It Can Ring Like Fire When You Lose Your Way (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Franklin's Tower")

The end of the school year culminates in commencement activities.  When I was a kid, the only graduation ceremonies that mattered were High School, College/University. If a person attended graduate school, depending upon the timing, graduation might not even have mattered since that person had started working.   Now the world is a bit different now. My sister called me, her voice a little weepy, and told me that her daughter graduated from Kindergarten and she was brought to tears. We attended our daughter’s graduation from 8^th grade. Yes, school now have graduation exercises for students completing 8^th grade. I don’t really consider completing 8^th grade to be a major accomplishment a particularly high academic benchmark. Admittedly, I even tried to downplay it as our daughter was going through the preparations for her commencement activities.  That being said, accomplishments should be recognized, and, as my wife pointed out, sometimes the accomplishment is not the flash of brilliance from a standardized test, or a final exam. Sometimes accomplishment should be measured in being able to navigate the everyday grind and the consistency demanded in order to succeed.

This week we read the third parsha from The Book of Numbers, Parsha Be’Halotcha. In the previous two parshiot: Bemidbar and Naso, B’nai Yisroel takes a census and prepares for its upcoming journey from Sinai to Eretz Canaan. This week, the final preparations are ordered and executed and the departure from Sinai begins. Aaron, Moshe’s brother and the Kohen Gadol, lights the lamp for the Mishkan, the entire Levite tribe is purified, offerings made and their service for maintenance of the Mishkan begins. Final instructions for observing Pesach under these new conditions, (they were not leaving Egypt anymore nor had they arrived in the land) were offered, including the case of coming into contact with the deceased and becoming spiritually impure. The narrative tells us the manner in which B’nai Yisroel traveled: sheltered by a cloud during the day, and protected by a pillar of fire at night. Then the complaining begins. They complain about the Mannah. They complain about the food. They complain about Moshe’s leadership. Moshe’s sister complains about his wife.

The first few verses, from which the Parsha gets its name Be’Halotcha seem rather disconnected from the rest of the narrative. Rather, these first few verses seem more connected to the previous parsha that discussed the various responsibilities of each Levi family and gifts brought by the twelve tribal princes. Left out of last week’s parsha is the specific role of Aaron and his family.  So Aaron is given the job to light the Menorah, the Neir Tamid, the eternal light, every day.  Visually, it appears that Aaron turns on the lights of the Mishkan, the mobile worship station that was central to B’nai Yisroel’s social organization and theological understanding. Imagine the boss arriving so early that he/she turns on the lights every morning. According to the Talmud in Menachot 88, Aaron didn’t just light the Menorah, he had to clean the seven lamps out every morning prior to lighting the lamps. He would have to lean it over to clean it and the stand the Menorah back up prior to lighting. Every morning, cleaning the lamp and lighting the lamp was the first activity.  So it is interesting to note the word that the Torah uses to describe this process. Normally, the Hebrew word for “kindling a light” or “lighting a lamp” is LeHadlik.  On Shabbat, and on Holidays, when candles are lit the blessing uses the word Le’Hadlik Neir – kindling the lights. So why does the Torah use Be’Halotcha – literally “when you raise the lamps”? The Or HaChaim, the 18^th century Moroccan commentator, explains that the process of removing the lamps, cleaning them out, re-assembling the lamps upon the main stem, putting the lamp back to an upright position and finally lighting it is tantamount to building a new Menorah every day.  Six branches three on either side of the main trunk bent toward the middle flame were lit everyday reminding Aaron and all who entered into the Mishkan that there was one source of spiritual light. Perhaps that entire process, the awareness which occurred on an everyday basis, was much more than must striking a match and lighting a wick. Instead Aaron became aware that everything he did on a daily basis was really about elevating his soul.

Yes, our daughter graduated from 8^th grade this week. No we don’t think that “graduating” from 8^th grade is a particularly high academic benchmark. Sometimes she wasn’t exactly keen to wake up and go to school, and sometimes the educational process was not altogether so intellectually inspiring. However, there were moments, more often than not, where we saw our daughter’s intellect light up and she was looked forward to learning and studying. There were moments that we witnessed the ripening of an intellect being prepared for the rigors of high school and eventually, university. Perhaps most importantly, we watched our daughter become aware that every day presents an opportunity to learn, to become intellectually stimulated and engaged.  On Friday nights, sitting at the Shabbat table, when we have time to hear excitement about what she learned during the past week, we understand that over the course of a year, something more than just a kindling an intellectual light occurred. Instead we appreciate that the process has elevated her. Hopefully she appreciates the fact that she can elevate her mind everyday like lamps in the Menorah.

Peace,

Rav Yitz