Parashat Tetzaveh: What is the Inner Connection Between the Menorah and the Land of Israel?

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Parashat Tetzaveh
 What is the Inner Connection Between the Menorah and the Land of Israel?

How Can We Connect with Eternal Light?
From the earliest moments of my spiritual journey, I have felt a deep, intrinsic connection to the concept of light. Light is not merely an external phenomenon but an inner force that guides, uplifts, and transforms. I have always been drawn to the idea that light represents Divine wisdom, clarity, and the ability to illuminate even the darkest circumstances. The Torah is replete with light imagery – linking it to the Torah as the source of creation, the essence of wisdom, and the very presence of the Divine in the world. The very first word my youngest granddaughter said when she was barely one was אוֹר/Ohr – “light”! She was standing on a stool, pointing to the Shabbat candles I had just ignited. Since then, I have been praying for her to remain deeply connected with light. What does it mean to be connected with light? First and foremost, it is about walking the Torah path, as it states, כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר – “For a mitzvah is a candle, and the Torah is light” (Mishlei 6:23). Walking in Torah is the light of my life. Some people can’t understand why I labor so hard to produce yet another Torah book – I certainly don’t do it for the money. I am addicted to expressing the light of Torah, for the more Torah we share, the more Torah we receive – like nursing a baby or drawing water from a wellspring. This is why I love to teach Torah, living for those moments of epiphany when Hashem grants me a chiddush – a new Torah insight. נֵר הַשֵׁם נִשְׁמַת אָדָם – “The candle of Hashem is the soul of a person” (Mishlei 20:27). When we live with Torah, we awaken our Divine soul. We become less obsessed with fleeting pleasures – gold and diamonds, fancy clothes, extravagant travels, and gourmet food and wine. We evolve from being like a child who rushes to gather as many sweets as possible in a candy store to a spiritually mature person who learns to pursue the eternal rather than the ephemeral. And yes, light is all about eternity. Darkness will ultimately give way to eternal light, as expressed in the Temple Menorah, whose middle candle never extinguishes (Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 86b). We can tap into this divine light, especially in the Land of Israel – the Land of Light – where the Shechinah dwells and Divine wisdom shines most brightly. The more we connect with Torah in the Holy Land, the more we internalize and reflect this everlasting light, aligning ourselves with the ultimate destiny of creation – when “Hashem will be an everlasting light” (Yesha’yahu 60:19).

How Does the Land of Israel Reflect the Light of the Menorah?
Parashat Tetzaveh does not explicitly mention the land, yet concealed within its intricate descriptions lies a deep connection to the Land of Israel. Its themes of spiritual leadership, Divine service, and sanctity are inextricably tied to Eretz Yisrael – the ultimate place where these ideals find full expression. Our parasha opens with the mitzvah to bring pure olive oil for the Ner Tamid, the eternal flame of the Menorah.

ספר שמות פרק כז פסוק כ וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד:

“You shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the perpetual candle (Shemot 27:20).

Olive oil is one of the seven species of Eretz Yisrael, symbolizing the land’s spiritual and material richness. It embodies the purity of Israel and the light that the land provides to the Jewish people and the world. The eternal flame of the Menorah is ultimately kindled in the Holy Temple in the heart of the Land of Israel. Furthermore, the Menorah’s light represents Divine wisdom and the mission of Israel to be a light unto the nations – a mission that can only be fully realized within the Land of Israel: 

“They shall bring you pure olive oil…” (Shemot 27:20). Just as oil provides light, so too does the Beit Hamikdash illuminate the entire world as Scripture states: “The nations shall walk by your light” (Yesha’yahu 60:3). Therefore, G-d said to Moshe, “They shall bring you pure olive oil” (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 36:1).

How Does the Eternal Flame of the Menorah Shine Forth from Israel to the World?
The Menorah’s glow in the Beit Hamikdash was more than a physical light; it was a beacon of spiritual enlightenment emanating from Eretz Yisrael to the world. The Menorah’s seven branches correspond to the seven lower Sefirot, which mirror the seven species of Eretz Yisrael. The oil represents Chochmah (Divine wisdom), which flows freely only when Israel is in its rightful place (Zohar Part 2:158a). Israel is compared to olives. Just as the olive only brings forth its oil when beaten, so does Israel only return and become refined through difficulties and hardships (Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 53b). The process of refining oil, crushing it to extract its essence, parallels how the Jewish people undergo challenges and refinement in exile, during our long winding exile preparing us for the spiritual refinement necessary to access the holiness of the Eretz Yisrael. The crushing hardships we have endured return us to Eretz Yisrael as a purer, more radiant nation. The oil of the Menorah is linked to the righteousness of Israel: Just as olive oil rises above other liquids, so too will Israel rise above all nations (Midrash Devarim Rabbah 7:3), when we return to our land and fulfill our mission, as it is written: “Hashem your G-d will place you supreme above all the nations of the earth” (Devarim 28:1). The light of the Menorah is a reminder that our ultimate source of clarity and inspiration comes from our bond with Hashem in Eretz Yisrael – where His presence dwells most fully and where the Jewish mission reaches its highest potential.

The Land of Israel – Source of Our Inner Light
The Menorah was not merely a source of light within the Temple but a reflection of the spiritual illumination that flows from Eretz Yisrael. As we have learned, the Menorah’s light symbolized Hashem’s presence dwelling among Israel, spreading its glow to the entire world (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 36:1). In Chassidut, the Menorah represents the innate holiness of the Jewish soul, which, like the flames, continually strives upward, reaching toward the Divine. Just as the flames are kindled anew each day, so too is our spiritual mission in Eretz Yisrael constantly renewed, reaffirming our role as bearers of Divine light. The wordְּתְּצַוֶּה /tetzaveh connotes connection and attachment. True unity is obstructed by impurities and unclarity. Just as the process of pressing olives removes impurities and refines the oil, so too do the Jewish people achieve spiritual refinement through humility and unity. Becoming free of arrogance and divisions enables us to kindle the eternal flame, for personal spiritual achievements are temporary, while illumination that stems from the collective soul of Israel is everlasting. True, enduring light comes through integrating oneself within the general community of Israel – becoming part of the whole rather than seeking individual elevation alone (Sefat Emet, Likutim, Parashat Tetzaveh). This alludes to a profound insight into the connection between the Menorah and Eretz Yisrael. The light of the Menorah represents the unity and refinement of the collective soul of Israel, which reaches its highest fulfillment in the Land of Israel, where the Shechinah dwells. Rav Kook further expounds: “The return to a life of full Israeli expression, to a life illuminated by Torah in its highest revelation, occurs in Eretz Yisrael, the land of our life. The Spirit of G-d in the inner Israeli soul unites with the Spirit of G-d in the land, and the outcast lover returns to her original love, renewing the holy marriage of yore. This happens when the nation, the Torah, and all of the mitzvot are reunited with the life-giving Spirit of G-d in the land” (Orot, Eretz Yisrael Chapter 8).

The Emblem of the Land of Israel – The Light of our Mission

The Menorah is a powerful symbol of the Jewish people’s role in the world – illuminating the darkness with Divine wisdom and righteousness. Just as the light of the Beit Hamikdash shone forth, so too does the spiritual radiance of Eretz Yisrael continue to guide us. The Land of Israel is not merely a physical homeland; it is the center of our spiritual identity, where our connection to Hashem reaches its fullest expression. Just as the Menorah’s light was fueled by pure olive oil, so too is the Jewish faith and clarity nourished by the sanctity of the land.  In this way, the Land of Israel is not only the physical home of the Jewish people but the very source of their inner light and spiritual awakening. By dwelling in Eretz Yisrael, we embrace our mission as a light unto the nations, bringing Hashem’s presence into the world. Thus, it is fitting that the modern State of Israel emblem is a Menorah flanked by olive branches, symbolizing the eternal connection between Eretz Yisrael and the divine light it radiates to the world.

When the Temple Isn’t Yet Rebuilt How Can We Still Ignite the Perpetual Light?

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Parashat Tetzaveh

When the Temple Isn’t Yet Rebuilt How Can We Still Ignite the Perpetual Light?

                                            Rebbetzin with B'erot Alumnae, recording artists 

Tziona Achishena, Devorah Gila Berkowitz and Hadassah Komemi

 

Who Was the First Lightworker in the World?

If you are connected to any new-age online community centering around spirituality and expansion of consciousness, you’ve probably come across the term ‘lightworker.’ It is increasingly used, also among the spiritual Torah community. The simplest way to describe lightworkers would be as those who feel an immense pull towards helping others, by volunteering to act as a beacon for the Earth and committing to serving humanity. The term lightworker was first coined by author and teacher Michael Mirdad in the early 80s. Later, in 1997, Doreen Virtue released the book The Lightworkers Way. In the Torah world, there are no greater lightworkers than those who sense a spiritual calling to spread Hashem’s light to the world and ignite others with a clear purpose of why we are here. Without knowing our purpose, we are like those sitting in a dark cave or even in our home during a power failure. As soon as we light a candle, we can find our way and renew our purpose. I’m so grateful to be able to share the light of Torah of the Land of Israel, walking in Avraham Avinu’s footsteps. Avraham was the very first lightworker in the world, and the Jewish people are called upon to continue to walk on his path to be a light to the nations, as stated by our prophets (Yesha’yahu 49:6). “Avraham can be compared to a friend of the king who saw the king in a dark alleyway. The friend looked and started to light for him through the window. The king told him, ‘Since you are already lighting for me through the window, come and light before me.’ Thus, Hashem said to Avraham, ‘Since you are already lighting for Me from Mesopotamia and its vicinities, come and light for me in the land of Israel’” (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 30:10). Today we experience similar darkness as during Avraham’s time when people were entrenched in mistaken intellectual perceptionsand lack of emunah. Thus, just as Avraham ignited the light of emunah, so must we strengthen our own emunah and share it with the world during these trying times, when grotesque lies are greedily gobbled up like the crispest junk food. 

 

Sharing the Light With Others Will Never Diminish Your Own Flame 

ספר שמות פרק כז פסוק כ
וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד:

“You shall further instruct the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, beating for lighting, to kindle the candle perpetually” (Shemot 27:20).

 

Rashi explains that the Hebrew word לְהַעֲלֹת/le’ha’alot, literally means to cause ‘to rise.’ The kohen shall light the candles until the flame rises by itself (Rashi ibid. based on Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 21a). Sharing truth and Torah in the world is like igniting a candle until it no longer needs our light to continue to shine for it to spread its own light. The nature of the spiritual metaphor of light is that whereas a  physical substance diminishes when shared, spirituality when spread, expands, and grows. The more money you spend, the less you have; the more food you eat, the more you need to restock your pantry. Yet spiritual things increase with use. Therefore, we don’t have to worry that we may stretch ourselves too thin when it comes to matters of spirit. We will never run out of goodness! The more goodness we spread the more goodness we have. When you give a spiritual gift, the recipient gains, and you lose nothing. By having another child, you open a new corridor of love in your heart that your other children benefit from too. You become more loving by sharing your love with another. The candle metaphor illustrates this principle the best. When you use one candle to light another, the original candle remains bright. Its light is not diminished by being shared; on the contrary, the two candles together enhance each other’s brightness and increase light. If you use your wisdom to teach, the student learns, while your wisdom increases (Rabbi Aron Moss, Chabad Virtual Library). I’m grateful for having experienced over the decades so many of my students becoming teachers and lightworkers of their own. I’m proud of all the B’erot alumnae who have become Torah performing artists, teachers, mentors, and artists who continually increase Hashem’s light in the world. Although I may miss them, I know I have done my work well when their flames rise by themselves, and they no longer need my light.

 

Does Hashem Need Our Light?

Whatever a person does in this world is for others except Torah and mitzvot, which is for himself. Therefore, it states, “Take for yourself.” This alludes to the fact that Hashem doesn’t need light as He is the light of the world. When He commanded us about candles, it was for the benefit of Israel to perfect and purify themselves through spiritual benefit. (Tzror Hamor, Shemot 27:20).

 

Considering that Hashem doesn’t need our light, why does He instruct us to light the Menorah? The Midrash explains – just as Hashem makes light for us, so too must we make light for Him. The Midrash gives the following analogy: A sighted person and a blind person were walking together. The sighted person said, “Come and I will be your guide;” which enabled the blind person to walk. When they entered the house, the sighted person said to the blind person, “Go and light the candle for me, and provide me with light, so that you should no longer feel obliged to me for all that I have done for you. Therefore, I said to you to light [the candle]” (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 36:1). The sighted person gave the blind person an opportunity to retain his dignity by allowing him to do a favor for him in return for all the help he had received. When you do a favor for another person, the recipient feels a debt of gratitude. To leave them with that debt is not ideal. Hashem enabled His people to ‘give back’ by instructing us to ignite the menorah perpetually. Sometimes, the kindest thing to do is to give others the opportunity to repay you with kindness. Accepting a gift in return for kindness can itself be a great kindness. Yet, it goes even deeper than this. “Know that before the emanations emanated, and the creation was created, there was a supreme simple light that filled all existence… To create the world Hashem contracted Himself and His Infinite Light…and then there remained a vacant place with air and empty space around the middle point” (Arizal, Etz Chayim 1:2). Since Hashem contracted His light, our world is called עולם/olam, which means ‘hidden’ because the Divine is now hidden in the world. To refill the ‘empty space’ Hashem charged us with returning the light into the world and thereby revealing Hashem in the world. Candle lighting is a way to return part of the original Divine light into creation. Engaging in Torah and mitzvot is considering the main ways of re-igniting this light: “For the mitzvah is a candle and the Torah light, and the way to life is reproofs of instruction” (Mishlei 6:23).  

 

Becoming Hashem’s Candles

All the mitzvot are eternal. Now that we don’t yet have the Temple in which to ignite the menorah how do we fulfill the mitzvah to kindle an eternal light? The Chasidic master –Sefat Emet explains that the Jewish people illuminate the world through fulfilling the mitzvot. The power of the mitzvot can abolish even the deepest darkness caused by the negative impulse and the Other Side. The supreme Divine light is also considered darkness for us because it is beyond our reach. Yet, through the light of the mitzvot we can illuminate this darkness and merit to draw down Divine light upon our souls. The meaning of “You shall command…” is to enter the mitzvah into the souls of the children of Israel, so that we, ourselves become the mitzvot. For in truth, our 248 limbs correspond to the [248 positive] mitzvot. “You shall make them” (Devarim 29:8) has two interpretations. 1. When we fulfill a mitzvah, the Almighty considers it as if we made the mitzvah ourselves (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 99b) 2. Hashem considers it as if we made ourselves. These two interpretations are one because we become rectified through dedicating ourselves to Hashem by fulfilling the mitzvot. For we are sent into the world only for the sake of fulfilling the will of our Creator. Thus, we are the mitzvah. [Through performing the mitzvot we become Hashem’s mitzvah lights in the world] (Sefat Emet, Parashat Tetzaveh, Year 7632). 

 

We are the candles that Hashem ignites to bring light into the world. It’s our job to bring light, for we are G-d’s candles, as it states, “The candle of G-d is the soul of a human being” (Mishlei 20:27). There’s a ner tamid (eternal light) in every synagogue sanctuary, but the point of that lamp isn’t just to be a lamp, it’s there to remind us that it’s our job to be sources of light in the darkness. The darkness of grief, the darkness of cruelty, the darkness of fear. We can dispel those with our light. The Sefat Emet reads the word תְּצַוֶּה/tetzaveh, “you shall command” – creatively to mean, “you shall bring mitzvot into the souls of the children of Israel so that they, themselves become mitzvot.” When we bring mitzvot into our souls, we, ourselves will become mitzvot – holy acts, connected at our root to the Source of all goodness. That’s what it means to be a light in the world. Keep lighting your candles. There is an endless supply of light in your soul!

 

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Teruma –

Tips for How to Plug in Your Light to Become Hashem’s Candle

If you have chosen to serve Hashem, to be a bright light in the world, you are a lightworker. In the wake of the current war, humanity is being polarized into those who walk in darkness or those who choose to spread light. If you feel called toward spreading the light, it’s time for you to step out in the light and make a difference. As each one of us shares our gifts, it creates a ripple effect. By the nature of you shining your unique light, you set others in motion on a life-changing spiritual path too. Lightwork taps into our creative zeal. It awakens our senses and makes us long for brushes and paint, piano and guitar, an open door, and an imaginative mind. This practice is about expressing a new Light source for the world to find healing. Your channel for serving can come in many forms. Perhaps it is a garden you nurture and bring forth fruits and vegetables to nourish yourself and your loved ones. Perhaps you write lyrics and sing these words out with love. Perhaps it is in pie making! Whatever way you express it, just do it! 

 

• Accept the Ups and Downs of Life – with all of it (the good and the bad) helping to bring you to the fullness of what you were meant to be. Whatever you have been through in life, it was all to prepare you for this moment.

 

• You Don’t Need to Know How – You just need to say YES and move forward in emunah! “With Hashem,nothing is beyond you to do.” Once you say YES everything you need to accomplish it will come to you.

 

• Be the Change You Want to See in the World – If you want to feel more love, be more loving. If you want more abundance, share more with others.

 

• Let Go of All the Fear, Doubt, Worry, Uncertainty, Insecurity That is Holding You Back – There’s no need to drag that around with you. Release it. Be like Teflon and let the negative energy slide right off you. Once you do there will be space for more light and love. Your purpose on earth is too big to let excuses and resistance get in your way.

 

• Practice Self-Care – The more time you have to nurture your heart, mind, soul, body – the more you will have to share with others. Meditate. Pray. Eat healthy foods. Practice meditative movement. Spend time in nature. Live within your means. Read things that inspire you. Hang around people who lift you up to a higher vibration and believe in you too!

 

• Experience the Divine – When you open your heart, mind, and spirit you can get a glimpse of Hashem’s Presence all around you. The Divine lies within each of us. It is available to us at any given moment. Taking time in meditation or prayer helps you to feel more peace, love, and guidance.

 

• Follow Your Blessedness – When you live in your gifts and connect to the Divine you can feel filled with a profound sense of joy. You may experience it in nature. You may see it in the face of a child. You may feel it as you use your unique gifts to fulfill your purpose. When you feel joy, you know you are on the right path.

 

• Be Present Minded – Enjoy the beauty of now. The present is all we really have. Treasure it and be thankful to Hashem for it! When we get so wrapped up in our heads, we miss out on what’s available to us right now atthe moment. Don’t let the mental chatter of the ego steal your focus. Stay grounded by the truth of what is in front of you at this very moment and let it fill you with gratitude.