Shabbat Table Talk

Parashat Tetzaveh

Erev Shabbat, 10 March 2006
Week of 5 to 11 March
Torah portions: Ex. 27:20-30:10
Haftarah: I Sam. 15:2-15:34
Readings for Sunday, 12 March: Gen. 22-1-2, 9-13; Rm. 8:31-34; Mk. 9:2-10

"Thou thyself command the children of Israel to bring thee. Pure oil of pounded olive for lighting.
To cause the lamp to burn continuously" (Ex. 27:20)

These opening words of Moses from this week's parashah give us the image of lighting the oil lamp of the Menorah in the Tabernacle or tent of meeting. It symbolized worship, the study of the Torah and observing the commandments and the precepts of the Lord. These words were placed here even before the completion of the Sanctuary construction and the naming of Aaron and his sons as priests of the temple to highlight the importance of light. God has obviously no need of light. God is the source of the light, the source of all that exists. The purpose of the kindling of the Menorah is to provide light for Moses and the Kohanin when they enter the Mishkan. Light is a familiar motif in the prophetic and wisdom literature, beginning with the Creation account, "Let there be light." The Torah itself is compared to light. "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah a light" (Prov. 6:23) and Israel is destined to be a light to the world: "Nations shall walk by the light" (Isa. 60:3). The Almighty too is the light of the individual person: "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Ps.27:1), and also the light of Israel: "Arise my light, for the light cometh and the glory of the Lord doth shine upon thee" (Isa. 60:1). So the command to kindle the Menorah in the Temple of the Lord was to "fill the house with light." Thus the necessity of creating an atmosphere for prayer and achieving Divine communion was emphasized. We are told that God spoke to Moses during the day, (Ex. 6:28), and Meshekk Hokkmad points out that while the lamps were lit, it was like the day even at night (Leibowitz, p. 512).

Moses, in fact, commands the people to perform this sacred ritual, rather than simply instructing them to do so. The unusual wording of the command is puzzling to the commentators. There are three such commands in this week's parashah: "Thou-thyself, command the children of Israel to bring thee" [Ex. 27:2]; "thou-thyself, bring Aaron thy brother near thee" [Ex. 28:1], and "Thou-thyself, speak to all the wise hearted" [Ex. 28:3]. As Ramban says, "The command is for all time, to provide oil for lighting year in year out. That is why the text employs the phraseology "thou-thyself commands." Since every expression of command implies for all time [Leibowitz, p. 510], it expresses the idea of permanency-there is an eternal obligation upon the people of Israel to provide for the kindling of the Menorah, and Moses personally commands them to bring the oil.

Lights became an integral part of worship in the Temple, they burned continuously from "morning to night before the Lord" [Lev. 24:3]. The light was in time called "ner ma aravi", the Western Light because it lit up the Holy of Holies which was to the west of it. There was always a lamp kept burning; it became known as "ner tamid", a perpetual or eternal light. Later in the people's history it became the custom to hang a lantern by the Ark, symbolizing God's presence. Of all the commandments relating to the Tabernacle, this is the one ritual that has remained intact after the destruction of the Temple. Even though the lamps became obsolete, the tradition of lighting the candles continued in the synagogues and homes, and indeed is important in the celebration of the Shabbat meals today. We are familiar with the wording at the blessing of the candles, "Blessed are you Lord God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and ordained that we kindle the Shabbat lights." As families light the Shabbat candles they are welcoming and rekindling the light, and their homes become places of worship and prayer.

The lighting of the ner tamid, the continuous light, was not only a part of the Tabernacle ritual, it also had a deeper spiritual significance. It symbolized a person's desire to seek and to find the Lord. The lamp was a symbol of the formation and guidance of the individual. The words of the Torah give light to the person whose life is focused on them, whereas the person who is ignorant of these holy words will stumble and fall in the dark. As the Psalmist says, "Thy words are a lamp to my feet" (Ps. 119:105). The commentators also recognized the lamp not only as a symbol of the Torah studied, but also of the commandments lived out and performed in daily life. In other words, you will know them by their fruits. It emphasized the doing of good deeds as an indication that the lamp was lit in your heart. As Shemot Rabbah says, "For the commandment [mizvah]-i.e., a good deed or a worthy cause-is a lamp."

The focus was in the lighting of the ner tamid in one's own heart-not only in the Tabernacle or "outside the curtain" [Ex. 27:21]-so that you too would become an instrument of that light wherever you found yourself. The lamp was seen as bringing a blessing to others too and to those who kindle their lamp from it. Again the context here is that of doing a good deed, it blessed those who gave and those who received. The sharing and giving of the light enhances the person who receives, without in any way diminishing from the person who gives. At all times the Torah is honored. One interesting midrash puts it this way: "Because just as a light is not diminished when a flame is kindled from it, so he who does a mitzvah [here meaning, gives charity] is not thereby diminished in his possessions" [Plaut, p. 624].

"In your light we see light" [Ps. 36:10]. Light which was the first thing Yah created becomes a symbol of Yah's presence [Shechinah] in the revelation at Sinai and in the Menorah of the Temple and the Shabbat lights. Light functions as a symbol for God, because a light-source itself is not visible but makes everything else visible. The darkness of our world today is very plain to see. We struggle with the forces of darkness and evil within ourselves and within our external world. By the graciousness of God, the light is on our side, around us and within us. Darkness cannot overcome it. There is no evil so dark that it cannot be overcome by the beauty and purity of God's light. Yes, in God's light we see light.

Haftarah: To be a lamp brings with it its own responsibility. King Saul struggles with the darkness of his own life and deeds. He needs to repent but the task seems beyond him.

For Reflection and Discussion: [1] There are so many other lights in our world seeking our attention. Share with one another this struggle to focus consistently on the light that can be God's Word. [2] As we continue our Lenten journey, share with one another a Lenten commitment that increases the strength of God's light in your life. [3] As you look around the darkness of today's world, where can you see rays of gentleness shining through? [4] How can we be a lamp for one another?

Bibliography: Goldstein, ed., The Women's Torah Commentary (Vermont, 2000); Leibowitz, New Studies in Shemot (Jerusalem); Plaut, The Torah, A Modern Commentary (New York, 1981)

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This week's teaching commentary was prepared by
Fr. Patrick Muckian, S.M., Davao City, Philippines; Bat Kol Alumnus 2005