Two Sets of Lights
D’var Torah for Parashat Behaalotecha
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman
June 12, 2025
An interesting parallel exists between this week's Torah portion (Behaalotecha--"When you kindle," Numbers 8:1—12:16), and the very first portion of the Torah, Bereishit. In the first book, Genesis, we learn that on the fourth day of Creation, God creates two lights and places them in the heavens: "God made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness" (Gen. 1:16-18).
In Behaalotecha, three books later, the Torah speaks of two lights again. The first is that of the menorah, the seven-branch lamp that stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle (and later, at the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem). The second is the light of the fire that represented God's Presence, illuminating the tabernacle throughout the night, every night, on all the journeys of the Israelites in the Wilderness.
But there is an important difference between these two sets of lights. In the story of Creation, they are both God's doing. In Numbers however, the two lights depend on, and represent, the Israelites' interaction with God. A sort of partnership has been created between God and humanity.
In Biblical times, kindling the lights of the menorah was solely the High Priest's duty. It was a simple ritual, yet one that involved a great deal of concentration and focus on Aaron's part, eliciting Rashi's commentary, “And Aaron did so: This is written to tell us Aaron’s praise, that he did not change anything.” His hand did not quiver, not a drop of oil spilled. He took great care in fulfilling this duty, in the knowledge that it represented not only his own office but that of all the Levites, the priests and caretakers of our faith.
The appearance of the fire that symbolized God's Presence was likewise predicated on a ritual, this time performed by the entire People of Israel: The first celebration of Passover (exactly one year after the Exodus from Egypt). Only once this is done, once the Covenant between God and Israel is declared and affirmed, does this fire appear and shed its light on our path forward toward the Promised Land.
The transformation that occurs between Genesis and Numbers is important to understand. That which, in the beginning, was God's initial gift to the universe, at this point becomes personalized, its maintenance becoming part of our personal and national responsibility.
With the Temple gone, without a High Priest to kindle the lights of the menorah, this sacred act becomes our own obligation. It's now up to each one of us to "raise the lights," through education, a kind word or deed.
The "greater light," the one that represents God's Presence in our midst, is still ours to upkeep, as a community and people. We do so by celebrating Shabbat and our holy days, as well as through prayer and study.
Throughout our People's long history, there have been many dark times. Yet somehow we've always been able to prevail. We've traversed countless deserts, oceans and seas. There were Golden Ages and Dark Ages, expulsions and massacres as well as times of prosperity and ease. There were times when the spark seemed to be on the verge of disappearing. Yet it never did. God's Presence has always been embedded within our hearts and souls. In each and every generation we found the strength within us to rekindle the spark and watch it rise again. As long as we kept our identity, as long as we upheld our end of the Covenant, God's fire and light were always there—and still are—to show us the path forward.
© 2025 by Boaz D. Heilman
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