5 Minute Torah - Beha'alotcha - To Kindle A Soul

[00:00:00] Lighting a candle takes seconds. Igniting the soul of another person, however, can take years. In this week's Torah portion, Aaron is commanded to hold the flame to the menorah until the fire rises on its own. But beneath this simple instruction may be one of the most challenging lessons about discipleship in all of Torah. Let's take a look at this idea together in this week's five Minute Torah. [00:00:29] Shalom and Blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow. I'm Darren and before we get into the five minutes of my five Minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the 36th Torah portion and the third portion of the Book of Numbers. We are in the portion of B' ha' alotcha, numbers 8, 1, 12, 15 and here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one lighting the menorah Rekindling the flame the Torah portion Baha' Alotcha, which means when you kindle, begins with God's instructions to Aaron regarding the lighting of the menorah. In the Mishkan or Tabernacle, Aaron is commanded to set up and light the seven lamps of the menorah so that they shine forward, illuminating the area in front of it. This act of kindling the menorah is rich with symbolism representing the light of God's presence among the children of Israel. The continual lighting of the menorah by Aaron and his descendants serves as a perpetual reminder of God's guidance, the importance of maintaining spiritual integrity within the community. It highlights the sacred duty of the priests and and the central role of divine light in worship and daily life. Number two Kvetching and the dangers of discontent. In this Torah portion, we also encounter Israel's dissatisfaction with manna, a struggle as old as humanity itself. The people crave the foods they remembered in Egypt, especially meat, and complained bitterly to Moses. Overwhelmed by their constant coveting, Moses becomes weary under the burden of leading a discontented people people. God responds by sending quail into the camp through a powerful wind. Yet while God's people are still eating, God's anger is kindled against their ungratefulness and a severe plague breaks out among them. This sobering story reminds us of the danger of discontentment and challenges us to cultivate gratitude instead. And number three, Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses. We also read about Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses authority and criticizing him over his cushite wife. And they argue that God has spoken through them as well, implying that Moses should not hold a unique position among the people. God responds swiftly, summoning the three siblings to the tenement and affirming Moses unparalleled prophetic role, speaking with him face to face unlike any other prophet. As a consequence, Miriam is struck with Tzarat, her skin turning white as snow. Aaron pleads before Moses, who intercedes on her behalf, and after seven days outside the camp, Miriam is healed. It's a powerful reminder that discontentment, comparison and jealousy can tear apart even the closest relationships if left unchecked. The Five Minute Torah series is your guide to uncovering Messianic connections within each week's Torah portion. Pulling together the Torah and the teachings of the apostolic Scriptures in just five minutes, you'll discover how the Torah connects to your life as a disciple of Yeshua with insights that are both practical and deeply spiritual. The Five Minute Torah books are the weekly Torah portion with a Messianic connection in just five minutes. Don't wait. Order yours today. [00:03:35] This week's Torah commentary is called To Kindle a Soul and comes from my book, Five Minute Torah, Volume one. As you probably noticed, there's almost always something fascinating to discuss at the beginning of the weekly Torah portions. This week is no exception. Parashat Beha' alotcha begins with the instructions on how Aaron the kohen gadol or the high priest the should kindle the menorah for the tabernacle. Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to Aaron and say to him, when you set up, when you Baha' alotcha, the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand. This is numbers 8, verses 1 and 2. The word Baha' Alotka means to cause to go up. Rashi, the medieval Torah commentator, describes this procedure by saying that Aaron was to hold the fire to the wick of the menorah, quote and until the flame rises on its own accord. What does this mean? I'm sure we've all done it. We have lit a match and then held it to a candle until we think the candle is lit. But when we pull the match away and extinguish it, the wick immediately dims and is reduced to smolder without any sign of a flame. We've wasted not only a match but also our time. Now we have to find another match and begin the process all over again. Doing it properly, therefore, is to our advantage. Hasidic Judaism relates Rash's comment about the kindling of the menorah to discipleship. This concept is connected with Proverbs 20:27 which says that the soul of man is the candle of God. In other words, the soul of man must be set aflame with the love of God and the love of the Commandments. Aaron is seen as the model for this. Jewish sources remember Aaron for his ability to endear his fellow man to the Torah. The the great sage Hillel reminds us that we are to imitate Aaron in this way. Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures and bringing them close to the Torah. This is from avot 1:12 Aaron's job was to kindle a flame not only in the Menorah but also in his fellow man. As disciples of Yeshua, we often think it's our job to evangelize others the same way we light candles. We introduce them to the fire within us until we see a spark and then we move on to the next candle before the wick within them is able to produce a flame of its own accord. Therefore, we often end up having to quote light the same people over and over. This is the difference between discipleship and evangelism. Evangelism considers a candle lit if it sparks. Discipleship holds the fire to the candle and until the flame rises on its own accord. If the soul of man is indeed the candle of God, then we need to make sure we hold our flame to it until it's able to be self sustaining. How do we do this? Through investing into people's lives. Going door to door or passing out tracks may produce a spark, but it rarely produces a self sustaining flame. We must take people under our wings and show them the joy and the beauty of living a godly life. [00:06:37] We must also pour into them both the love of God and instructions for righteous living. This takes self sacrifice, intentional instruction and a genuine love for others. Only then will the soul of man ignite on its own accord and rise to praise its Creator. Only then will we have helped to create a holy light that doesn't smolder or grow dim. You haven't subscribed to the Shalom Making Kids channel yet. If you have children who love learning Torah in a fun and engaging way, we've created a space and a place just for them. Rabbi Schmooly Socks and all of our socks on your Table videos now have a brand new home on the Shalom Makin Kids YouTube channel filled with kid friendly Torah teaching designed to help children learn, connect and grow with the Scriptures. 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