Tetzaveh 5774 - English

By Rabbi Dana Kaplan - Jamaica

Tetzaveh: The Eternal Light Lights Up the Path to God

This week's Torah portion, Parashat Tetzaveh, begins with the following words: “Command the people of Israel to bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep a lamp burning continually” (Exodus 27:20).

Our parashah describes the ner tamid, the eternal light, first in the tabernacle, later in the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, and then in the synagogue.  A ner tamid hangs above or to the side of the ark in every synagogue.  It is connected to the continuously-burning incense altar which stood in front of the ark in the Jerusalem Temple (First Kings, chapter 6).  It is also associated with the menorah, the seven-branched lamp stand which stood in front of the Temple in Jerusalem (not to be confused with the Hanukkah menorah, also called a Hanukkiah, which has nine branches).

Our sages of the classical rabbinic tradition interpreted the Ner Tamid as a symbol of God's eternal presence in our lives.The eternal light is also the symbol of God's imminent presence in our communities.  This parashah thus draws a connection between that light and God's presence amongst us.

The entire text provides a bit more of the context.  In Exodus 27:20-21, it is written: “You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly.  Aaron and his sons shall set them up in theTent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over the Ark of the Pact, to burn from evening to morning before Adonai.  It shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the ages.”

Why did the Torah refer to this eternal light?  With a God we cannot actively see, perhaps we needed something to remind us of God's presence in our lives. Otherwise, we might forget — out of sight, out of mind.  And that could have catastrophic consequences.  So we needed that continual reminder.  And we need that nudge today as well.

In Deuteronomy 8:11–14, we are warned, “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe Hiscommandments, His laws and decrees that I am giving you this day.  Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”  If you change the details so that herds and flocks become BMWs and Mercedes, you have the problem of contemporary Judaism in a nutshell.

The eternal light represented the relationship between the people and God and therefore should remain lit at all times.  If the fire were to die, our relationship with the Eternal One might be in jeopardy as well.  We forget so easily.  We are seduced no longer by foreign gods but by extreme materialism.  But the result is the same.

The fire can also be understood as a metaphoric flame that burns within each person, a spiritual fire that is lit within the heart of each person.  The fire is perpetual and therefore remains lit within each person throughout their entire lifetime.

It's a reminder that we have to make an effort, an eternal effort, to devote ourselves to God and the covenant between us and the Eternal.  The flame that is kindled upon it is not only a representation of God's presence, but also a reminder of the spiritual fire that we need to light within ourselves.

The ner tamid symbolizes a beacon of hope and strength.  As the people who are commanded to be or la-goyim, “a light unto the nations”, we need to dedicate ourselves to personifying God's light in the world.  Through acts of gemilut chasadim, “loving-kindness”, we can bring light into the darkness.  But we must make that effort.

In the times of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem, the kohanim were responsible for the continuity of the eternal fire.  Today, we are all responsible for the preservation of that eternal light within our communities in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and throughout the world.  May its presence in our synagogues inspire us to rededicate ourselves to God and Torah.

Rabbi Dana Kaplan - Jamaica