 I absolutely LOVED this quote from Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman in an email from The Kehot Publication Society this week. It speaks to my soul in such a deep way, and reminds me of a song I wrote years ago about being a lamp stand. We are all lamp stands, really, and life is all about the light we reflect around us: "Speak
to Aaron and say to him: 'When you kindle the lamps, be sure to place
the wicks in these spouts so the seven lamps shine toward the central
shaft of the candelabrum.' " (Chumash Bamidbar 8:2) When you kindle the lamps: This phrase can be read to mean "When you ascend with the lamps." In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon compares the G-d's
commandments to an oil lamp: "For a commandment is a lamp." The
lamp-apparatus comprises several parts: the vessel, the oil, the wick,
and the flame. Nonetheless, the essence and purpose of the lamp is not
its physical apparatus but the light that shines from it." These are the opening words and hidden meanings in our weekly Torah portion, and they are special to me. And here are a few additional words from LChaimWeekly.org, also from an email this week: "The commandment to kindle the menora is symbolic of every Jew's obligation to involve himself with others and exert a positive influence on everyone with whom he comes in contact. All of us are commanded to ignite the Divine spark in our fellow Jews and light up our surroundings." Let's all do it with our Shabbos candles tonight - let's exert a positive influence in the world by igniting light in our surroundings. |
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