28 Elul 5770 |
September 7 2010 |
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B’halotcha
This week’s parsha, B’ha'alot'cha, opens up with the instructions on the operation of the Menorah, the candelabra of the Temple. The Menorah is undoubtedly the most prominent of all vessels related in the service of the Temple. Indeed, it alone has accompanied the Jewish people throughout the exile in various capacities and significance including finding itself as the official emblem of the State of Israel.
The Menorah was not simply another routinely fashioned instrument, but rather, among the many specifications of the Menorah was that it must be fashioned entirely from a single piece of gold. That’s right, welding, molding and other forms of combining the various branches of the Menorah was not allowed. It had to expertly fashioned, including all its designs, from a single block of gold.
A THOUGHT
It was Aharon that was given responsibilities over the Menorah. Not only did this responsibility include arranging the lamps daily, but it included as well the responsibility of cleaning the Menorah! An important message: Don’t always think that ‘menial’ jobs, whether they are around the house or in the workplace are ‘below’ you. Being a part of every aspect of a project from the ground up, authoritatively and rightfully allows a greater feeling of association and accomplishment. Sure, it is simple to simply sit in a sukkah, but it is much more rewarding to sit in a sukkah that one has built with one’s own sweat.
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“The Levites are Mine”
Another important aspect of the parsha which continues to this day is the distinct status of the Levitical tribe. The Levites were drafted into the holy service at the age of 30 and then sent to mandatory retirement at the age of 50. Their training and apprenticeship began at the age of 25. Today Levites are distinguished by always receiving the second Aliyah at any Torah reading service, and are responsible as well for washing the hands of the Kohanim before the bestow their blessings.
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An interesting occurrence in this week’s parsha: On the first anniversary of the departure form Egypt the Jewish people were preparing to perform the special Passover offering. There was a problem however - there were many individuals who, for a variety of reasons, were impure and thus disqualified from taking part in the sacrifice. As such, the Torah tells us that in the event that one is impure on the date of the sacrifice, one would have the opportunity of bringing the identical sacrifice a month later - a day known as Pesach Sheini. Important message here: It’s never too late to accomplished missed goals.
An interesting occurrence in this week’s parsha: On the first anniversary of the departure form Egypt the Jewish people were preparing to perform the special Passover offering. There was a problem however - there were many individuals who, for a variety of reasons, were impure and thus disqualified from taking part in the sacrifice. As such, the Torah tells us that in the event that one is impure on the date of the sacrifice, one would have the opportunity of bringing the identical sacrifice a month later - a day known as Pesach Sheini. Important message here: It’s never too late to accomplished missed goals.
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Did You Know?
When Moshe was faced with the challenge on what to do with those who were impure and what role they would play in the upcoming Passover observance (above) his answer was more than clear: “I don’t know”. That’s right; Moshe himself did not know everything and had to consult with others (in this case, G-d). No one should ever be ashamed to admit that they do not know an answer to a particular situation.
Dvar Torah
The Menorah’s branches were separate, but fashioned from the same single block of gold. This teaches us that the diversity of the Jewish people do not detract from their fundamental unity. (Rabbi Menachem Schneerson)
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