Timeless Torah

Of all the ancient rituals associated with the Temple, the one most palatable to modern man is the lighting of the Menorah. So while we may wonder at animal sacrifices, the kindling of golden candelabra somehow makes sense. Nevertheless, this week's Midrash asks why G-d could possibly need light any more than He would require animal offerings.  read more »

The opening verses of this week's Torah portion, Beha-alotcha, obligate Aaron the High Priest in the daily lighting of the Temple Menorah. Paraphrasing the words of King Solomon, "The soul of man is the candle of G-d", Chassidic philosophy compares man's soul to a flame. Just as a flame flickers and rises constantly upwards - regardless of which way the candle is held - so too man's soul is forever seeking elevation.  read more »

This week’s Torah portion begins with the commandment that specifically Aaron light the Temple Menorah. That sounds fair. The other tribal princes had just been honored with inaugurating the Temple Altar, while the ‘poor’ Levites with their titular head, Aaron, had seemingly been ignored. One can imagine the disappointment, even the shame that Aaron must have felt. It therefore seems quite correct that compensation be given. Hence the mandate to Aaron, “Light the Menorah.”  read more »

Life is difficult. But then who said it shouldn’t be? Every morning, countless people rise from their bed only to face a slew of problems. Compare their day with the tzorres of those who cannot get out of bed. Why, we ask, does life have to be so hard? After all, did some oracle proclaim that life shouldn’t be easy? Of course, the loudest Voice of all, G-d.  read more »

“G-d spoke to Moshe in the second year of the Exodus from Egypt saying, ‘Let the children of Israel make the Pesach sacrifice at its proper time...’ There were men who were impure, due to contact with a dead man, and they could not make the Pesach sacrifice, and they came before Moshe and Aaron. They said, ‘We are impure due to contact with a dead man; why are we worse, that we should not bring a sacrifice before G-d in its time, amongst the children of Israel?’”  read more »

The moral should have been obvious. In this week's Torah reading, G-d had commanded the Israelites to offer the Passover sacrifice as they did a year earlier, on the eve of the Exodus. Now everything should have been fine and everyone should have followed instructions. Except that there was this one group of Jews who were in a state of ritual impurity, a state which prevented them from participating in the festival offering. Approaching Moses they protested, "Why should we be deprived? We too desire to serve G-d by bringing the lamb."  read more »

Moshe was extremely distressed. He, the greatest of all prophets, had totally purged himself of all physical desires. He had survived amongst the angels in his struggle to wrest the Torah from heaven; he lived apart from his wife and thus was truly married to his people and their G-d; and in his merit the spiritual wonder-bread called manna descended to feed the nation. But the complainers were not satisfied. Worse, they spurned the manna and asked for good, old-fashioned meat!  read more »

“The man Moshe was extremely humble...” is an impressive reference. Especially when one considers the source, the Torah of Truth itself. But that’s not all. Indeed, the latter part of the verse, “More than any person on the face of the earth!” is even more extraordinary. Try topping that!!  read more »