Numbers 8:2
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֵלָ֑יו בְּהַעֲלֹֽתְךָ֙ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹ֔ת אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת׃
“Speak to Aaron and say to him: ‘The spouts of the Candelabrum’s lamps face its central shaft. When you ascend the stool in front of the Candelabrum in order to kindle the lamps, be sure to place the wicks in these spouts so the seven lamps shine toward the central shaft of the Candelabrum. Also, be sure to hold the fire to the wick until it burns by itself.” ‘
Disappointment
The princes brought offerings when the Temple was inaugurated. Aaron was disappointed when he found out that Hashem did not ask him to actively participate in the inaugurated of the Temple.
Hashem comforted him, saying to him:
“By your life! Your part is of greater importance than theirs, for you will light the lamps and set them in order.”
The Soul as G-ds Lamp
Spiritually, lighting the lamps of the menorah means igniting our own souls and the souls of others, as King Solomon says, “The lamp of G-d is the soul of man.” The flame of a candle constantly flickers upwards, as if yearning to leave the wick behind and ascend to the heavens. The soul shares this nature, constantly striving to break out of the boundaries imposed on it by the body and the physical world and reconnect with its spiritual source.
Aaron’s task was to light the 7 lights of the Menorah. Each light of the Menorah can be considered a certain type of person. Aaron was known for his ability to deal with all types of people, even those whose only redeeming characteristic was that they were G-d’s creation.
Stir up Your Flame
The Chanukah Menorah has 8 lights instead of 7. First, we will have to stir up our own flame, improve ourselves and prepare ourselves for our task. When our own flame is burning, we need to see how we can actively help other souls to burn as well. It is our job to hold the fire at the wick so that it can ignite. For only when the wick of the lamp burns by itself will it continue to burn.
By Angelique Sijbolts
Sources: Sefaria Rashi, Chassidic Insights for Parshah Behaalotecha
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