim Vital zt’l explains[7] that
there are four fundamental energy sources in this world that comprise all of
creation: Fire, water, wind, and dust. Similarly, a person’s character traits
are based on these energy sources[8].
The ‘fire’ of one’s personality has a positive component and a
negative component. When used improperly one who possesses a fiery personality
has an unmitigated temper which can flare easily and dominate his entire
personality. When used properly however, such a person displays boundless
passion and an unyielding drive and ambition for spiritual growth. He has, the
proverbial, ‘fire in his soul’.
Fire is also a source of light. There are two ways for one to
obscure the light of a fire: by extinguishing the fire with water, or by placing
some sort of separation near the fire to blot out the light.
The amount of light that will be blocked depends on the separation.
If one uses a threadbare cloth to block the fire a fair amount of light will
continue to shine through. The thicker and coarser the cloth is the less light
will be able to penetrate beyond it.
The fire in our souls is
pure and holy. But one who chooses to surround and involve himself with the
pleasures of this world can obscure the light that burns within him.
Perhaps the central point reiterated numerously in sefer Tanya[9] is
that every person possesses an inner fire. We do not need love for Torah and G-d
to be implanted within ourselves, because we already possess it internally. Our
souls are “a portion of G-d above[10]”.
Fire symbolizes our souls because just as a fire seems to dance upwards, so too
our souls yearn to reconnect to their upper source. Therefore our task is to
remove the impediments which douse our inner fire and enervate our ability to
feel our innate drive for spiritual holiness. Therefore, we don’t need to
create new fires; we merely need to fan the fire which is already there.
Our nature is that if we remain placid and stationary for too long
we became overgrown and caked with grime and rust. Just as chimneys of old and
kerosene lamps need to be cleaned, so too the fire in our souls needs to be
kept pristine and pure.
In parshas Beha’aloscha the Torah repeats that Aharon must light
the Menorah daily. “When you make the candles ascend, toward the face of the
Menorah, shall the seven candles cast light.[11]” The
gemara explains that the obligation was for Aharon to hold the fire next to the
wick “until the flame rises by itself.”
The primary service of the Menorah was not to ‘put a new fire in’
as much as it was to ‘draw the fire out’, i.e. to enable the flame ‘to rise by
itself’. The actual kindling of the candles of the Menorah did not require a
Kohain because that was not the primary focus of the service. Rather, the main effort
of the Kohain was centered on ensuring that there was no grime or leftover ash
which might impede the new candle’s light.
The light of the Menorah reflects the light within every one of
us. That light is pre-supplanted. Our task is to ensure that no foreign
elements dim its ethereal glow.
A speck of dirt on one’s clothing is unsightly and annoying; a
speck of dirt on one’s glasses however, is intolerable, because it affects
everything he sees. The external dirt that remains in the cups atop the Menorah
symbolizes the spiritual dirt we allow to gather around our internal spiritual
flame.
The lighting of the Menorah symbolizes that we do not need to
bring in inspiration as much as we need to keep out foreign influences. If a
person allows his mind to become filled with nonsense and spiritual grime his
inner light will easily became obscured. In order to stir the embers he must
begin to remove those foreign materials.
The holiday of Chanukah in known as ‘the Holiday of Light’.
However, before one can truly appreciate and take advantage of that light he
must celebrate ‘the Holiday of Flight’. The more one is able to flee and divest
himself of the impurities that abound, the more he will be able to connect and
see the luminescent light that shines within himself.
“Aaron and his sons shall arrange it”
“Until the flame rises by itself.”
[1] 27:20-21
[2] The following thoughts are based
on a lecture given by Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky in the Yeshiva of Greater
Washington
[3] On
the Arch of Titus in Rome there is a depiction
of Jewish prisoners carrying the Menorah as they were being carted off to Rome
[4] Hilchos Temidin Umusafin 3:10
[5] Hilchos Bias Mikdash 9:7
[6] The only issue is that the
Menorah was in the sanctuary and a non-kohain may not enter the sanctuary. But
if he were able to find a long enough candle that would reach from outside the
sanctuary to the menorah, a non-kohain would be permitted to light the Menorah.
[7] Sha’ar Hakedusha
[8] For
example, a lazy person is dominated by ‘dust’, while an impulsive person is
dominated by ‘water’.
[9] Authored by the great Rabbi
Schneur Zalman of Liadi 1745-1812, the founder of Chabad Chassidus. The Tanya
is said to be the equivalent of the “Written Torah” of Chassidic philosophy.
[10]
לקוטי מוהר"ן, חלק א', סימן רו
[11] Bamidbar 8:2
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