21 Jun Parshas Beha’alotcha, (‘to raise up’); Secrets to Lighting the Menorah Candles
Inspired by the teachings of Chassidut and Kabbalah of HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
In parshas Beha’alotcha Aaron inaugurates the eternal flames of the 7 branch Menorah as he was commanded to do “until the fire blazes up by itself”.
The universe was created with Fire. A byproduct of fire is carbon. Carbon is abundant in creation. Life on earth would not be possible without carbon. All things in the created world contain carbon. Every part of man is made up of chains of carbon atoms, which is why man is known as a ‘carbon-based life-form’.
Beha’alotecha is translated as “when you kindle,” which literally translates as “when you raise”, as in when the flame rises up, showing an intimate connection with last weeks parsha Naso, ‘to raise’
Aaron had a specific duty in his service in the Mishkan. It was Aaron who completed the Menorah by lighting and thus inaugurating the Menorah. Although it was a mitzvah to build the Menorah, it was deemed a separate Mitzvah that Aaron lights and inaugurates the Menorah.
Each time the Menorah was lit, it was Aaron’s specific duty to clean, assemble, add olive oil and light the menorah. Each time the Menorah was re-assembled and lit, it was considered as a new Menorah (as is the lighting of the Chanukiah), and a ‘new’ mitzvah each time the menorah was lit throughout the journey of the exile to the coming of Mashiach.
It is our teaching that every mitzvah, even when done repeatedly is new each time as we are new and continually recreated (reborn) through service to G-d.
737 and the Secrets of Lighting the Candles
There is a powerful connection between Aaron lighting the menorah and a meditation of reference to the Shema. The Hebrew word for flame is ‘shelhavet’ and has a gematria (numerical value) of 737. In the Shema, we say ‘with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might… B’chol levavcha, uvechol nafshecha uvechol me’odecha’. The numerical value of this phrase from the Shema and the word for flame ‘shalhevet have the same gematria of 737. Both share the concept of raising up.
Lighting Candles at Home
There is an idea that although in a matrimonial home the woman lights the Shabbos/Yom Tov candles, the husband to promote unity with his wife should in some way participate in the lighting of the candles. One of the ways he may do this is something called preparing or ‘bettering the wick’.
To ‘better the wick’ the husband briefly pre-lights the candles before Shabbos, then extinguishes them. This, like the act of the Fire of Creation, creates a wick that has now become ‘carbonized’ and like the carbons building blocks of the creation of the universe, the carbonized wick will more quickly and easily attract and receive (the wife’s) flame as ‘the Courtship of the Candles’.
Courtship of the Candles; Nurturing Unity and Shalom Beit
When we light one candle from another we ought not touch the wicks together but allow the unlit wick the opportunity to gently ‘receive’ the flame from the lit candle or original flame used to light).
It is when the flame is ‘received’ ( gently drawn close as it the flame is being transferred ) by the newly lit candle and both flames are burning independently strong so that they then are nurtured together to unite and rise high, giving birth to one united strong flame.
It is then the candle has been properly lit. The flame used to light ‘gives’ light to the unlit candle, and the candle to be lit ‘receives’ it in an action referred to in Chassidut as ‘touching – yet not – touching’.
When the lighting flame is close but not touching the wick, the wick will seemingly reach out to bring the flame close to it. This is a gentle nurturing meditative process to lighting candles and to nurturing others.
The key to the unity and power of one single unified flame is that the candles become ‘both-and-equally givers and receivers’… and they do so simultaneously.
This ‘courtship of the candles’ is a metaphor for elevating many interactions in life. Like a husband and wife who individually-and-together form one new nishama of unity (yichud), or like a Jew who helps another to ignite the light within the heart of another Jew to help him burn bright and strong. This is especially so for those in matters of distress such as Addiction and other maladies.
The first step is we must nullify ourselves to bring someone close and receive them with loving kindness in order that the sparks within them may be ignited and they may receive the light.
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
lawrencelax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com