Stairs and Ramps
The Menorah was not intended for the sinners. It was intended to illuminate the souls of the Jewish people. Their souls, which were already on fire, would now be inspired to climb higher and higher. The goal of the Menorah was to awaken deeper and deeper spiritual powers. LIGHT FROM THE FUTURE ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
Light!
Light! If there is one theme that runs through all of Jewish life that captures the essence of Judaism it is light. Torah is called the “Torah of Light.” Mitzvos are likened to a candle. The soul is G-d’s flame. And one of the primary functions and rituals of the Beis Hamikdash/the Holy temple—discussed in this week’s parsha of Beha’alosecha was the lighting of the Menorah-Candelabrum that was designed to bring spiritual light to the entire Jewish nation and through them to the entire world.
So important is the theme of light, particularly the Menorah in the Beis Hamikdash, that every detail and facet of the ritual associated with the Menorah must be a source of light to us in our own lives.
ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
With this introduction, let us examine one aspect of the ritual of kindling the Menorah that is discussed in the Talmud. Superficially, this detail may seem to be insignificant, but upon deeper reflection there is an important message that it conveys:
Romping on the Ramp?
Our Sages tell us that in order to light the Menorah, the Kohain would go up three steps to be able to reach the top of the Menorah which stood about six feet tall. The three steps enabled him to easily light the flames. This requirement appears to be no more than a practical means of reaching the wicks. Yet, in this apparently secondary or tertiary fact, lies an important lesson.
Indeed, a cursory examination of the Torah’s approach to the use of steps for lighting the Menorah prompts us to ask a question. There is a clear prohibition for the Kohain to climb stairs as he would approach the Altar. Instead he the Torah required that a ramp be built. The reason given for the prohibition against climbing stairs to reach the top of the Altar was to avoid taking wide strides that would expose the Kohain to the Altar. Even though the Altar was an inanimate object, the ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA Torah wanted to teach us that if we are to be sensitive, even to a rock, how much more so to a fellow human being.
That being the case, how do we justify the use of stairs to light the Menorah? Why was there no ramp built for the lighting of the Menorah?
A Wide Gulf
One answer that sheds some light on the way we must display sensitivity towards others is based on the different roles of the Altar and the Menorah.
The Altar was intended primarily to bring about atonement for the sins of the people who brought the offerings. Even the daily offering served to cleanse the people of certain sins. Now people who would bring these sacrifices were usually down and broken because they realized their degraded state due to their sins. The bringing of a sin-offering would usually cause the sinner embarrassment and discomfort.
The Kohain, by contrast, would feel good about himself and in a spiritually uplifted mood. After all, he was serving in the holiest place on earth and privileged to be a member of the elite priestly class.
ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
The Kohain’s potential upbeat and proud disposition would be reflected in the way he would climb up to the Altar. Every step he took physically to reach the summit of the Altar the Kohain could palpably feel their rising to greater spiritual heights.
At this point, the disparity between the Kohain and the Jew who brings his or her offering is at its peak. The Kohain is on high ground, literally and figuratively, while the Jew whom the Kohain is assisting with his offering is in the abyss. As a result, a wide moral gulf between the two has been created.
On the one hand, we have a lowly and broken-hearted sinner; on the other hand we might have a spiritual giant, who is climbing to greater heights in the process of offering the sacrifice on behalf of the lowly sinner.
At a time like that it is critical that the Kohain should not act condescendingly towards the shattered soul to whom he is ministering.
The Kohain must not exhibit an air of superiority by demonstrating how he is now rising to greater heights leaving the sinner in the “dumps.” And while it is necessary for the one who helps to enjoy some measure of distance from the lowly individual, in order to lift him up, it must always be performed with the utmost sensitivity and with a healthy dose of modesty. There should be no sense of superiority.
ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA
The prohibition against climbing the Altar with stairs sends a powerful message to the Kohain:
Don’t make the sinner feel more rejected, dejected and lowly than he or she already feels. On the contrary, gently lift him or her up, slowly but surely; take them with you on your journey to higher places.
Lighting Up the Souls
When we analyze the function of the Menorah and the role the Kohain who lit it played, we discover a stark contrast to the Kohain’s role in the offering of sacrifices on the Altar.
The Menorah was not intended for the sinners. It was intended to illuminate the souls of the Jewish people. Their souls, which were already on fire, would now be inspired to climb higher and higher. The goal of the Menorah was to awaken deeper and deeper spiritual powers. No matter how spiritual and righteous one is, there is always a need to look beyond the horizon and to climb to new heights of spiritual awareness.
For people of this caliber, it is crucial that they recognize their place.
Furthermore, every person must know his or her spiritual location and not think he or she is on par with someone who is more spiritual. When ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA it comes to spiritual growth and development, no two people are on the same level. We must recognize the fact that when it comes to spirituality, there is and ought to be a hierarchy. And each individual must look up to the person who occupies a more exalted perch and strive to reach that level. If we fail to recognize the fact that there is a higher rung on the spiritual ladder that is occupied by another, we will never be motivated to grow. A sense of complacency and stagnation will set in.
Moreover, if we err about where we belong on the ladder of spiritual development, not only will it retard our growth; it might cause us to lose balance and fall backwards, G-d forbid.
Thus, when lighting the Menorah, the Kohain had to climb a set of stairs that accentuated the different levels and grades, to indicate that the objective of the Menorah lighting was to rise to the highest rung, putting misguided modesty aside. The Kohain had to serve as the role model. We have to look up to him in our pursuit of spiritual growth.
Aaron’s Struggle with Lighting the Menorah
With this premise we can also answer one of the questions asked by commentators as to why the Torah emphasizes that Aaron did ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA precisely as he was told concerning the kindling of the Menorah. Why would anyone think that Aaron would not comply with the commandment given to him to light the Menorah? (See Preceding Essays.)
Perhaps, we might suggest, since lighting the Menorah involved recognizing the need to put aside modesty for the sake of growing and helping others grow, Aaron might have encountered some difficulty and would not have complied with this because of his modesty. Aaron, by nature, was one of the people and never saw himself as being their superior. Everyone loved him precisely because he did not act as their leader, but worked within the community, as equals to the people he served. Aaron’s personality militated against his climbing a ladder and setting himself up as the paragon of spirituality showing the way for others to aspire to his exalted level.
As such, Aaron might not have been able to perform this particular service with precision because it ran contrary to his personality.
To dispel this notion, the Torah tells us that, incredibly, Aaron did not deviate even one iota from the commandment to kindle the Menorah.
His loyalty and devotion to G-d trumped his modesty. His submission to a Higher Authority impelled him to transcend his own spiritual ESSAYS ON PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSECHA nature of humility and conform to the will of G-d. In the final analysis, that approach did more for the people than misplaced modesty.
Moshiach’s Self-Transcendence
It is not easy to strike a balance between modesty and responsibility to help others grow. The Kohain had to alternate between his service on the Altar, where he had to suppress feelings of superiority as he helped a person climb out of the morass, and his service in lighting the Menorah, where he had to lead from his high perch, with modesty taking a back seat. To alternate between these two opposite sentiments requires self-transcendence.
One individual who will be capable of performing this balancing act will be the Moshiach. On the one hand, Moshiach will be a powerful monarch, whom everyone will recognize for his superior wisdom and spirituality. At the same time, Moshiach will be recognized as one who shares Aaron’s humility and sense of equality with his people.
One of Moshiach’s tasks is to imbue us with the ability to combine the two by helping us reveal the essence of our souls which transcend our soul’s traits and personality types. When that essence is revealed, we can combine opposite modes of behavior and emotion.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Behalosecha by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
