בס''ד
The Menorah. Symbol of Judaism throughout the generations, fuelled in the
Mishkan by the purest, pressed olive oil, illuminating the world with its
radiant spiritual luminosity. The Medrash Rabbah offers an incredible
insight into the rationale that G-d gives for instructing the Jewish people to
bring said oil, informing Moshe that it needed to be so, not because He
required the light (as H e so
patently did not) but rather so that they should be able to cast light for Him,
just as He does for them. This is a rather curious idea that requires
further ‘enlightenment’!
By means of explanation the Medrash brings
the analogy of a fully sighted person who assists a blind person along their
way, and then upon entering the house of their destination, requests from the
blind person to ignite a flame to provide light for him. This would not be because he could not
perform the act himself, but rather because he wanted the blind person to feel less
indebted to him for his assistance up until that point, and be able to repay
the favour in some way. So too Hashem in
His infinite benevolence, wanted in some small part, to make us feel less beholden
to Him for the phenomenal gift of light that He has bestowed upon us, by
tasking us with the contribution of the Menorah’s oil.
This profound idea is expanded upon
by Reb Yerucham Leibovitz zt’l who highlights the oft encountered tendency for
a person to refuse any reciprocation of kindness when one has done a favour for
another. At first glance this seems an
act of sincere altruism, and in some cases this might indeed be true. But on many occasions the true motive is to
leave oneself in a position of superiority and the other remaining obligated to
you. This may not be a fully conscious
decision that one makes, but careful introspection will help you to reveal its
veracity. The Torah, in its consummate adherence
to understanding the feelings and needs of all, teaches us that contrary to
what may seem obvious, the greatest gift that one can give to another is to
allow that act of repayment and to let the person you have helped regain their
sense of self-worth and equal status to you.
G-d clearly did not require that light and perhaps we sincerely need no
payment in kind for the good we have done. But if we are truly people who
desire the best for others, the greatest feat of giving we can carry out may be
to open our hands and take.
May we give to Shabbos as much as we
take from it.
לעילוי נשמת לאה
בת אברהם
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