Parshat Behaalotcha 2020
1Rashi at the beginning of Parshat Behaalotcha quotes the Midrash, “Why is the Menorah story immediately after the story of the gifts of the princes to the Tabernacle? Aaron, the high priest, upon seeing the gifts of the princes became faint hearted, for he was not included (In their gifts), neither he nor his tribe (Levi). G-d said to him, “On your life, yours is greater than theirs for you light and clean the candles morning and evening!” Asks the Ramban,”It has not become clear to me why he was not comforted with other holy acts such as the Ketoret, the holy incense. Nor was he comforted with all the sacrifices which Aaron and his family would offer in the Tabernacle. Nor was he comforted with the Chavitim sacrifice brought by him alone twice daily. Nor was he comforted with the Yom Kippur service which only he could perform and during which he and only would go into the holy of holies. Nor was he comforted with the fact that he is in a perpetual state of holiness. Nor was he comforted with the fact that Aaron was the only one eligible to bless the people with the explicit Name of G-d. Furthermore, asks the Ramban,”what reason was there for Aaron to be so down? His role was in fact already greater than that of the princes. He brought many sacrifices during the eight days of Meluim. If you argue that his were mandated and theirs were not, but then what does the Menorah do for that, it too was mandated! The Ramban famously refers us to the Nerot of Channukah which was in perpetuity even after the destruction of the Holy Temple. He wrote, “The Menorah is forever, because, even after the destruction of the temple, the people will continue to light candles on Channukah.”
2I would raise the following difficulties with the Ramban. It is somewhat hard to believe that Aaron had petty jealousy towards a largely unimaginative and some may say unnecessary gifts brought by the princes. The size of those gifts, considering the size of some of these tribes, seems pretty meager. Remembering the recent events wherein the people were well stocked with great wealth “and they emptied out Mitzrayim” these gifts were token at best. Furthermore, the Ramban’s suggestion that Aaron’s comfort was somehow achieved by referring to the Chanukah candles is troubling. What comfort is there at the time of the initial Tabernacle dedication from a prophetic vision of a time after its destruction? It seems the most inappropriate time to be foretelling the destruction and the resultant ceremony of Nerot Chanukah!
3It is interesting to note that following the pasuk describing the lighting the Menorah, the Torah tells us of its physical characteristics: And this is its structure “Zeh Maaseh Hamenorah Miksha Zahav etc.” There is a contradiction within the Rashi, first he says it was “Mikshah” or beaten out of a single slab of gold. Then Rashi says “so was the Menorah made”, “it was made by itself.” In other words Hashem made it. Does Rashi mean that G-d beat it? That is in unlikely. More likely it means that Moshe threw gold into a fire and it formed itself into a Menorah. It was beaten and yet was self made.
4The self made Menorah entirely from gold reminds us and it also reminded Aaron of the golden calf which you recall made itself from the pot of molten gold. The Menorah stands as a reminder of the sin and of the repair. Sometimes from within the molten gold emerges a golden calf and sometimes emerges a menorah! Which one will it be? That will be depends on you. A portion of the Nesiyim gift was designed to bring atonement for the sin of the golden calf, 12 goats for Chatat. Also see Bamidbar chapter 7 pasuk 3 “and they (the Nesiyim) brought 6 “Eglot Tzav” translated wagons coated in gold. The gift of golden covered wagons could also be to atone for the sin of the golden calf. “Agalot” were delivered to atone for”Egel”.
5Aaron’s difficulties with being excluded from the gifts of the Nesiyim can be understood in this context. His anguish was that he had lost two sons in the aftermath of the sin of the golden calf and possibly as a result thereof. HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE GIFTS WOULD MEAN EXCLUSION FROM THE REPAIR. Hashem responded “yours is greater than theirs, you shall have your atonement.” The Menorah was created from molten gold just like the Egel, only this time it came out right! “Behaalotcha et hanerot” is translated “when you become uplifted along with the nerot”. In this context Aaron himself became uplifted or atoned via the nerot.
6The theme of atonement for the golden calf continues immediately in the Parsha. Immediately following the section about the Menorah is the section describing the induction ceremony for the tribe of Levi. The tribe of Levi’s greatest moment occurred at the Egel. In fact they were chosen at that very moment.
7The lighting of the Menorah may also be viewed as a form of memorial candle. “As they go up so shall you go up” along with the souls of those lost. It is instructive in the Ramban’s unintended use of the term “He comforted him” Nachamo”. “Nachem”, is the same term used to comfort the mourner. To this day we light candles as a memorial to the dead. It is interesting that for the remainder of the travels in the desert Aaron himself performed the daily lighting ceremony. The lighting served as a form of comfort for his loss. Finally, there may be some significance in the number of branches and candles in the menorah. The seven branches may parallel the seven days of mourning, and the seven relatives for whom a Kohen may or even must become impure after their demise.