Raising a level in the discourse between the Holy and the profane

The sacred lampstand and the daily life - Parashat Beha’alotcha - Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - 5780

Raising the candles in the Parasha aims to one purpose:

בְּהַעֲלֹֽתְךָ֙ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹ֔ת אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת׃

… “When you mount the lamps, let the seven lamps give light at the front of the lampstand.” (Bamidbar 8:2)

Adjusting the seven candles to illuminate 'in front of the lampstand' connects them to one system. Our sages drew inspiration from the lampstand הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה about the basic principles in Judaism.

In the 15th century, two great Scholars aimed for a similar principle.

Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel was a Talmid Chacham who served as Portugal's finance minister aimed at unity of Torah and science. Matching the general knowledge to Torah Wisdom:

"והיו שבעת הנרות שבמנורה" רומזים אל שבע החכמות שכלם ימצאו בתורת האלקים. והיו הנרות כלם פונות אל הנר האמצעי הנקרא נר מערבי והוא היה פונה אל קדש הקדשים לרמוז שהתכמה האמתית היא אשר תסכים עם שרשי התורה שהיתה בארון.

"And there were the seven candles" alluding to the seven multiple intelligences that everyone would find in the Torah. And the candles were all facing the middle candle and this one, was facing the Holy of Holies, implying that the true Wisdom would come from the root of the Torah which was in the ark." (Abarbanel on Torah, Shmot 25:10)

Rabbi Ovadia Sforno, who was a Rabbi and a physician in Rome, aimed for the unity of the spiritual world and the world of action. The consumable and indistinguishable connection between the Torah people and the people who act:

 וזה כשתפנה שלהבת כל אחד מהששה נרות אל הקנה האמצעי אז, יאירו שבעת הנרות כל השבעה יאירו וישפיעו אור עליון לישראל שיורו היות אור הימנים ואור השמאלים מכוון ופונה אל אור הקנה האמצעי שהוא עיקר המנורה ושכן ראוי שכונת המימינים העוסקים בחיי עולם והמשמאלים העוסקים בחיי שעה העוזרים למימינים תהיה להפיק רצון האל יתברך באופן שיושג מכוונו בין כולם וירוממו את שמו יחדו כמו שקבלו עליהם...

“when you kindle the six lamps, facing the lamp on the center shaft; this means that the wick is to be inclined towards this center shaft so that the flames will point in this direction from the respective sides of the menorah. Then, and only then, all seven lamps will fulfill their function of illuminating and being the conduits of spiritual light descending on to the Jewish people. [obviously, the individual lamps would be able to provide physical light before being positioned in the manner described The mussar, allegorical lesson conveyed by the lights of the menorah is us that only by the “right” side representing preoccupation with eternal values, life in the future, working together with the “left” side which represents the concerns with physical life on our planet, will we be able to attain our purpose on earth.. (Sforno Bamidbar 8:2)

Both interpretations oppose the dichotomous view that separates Torah and science, from the spiritual and the practical life. Their approach sees the מְּנוֹרָ֔ה as an expression of organic systems that combine worlds that are perceived as distinct and separate into one system, parts of which complement it into one whole.

Mentioning their approach at this time is like וְדָבָ֖ר בְּעִתּ֣וֹ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃

“And how good is a word rightly timed!” (Proverbs 15:23).

 More than a week ago, The Rishon Letzion Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef שליט"א made a statement against the Yeshiva High-Schools in which "they are studying and matriculating in secular subjects and nonsense..." versus the "Holy Yeshivot"... and that the Rabbis who send there are not "good" Rabbis, and that in the next elections, “good” Rabbis should be chosen for the cities ... a statement that led to a wave of reactions, those that dealt with the self-esteem of the secular professions in Judaism, as a "necessity" and tool for acquiring a profession that will honor its owners.

As our response, we focused on the achievements and greatness of the High School Yeshiva Rabbinical graduates who do not fall far from the graduates of the other Yeshivas. On the contrary, the graduates who later studied in Zionist Yeshivas, Hesder Yeshivas and higher Yeshivas, achieved higher scores in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel's Rabbinical and Rabbinical Judges’ Tests.

Our Parasha calls for an ‘elevation’ in this discourse, as a central issue in Judaism in general and religious Zionism in particular: "This clear knowledge depends only on the explanation and the solution of all the difficult questions of our private and general life. We must find out solution after solution. This clear knowledge is the value of the sacred and the profane, especially when they are integrated together in our personal and general lives." (Ma’amarei Reiyah II 404).

Contrary to the dichotomous view that separates the Holy from profane in Rabbi Kook's view, there is synergy and synthesis between them and the Torah and science radiate and complement each other. And while we are not aware of this, we reduce the value of Torah and science: "Whenever we want to unite Torah with science, there is no foundation for truth. [But] the supreme aspiration in which the light of truth shines is the recognition that science is itself one of the Torah's illuminations in its true sense…”. "(file 7 154).