Tetzaveh - You Are The Light

Tetzaveh -  You Are The Light!
March 10/11, 2017
   

27:21   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.  It shall be due from the Israelites for ALL time, throughout the ages.

 Aaron, his sons, and the Kohanim were obligated to tend to the lights of the seven-branched Menorah every morning and evening; THE LIGHT!  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.

 Here’s 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, 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"  (Barry Fineman).

 In today’s modern era, so many good things depend on light- Let us look at life itself.  We look at light as reason, as of knowledge, as of growth, a new idea, and of redemption, and that of darkness of superstition, of ignorance, and death, and it seems rather easy to view this as conflicting power, and some religions in-fact do;  Judaism has always stood firm by its convictions and laws that exist.

“I see the light”; it is such a metaphor in today’s modern language and seems so natural to describe our life experiences. We can feel that the action of Darkness vs. to that of Light is metaphorically speaking or implying of Non-change, rigidness, uniformity, slow action, invariability, indifference vs.  growth in humanity, happiness, openness, progressiveness, learning, and positivity.  Simply, the task at hand……...To diffuse the bitterness, the darkness of others, and share OUR OWN Light with others!  Help another, build up the world, lend a hand, share a smile, love another………

Throughout Torah, felt in our thoughts, written in our books, and most definitely throughout, we see repeatedly, LIGHT.

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

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

……………….is like that of the light of dawn………..”

 Metaphorically speaking once again, our ancestors, and we as humans can be viewed as that very olive oil that Aaron, his sons, and the Kohanim used in that very 1st Menorah, as that very oil provided the absolute light of hope and array of what needed to transpire for growth and successes.  We give and receive light from our love to one another, hand in hand!  I believe, that every heart and within ourselves, there is a Ner Tamid, an eternal light that burns from within, not just when we are in deep thought, but also out and about in daily life (or at least it should indeed), in our actions, in our words, in our feelings, in our manner, and is very deeply embedded within each and everyone one of us, but not always practiced!  Discover it, practice it, utilize it, share it, comprehend it, AND put it into action!