OUT-SOURCING ENLIGHTENMENT: THE MENORAH
What follows are two Talmudic laws which emanate from the word Beha’a’losecha:
1. “The act of lighting is not an avodah”
Yoma 24b asserts that theact of lighting the Menorah in the Bais Hamikdash is not considered an Avodah,i.e., it does not constitute an intrinsic part of the “Sacred Service”* (and therefore, even a non-Cohen may perform this function).
Ritva suggests** that this opinion is based upon the Torah’s formulation when it describes thelighting of the Menorah. The Torah avoids the imperative verb, “you shall light[תדליק]” or, “Aharon shall light”. Instead, the Torah uses thedescriptive verb in the form of an adverbial phrase:
Beha’a’losecha(literally, “When you cause [the flame to] elevate” Bamidbar 8:1) and
B‘ha’a’los Aharon (As Aharon causes [the flame to] elevate Shemos 30:8).
This opinion (that excludes the lighting from the Sacred Service) views the fulfilment of the Menorah-mitzvah as being in the object [i.e., the Menorah] and not in the act of lighting it. In Yeshiva parlance: The kiyyum mitzvah is in the cheftza of the Menorah and not in the ma’aseh hadlakah. The mitzvah, therefore, is that there be a lit Menorah; thelighting per se, is not the mitzvah but is rather the means - the necessary condition - for its fulfillment.
2. “The flame must arise independently”
Rashi cites TractateShabbos 21a, which points to another implication of these adverbial phrases: "When lighting the Menorah, one must hold a fire to the wick until the flamerises by itself (ad she’tehai ha’shal’heves olah may’aylehah).”
The widespread traditionthat the Menorah symbolizes enlightenment may endow these two laws with symbolic meaning:
1. Enlightenmentemanates from the Ribono Shel Olam exclusively. The person lighting the menorah, therefore, is not representing Israel serving Hashem; but rather, heis acting as Hashem’s proxy, so to speak. Therefore, the mitzvah of lightingdoes not belong to him.
2. The requirementto enable the lights to shine of their own accord suggests that enlightenmentis achieved only when the student has acquired independence of thought, i.e., the ability to think creatively (as well as to translate though into action).
The foregoing twoconcepts reflect a dialectical tension: On one hand, Hashem is the source of all, including our ability to learn, think, and reason. At the same time, He enablesus to experience independence of thought.
The same tension existsregarding our moral behavioral choices. Yosef delineated this dialectic most succinctly as soon as he revealed his true identity to his brothers: “I amYosef your brother, whom you sold to Egypt...Now, do not aggravate...because yousold me here, for Hashem has sent me ahead of you in order to sustain[you]..."
You sold me - and aremorally accountable for this deed - but Hashem sent me. We attempt process – that is the manifestation and the limitof our free will. Hashem determines the result.
Regarding our pursuit ofwisdom as well: Hashem “holds the flame to our wick”, enabling us to strive -to engage, of our own accord, in the struggle for enlightenment - and yet it is He who determines the degree of our success.
This concept – of dependence upon God for enlightenment - may also correlate with the Midrashic tradition (which Rashi cites on Shemos 25:31) that themenorah itself was made of its own accord – i.e., miraculously by Hashem. ***
For further elaborationof this concept. Please refer to my essay, Lerner is our Mitzvah; Learning isfrom G-d under “Talmud – Educational Values”
הדלקת המנורה לאו עבודההיא. *
חידושי הריטב"א מסכת יומא דף כד עמוד ב ** הדלקה לאו עבודה היא.תמיהא מילתא דהא כתיב בה אהרן ובניו דבר אל אהרן ואל בניו לאמר בהעלותך את הנרותוכתיב ובהעלות אהרן את הנרות, וי"ל דלהכי לא אפקיה בלשון חיוב, ואמר בהעלותאו בהעלותך לומר דלאו עבודה היא לחייב עליה מיתה בזר, כשם שאין חיוב מיתה בעבודהשאינה תמה.
רש"י שמות פרקכ"ה פסוק ל"א *** תיעשה המנורה - מאליה, לפישהיה משה מתקשה בה, אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא השלך את הככר לאור והיא נעשית מאליה,לכך לא נכתב תעשה