By Marco Del Monte
One of the topics of the weekly parashah is the lighting of the menorah lamps. Already in Parashat Emor (Leviticus 24:3) the lighting of the lamps is discussed, specifying that they are to be kept constantly burning “before Hashem”. The Talmud asks in Masechet Shabbat 22b: “Does Hashem really need this light? We see that for the forty years in the desert, the pillar of fire coming from Hashem Himself provided them with light!”
The Talmud answers: "The kindling of the candelabrum testifies to humanity that the Divine Presence rests in Israel." The Talmud continues by asking: "What is this testimony? The fact that the western lamp, in which the measure of oil placed was the same measure of oil placed in the other lamps, nevertheless ignited the others from it every day and concluded with it, that is, the westernmost lamp continued to burn all day after all the others had gone out." The Shemen Rosh, based on a teaching of the Chiddushei HaRim, compares this miraculous light to another miraculous light, namely that of the daughter of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. It is written in the Talmud in Masechet Taanit 25a: "One evening on the eve of Shabbat, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa saw that his daughter was sad. He said to her: My daughter, why are you sad? She said to him: I confused a vessel of vinegar with a vessel of oil to kindle the Shabbat lamp. He said to her: My daughter, what are you worried about? He who said to oil that it must burn can say to vinegar that it must burn. A Tanna taught that that lamp remained lit continuously all day until Havdalah." Why associate these two examples of luminous kindling? It is written that our Soul is called "Ner", "light", as it is said (Proverbs 20:27): "For the lamp of Hashem is the soul of man." Perhaps one of the meanings of the light that must constantly be before Hashem is represented by the soul of man, which must always and constantly be kindled before Hashem. There are various types of people, some refined like pure oil coming from the first drops of pressing; others like the vinegar of the lamps of the house of Rabbi Chanina. It does not matter who you are, or feel you are, precious oil or vinegar, you can always "Kindle yourself" before Hashem; He who gives the strength to oil to burn can also give it to vinegar, and even when the other lights around you are about to run out, try to be like that western lamp whose strength becomes the source of their rebirth—this will testify forever that the Divine Presence dwells in that place! Many will try to extinguish the lights, but they do not know that the Light is a Ner Tamid, that is, an Eternal Light! And remember that famous story of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter that "as long as the Light is lit, it is possible to repair."
Good Kindling
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach!
Translated from the Italian with Google Gemini. The Italian text is the original.