| And G-d said to Moses: Speak to Aharon, and tell him: When you light the lamps, direct the light of the seven branches toward the center of the candelabra. | Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe laimor: Dabeir el Aharon ve-amarta eilav: Beha’alotcha et-hanerot el mul pnei hamenora, ya’iru shiv’at haneirot. | וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃ דַּבֵּר אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת׃ |
Torah Thoughts
Parashat Beha’alotcha contains the sources of a great many of our regular practices, including the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana and the preceding month, and words we include when taking the Torah out of and returning it to the ark. See:
Carrying the Torah through the Desert
Parashat Beha’alotcha also introduces the concept of the Second Pesach; a second opportunity for those either traveling or impure at the time the Seder is to take place to perform the Seder rituals (this does not change the time we are to abstain from eating or owning chametz, a separate mitzvah).
Continuing the narrative of the travels through the desert, however, Beha’alotcha recalls when we were instructed to keep an eye on the cloud that rested above the mishkan day and night. During the day it looked like smoke, and during the night it looked like fire. When it rose we were to pack up, and when it moved we were to follow it to wherever G-d indicated we were to go.
Mishkan Covered with a cloud… which sometimes looks like fire
This week on ParshaNosher: we create the Mishkan, over which rested a cloud that looked like fire by night, and smoke by day. Like toddlers, newly freed, we needed constant assurance from G-d that he was still there. We needed to peek out of our tents, and knew He was still with us. And like parents whose children have separation anxiety, He reassured us, as long as we needed it.
