Discussion around our dinner table this week focused on our daughters’ lamenting about all the studying they needed to do to prepare for their final exams. For discussions of this nature, I usually remain quiet. Usually, my lack of a response annoys my wife or my daughters. If pushed enough I will look up and smile and say that rather than complaining about the task before them, they should use their energy to do the work. Then I try to change the subject to current events, to the world outside our home, and our children’s complaints about school. So before I could actually change the subject, both of our daughters began talking about Roseanne Barr, her twitter comment, ABC’s response, and just exactly who is Valerie Jarret. I told them who Valerie Jarret is. They took out their phones to show us and to read to us the racially offensive tweet that Roseanne Barr sent. We discussed the fact that the “Roseanne”, Barr’s highly rated sitcom was canceled within three hours of the tweet. I asked them what they thought of Roseanne’s apology, the President’s and the White House’s silence on the issue, and the fact that even Sean Hannity thought the comments were racist, abhorrent, and that The Roseanne show should have been canceled. I was curious what our kids thought about the comments, the ABC response, and what would allow a public persona with so much to lose to suspend judgment, or civic decency even for a moment, and make such a statement on social media?
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 18th-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 trunk bent towards the middle flame were lit every day 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 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.
Over the course of several dinners this week, we came back to the Roseanne comments, the fallout and the question I asked regarding why do we think a public persona with so much at risk (a television show and millions of dollars) could possibly think it was all right to say. Our daughters said that over the past couple of years, it seems that leaders, whether in business, entertainment or even the politics have been saying and doing incredibly inappropriate things. They also thought that social media has made it so much easier for people to share unfiltered thoughts. Finally, they felt that leaders, leaders in the community, in business and even the country set the tone. If a leader doesn’t do the hard work of filtering their words, doing their work, cleaning their “house”, then the light they reflect will enlighten no one but rather cast a pall upon society. Then our daughter’s reminded me that the next time they complain about all their work and studying for finals, that I should at least express a little empathy before I tell them to toughen up, buckle down, work hard and do your best.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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