Dvar Torah – B’Haalotkha | Rabbis For Human Rights

Dvar Torah – B’Haalotkha

By Rabbis for Human Rights on July 8, 2007 - כ"ב תמוז תשס"ז

From the beginning of our study of Hebrew as a second language, we are accustomed to hearing the criticism: “something is lost in translation.”
That is to say, you cannot translate exactly from one language to another.
With regard to our parsha, parashat B’haalotikha, I would like to suggest a different point of view: sometimes, in the words of Rabbi Professor William Kater, it is helpful to know and even to think of a word or two in the language with which one is most familiar, especially if it helps in crafting the d’var Torah one is about to write.

“And the Eternal spoke to Moshe saying: speak to Aharon, and say to him, ‘When you light (b’haalotkha) the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.” (Numbers 8:1)

I want to share two observations with you.
The first has to do with the wording of the Eternal’s words to Moshe Rabbenu. With your permission, I will suggest a kind of play on words, based on the root of the word “b’haalotikha” expressed in the causal grammatical form “hifil.” Even though the literal meaning of the word is clear–l’hadlik, to light–it is still possible to interpret it differently, and for this I rely on the literal meaning of the verb l’haalot, to elevate:

When you cause the elevation of the lamps, that is, when through your own initiative you draw power into action, it is a holy act.

This is another example of the way that people can, in fact must, join the upper fire, the divine fire, to the fire that is in our own hands. Compare this with the teaching that is drawn from the event of the “angels ascending and descending.” (Genesis 28:12) In other words: we have the ability to enlighten the world by unifying the lower and the upper lights.

Secondly, I ask: why is this commandment given? The midrash has a hint for
us: “The Holy Blessed One said to Moshe: it is not because I am in need of the lamps that I have admonished you about them. Rather, it is for your merit (l’zktm).”

Yeshayahu Leibovitz, of blessed memory, adds, “it should be noted that the words of the midrash, in the original, do not have vowels, and therefore, the last word (l’zktm) can be read in two different ways, both of them fitting. That is: lizkhutkhem (for your merit), or lizkotkhem (to purify you).
Leibovitz teaches us further that true merit comes through action and initiative, and is not a matter of grace. We must earn it through service.

The garden of our world, into which the Holy Blessed One has caused us to enter, is in our hands to work and to protect. “And the the Eternal God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and to protect it.” (Genesis 2:15)

We are, of course, obligated to perform acts of justice and righteousness at all times. God gave us the holy merit “to work and to protect”, through our participation in the repairing of the world in the sovereignty of the divine. First and foremost, God requires us to work on ourselves, to activate our positive qualities and minimize our failings.

As I taught once, standing with a couple under the khuppah just before the breaking of the glass, we can gather together the shards of our flawed behavior, and transform them into life-saving deeds.

In this spirit, I recall a tradition I learned afterwards from this couple. The tradition of their community is to take the shards of the cup, after the ceremony, and make them into a mezuzah for the entrance to their new home.
Let us lend our power to the elevation of lamps to the menorah, lifting up the shards of life in order to bring hope and renewal to the whole world in general, and to the State of Israel in particular. It is fitting today, and will be even more fitting in the week to come as we celebrate forty years since the unification of Jerusalem, in the hope that we will truly be able to unify it. We aspire to unify all powers toward the realization of the dream of serenity and wholeness instead of terror–the powers that come from above and also those that come from within us.
In the words of Rav Kook: the old will be made new, and the new made holy.

With blessings for health and a Shabbat of peace.

Rabbis for Human Rights recommends that you read these articles in Behaalotekha

Behaalotekha: Where is there hope? - June 13th, 2008
Dvar Torah – B’Haalotkha - July 8th, 2007
Beha'alotekha: Critical mass and individual responsibility - June 16th, 2005

Rabbis for Human Rights recommends that you read these articles in rhr profile

Our Issues - February 5th, 2008
Rabbis For Human Rights Site map - February 5th, 2008
Rabbi Dr. Baruch Leff - January 2nd, 2008
Dvar Torah – Parashat Metzorah - July 8th, 2007
Dvar Torah – Bamidbar - July 8th, 2007
Dvar Torah - The Value of Peace As a Religious Goal - July 8th, 2007
Dvar Torah – B’Haalotkha - July 8th, 2007
Desecrating Their Graves- Desecrating Our Souls - July 8th, 2007
Dvar Torah – Parashat Pinchas - July 8th, 2007
Dvar Torah – Parashat Balak - July 8th, 2007
Happy are they who maintain justice, and do righteousness at all times - June 27th, 2007
Our Mission - November 21st, 2006
Rabbi Ohad Ezrahi - February 4th, 2005
Who We Are - January 21st, 2000

Categories: Behaalotekha, rhr profile
Tags: Bo, Emor, hearing, human rights, ISM, order, palestinians, peace, righteousness, serenity, settlers