Shine

This teaching from Torah.org reminded me of the song we used to sing after Torah study. “You are the light of the world, let your light shine before all men, that they may see your deeds and glorify thy Father in heaven. The lamp is the mitzvah, the light it shines is the Torah”. Thanks for lighting up my world. Hope all is well with you all, much shalom, emunah and ahavah.

Our reading this week began with a command to Aaron regarding the lighting of the Menorah. The Torah does not say that Aaron should "ignite" the candles, similar to the blessing when lighting candles on Shabbos or Chanukah, but that he should "make them go up." To truly ignite a light is to ensure that each flame is capable of continuing to burn on its own.

"Ki Ner Mitzvah v'Torah Ohr, the mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is the light" (Proverbs 6:23). We share the obligation to turn on the lights in every soul. Every holy spark, every soul can become a flame, and all we must do is help to ignite it. This is true in all ways, but in Torah most of all. Not only to ignite the light, but to hold the candle steady until the flame burns on its own.

How we do that is different for every person, but it can be as simple as passing along an interesting Torah thought that you downloaded from Torah.org or elsewhere. As light to the nations it is our duty to see that each and every soul be ignited and inspired with the light of Torah until each one is a dedicated flame carried into the future.

." As it says in Mishleh 6:23, "The mitzvah is like a candle and the Torah is light." This can be understood by reflecting on the soul's relationship to the body. The energy of the soul spreads itself out through all the limbs of man. What's more, as the body grows and expands, so to the neshama spreads further and provides more energy to the limbs. As it says in the holy Zohar (Parshat Vayeshiv 197:1) on the verse from Zachariah 12:1 "Hashem creates the spirit of man within him." Meaning, that the neshama grows as it provides more energy to the growing body. Thus, there is a constant aspect of the creation of the soul, as new dimensions of the neshama are being formed while the neshama is within the person.

May the Master of Prayer
find us faithful.
May He come
swiftly and soon in our days.
Amen and Amen, Elisheva Amaris