The Menorah and the Israeli unity

Parshah and its realization – Parashat Beha'alotcha 5783

Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald

There is great significance in studying Parshat Beha'alotcha and its Haftarah at a time of severe internal discord, and efforts for unity. Parshat Beha'alotcha opens with the candle lighting in the seven-branched Temple lamp; and the Haftarah in the book of Zechariah deals with the seven-branched Menorah as well.

At the time of the founding of the State, a committee was established to determine the state emblem and flag. This committee decided that the symbol would be the seven-caned Menorah inspired by the prophecy in Zechariah. The committee asked for proposals for the design of the emblem. Among the hundreds of proposals submitted, Rome Titus Gate's Menorah was chosen. The triumphal gate was erected by the Romans about a decade after the suppression of the great rebellion and the destruction of the Temple and the kingdom. The relief depicts the victory parade (triumph) in which they carried the vessels of the Temple where the most prominent among them is the Menorah. The parade was intended to express the victory of the Romans but no less the defeat and humiliation of the Jews (similar to the coins minted at that time with the inscription: Judaea Capta - 'Captive Judah'). The taking of the Temple vessels was a symbol of the defeat of the Jewish ethos they were fighting for.

Judah was defeated in the war because of a civil war. During Vespasian's siege of Jerusalem, the civil war within the city increased. The army commanders saw the opportunity and pressed Vespasian to take advantage of the city while it was weak, and asked permission to attack. But Vespasian realized that it was better for him to wait, in the meantime the Jews were killing each other and doing his work for him:

"אם ימהר ויתקוף את העיר כבר עתה, יביא לכך שהאויבים ישלימו ביניהם ויַפנו נגדו את מלוא עצמתם בכוחות מאוחדים; אך אם ימתין – יפחת מספר האויבים, שכן רבים ייהרגו במלחמת האחים. וכו'. בעוד אויבינו הורגים איש את אחיו במו ידיהם, עליכם לשבת בשקט כצופים. וכו'. הרי היהודים אינם עוסקים עתה בייצור נשק, בהקמת ביצורים או בגיוס חילות עזר. אלא מתייסרים במלחמת אחים ובמחלוקות ומדי יום נופלות בחלקם תלאות מחרידות"

"If he rushes and attacks the city right now, he will cause the enemies to reconcile among themselves and turn their full strength against him with united forces; But if he waits - the number of enemies will decrease, since many will be killed in the civil war… While our enemies are killing each other with their own hands, you must sit quietly as spectators... After all, the Jews are not producing weapons, constructing fortifications or mobilizing auxiliary forces. Rather, they are tormented by fratricidal war and disputes, and every day horrific hardships befall upon them". (The War of the Jews 4)  

The choice of the Menorah as the symbol of the country according to the Titus Gate model was probably mainly due to artistic considerations, but there was also something symbolic about it. It was intended to express that the historical wheel has turned from 'captive Judah' to independent and liberated Judah.

And perhaps there was also another symbolic statement in this: in the establishment of the renewed state of Israel, the lessons that led to destruction must be considered: 'baseless hatred' and the 'war between brothers'. The country should be founded on unity between all parts of the nation, and on the promise that there will never be another war between brothers.

From Parashat Beha'alotcha we learned about the Menorah's unifying significance:

אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת

"…let the seven lamps give light at the front of the lampstand". (Bamidbar 8:2)

שִׁשָּׁה שֶׁעַל שֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים, שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמִּזְרָחִיִּים פּוֹנִים לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי — הַפְּתִילוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן — וְכֵן שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמַּעֲרָבִיִּים רָאשֵׁי הַפְּתִילוֹת לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי

"the seven lamps: this central lamp itself which naturally gave light over against the shaft (the פני המנורה) and the six lamps which were on the six branches, viz., the three on the east side of the central shaft should have their wicks turned towards the central one, and similarly the three on the west should have the ends of their wicks turned towards the central one…" (Rashi ibid)

The candles illuminating towards the middle has a unifying significance:

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, כאמרם אלמלי עלייא לא מתקיימי אתכליא (חולין צב, א) תהיה להפיק רצון האל יתברך באופן שיושג מכוונו בין כולם וירוממו את שמו יחדו כמו שקבלו עליהם כאשר העיד באמרו ויענו כל העם יחדו ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ה' נעשה כלומר בין כולנו נשלים כונתו:

"all seven lamps will fulfill their function of illuminating and being the conduits of spiritual light descending on to the Jewish people. The Mussar, allegorical lesson conveyed by the lights of the Menorah is 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. Our sages in Chulin 92a phrased it thus: אלמלי עלייא לא מתקיימא אתכליא, “if not for the input from celestial regions, spiritual input, the creatures on earth would not be able to survive at all. In order for this universe to function as G-d wanted it to, all social levels of the people have to make their respective contributions. A major function of the combined activity by the “tutored and the ignorant” is to ensure that G-d’s name would be hailed, revered and enthusiastically acknowledged by every segment of mankind, all of His creatures.” (Sforno ibid)

The shape of the Menorah expresses the unity of the different parts of the people - the left and the right. It represents the possibility of making those differences to be complimentary of one another and not to a struggle of opposites.

The Menorah's structure and composition out of one piece also has the significance of unity:

וזה התכלית בעצמו המכוון בהדלקת הנרות אל מול פני המנורה הוא בעצמו מכוון בענין חיוב היות המנורה מקשה להורות האחדות המכוון לתכלית אחד בעצמו

"The very composition of the Menorah as a single chunk of gold, with all its lights facing the lamp on the central shaft, symbolizes this united endeavor to serve G-d, i.e., to look towards the spiritual light as symbolized by that in the center of the Menorah, its “trunk.” המנורה מקשה, to underline the unity, the whole people jointly striving to attain the same spiritual objective". (Sforno 8:4)

Moreover, the Menorah expresses the unity of G-d:

ולפי שענין המנורה הוא רמז לאחדות ה'. והיא קשורה בסוד הסולם שהיה ה' נצב עליו לקשר כל הדברים וכל הדברים פונים אליו. לכן צוה אל מול פני המנורה של מעלה יאירו ז' הנרות.

"And the Menorah is an allusion to the unity of G-d. And it is related to the ladder (Ya'acov's), which G-d placed to connect all things, and all things turn to Him. That is why he commanded: Let the seven lamps give light at the front of the lampstand in Heaven”. (Tzror HaMor on Torah Bamidbar 8:2).

May the state symbol Menorah be a symbol of Israeli unity and durability, forever and ever.