Parasha Tetzaveh D’ Var Torah

Parasha Tetzaveh D’ Var Torah

Shabbat February 23, 2013 / Adar 13. 5773

Barry Fineman

27:21 Be'Okel Mo'ed mikhutz laparochet asher al-ha'edut ya'aroch oto Aharon uvanav me'erev ad-boker lifnei HASHEM chukat olam ledorotam me'et benei Yisrael.

Aaron and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over (the ark of) the Pact, (to burn) from evening to morning before G-D.  It shall be due from the Israelites for ALL time, through-out the ages.

Light; through-out our history, ‘light’ has played a very important and impactful part.  It started back in Genesis; Genesis 1:3 to 1:4, “G-d said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  G-d saw that light was good, and G-d separated light from darkness.

This Parsha (Torah Portion) continues G-D’s favor and meaning for ‘light’.  Aaron, his sons, and the Kohanim were obligated to tend to the lights of the seven-branched Menorah every morning and evening.  They were to light the wicks in the following order: working from the last light on the right side toward the center, and then working the last light on the left side toward the center. 

A little history and side track:  Italian Rabbi and scholar, Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno (1474ce to 1550ce), had this interpretation;

‘………No matter what direction, the central point means UNITY, in which all Jews, no matter their position, be it right, or be it left, must convene and rally.’ …… A UNITED FRONT or that of unison, and that of harmony.

In today’s modern era, so many good things depend on light- Let’s just look at life itself.  We look at light as reason, as of knowledge, and of redemption, and that of darkness of superstition, of ignorance, and death, and it seems rather easy to view this as conflicting powers, and some religions in-fact do; But Judaism has always stood firm by its convictions and laws that exist, and that of The creation of ONE G-D!

We, as Jewish people associate G-D with light! It is such a metaphor that seems so natural to describe our experience with the ‘DIVINE”, that of G-D. It started with Genesis when G-D created light.  We can feel that the action of Darkness to that of light is the purpose of G-d and G-D’s activities for humanity.  Simply, the Jewish task at hand….To diffuse the bitterness, the darkness of others, and share G-D’s truth amongst all, The Light!

Through-out Torah, through our Siddurim, through-out our prayers, we see over and over again, LIGHT.

“G-d created light”

“If your light we shall see light”

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light.”

Oh house of Jacob, come let us walk by the light of the eternal one.”

“The path of the righteous, is like that of the light of dawn………..”

Metaphorically speaking, Our ancestors and we as Jewish people can be viewed as that very olive oil that Aaron, his sons, and the Kohanim used in that very 1^st Menorah, as the that very oil provided that faithful light, and we as Jews give and receive light from our love of G-D and our faith!

I believe, that every Jewish Heart and every Jewish soul, there is a Ner Tamid, an eternal light that burns from with-in, not just when we are in Shul during times of worship, but also out and about in daily life, in our actions, in our words, in our feelings, in our manner, in our faith, deep within our very own Jewish hearts and souls.

-Amen-