"The soul of man is a candle of G‑d". These are the words of King Solomon (Proverbs 20:27).
He likens our souls to candles. Why?
Because just as a flame on a candle is constantly drawn upwards, as if trying to escape the confines of its wick, so we - the human drive and soul - yearn to transcend the physical, the human and the particular, and fuse with the universal and the divine.
It is with this message that we open this Shabbat’s Torah reading - The kindling of the Menorah. Igniting this insatiable desire for something beyond us and never being content with the status quo. The constantly burning Menorah in the Temple symbolizes our persistent passionate craving to ascend and rise above our current state of being.
Our Sages declare: “One who has 100 desires 200.” Upon attaining 200, the person will crave 400—and this continues ad infinitum. While being content and thankful for what we have are basic Jewish values, they are not to deny us the opportunity to continuously grow. After all, the very idea of progress; the notion that today can and should be better than yesterday, were introduced to western civilization by Judaism.
When harnessed purposefully, our burning souls can take us to the greatest of heights. Therefore, as we prepare to enter this ‘Shabbat of the Menorah’, let us ignite and tap into this drive and energy imbedded within each and every one of us. Let us unleash its power, bringing goodness and kindness to the entire globe.
Let us do a Mitzvah today!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick