Lessons from the Flame
When you strike a match in order to light a candle, it takes a second or two for the flame to ignite the wick. In this weeks Torah portion, we learn about the commandment to light the menorah in the Holy Temple. The priest was instructed to light the menorah. He was to light a flame, then wait until the secondary light was able to burn on its own.
In this act there lies a beautiful message. Each of us has a flame of our own. A godly soul, our neshama. Like a fire, we can share our light with others. We can share our time and our resources to help others. These verses tell us how. Give and guide your light until the person you are helping can sustain themselves. When they can stand on their own two feet and move forward, then you've ignited the flame, the job is done.
Give a man a mitzvah and he's done a good deed for the day. Teach a man how to mitzvah and you feed his soul for a lifetime.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Baruch Hecht
