Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Why does God need our candles?
The Rabbis answer this question with a story.
This kind of story is called a מָשָׁל (mashal), which is a story that is supposed to symbolize something. As you read it, think to yourself: What does this story symbolize?
For more about how meshalim are used in midrash, see Devash for Behaalotkha!
לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה? לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אוֹהֵב, אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ תֵּדַע שֶׁאֶצְלְךָ אֲנִי סוֹעֵד, אֶלָּא לֵךְ וְתַקֵּן לִי.
הָלַךְ אוֹהֲבוֹ וְהִתְקִין מִטָּה שֶׁל הֶדְיוֹט, מְנוֹרָה שֶׁל הֶדְיוֹט, וְשֻׁלְחָן שֶׁל הֶדְיוֹט. כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּאוּ עִמּוֹ שַׁמָּשִׁין סְבִיבוֹ מִכָּן וּמִכָּן מְנוֹרָה שֶׁל זָהָב לְפָנָיו, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אוֹהֲבוֹ אֶת כָּל הַכָּבוֹד הִתְבַּיֵּשׁ וְהִטְמִין אֶת כָּל מַה שֶּׁהִתְקִין לוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הַכֹּל הֶדְיוֹטוֹת.
אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ שֶׁאֶצְלְךָ אֲנִי סוֹעֵד, לָמָּה לֹא הִתְקַנְתָּ לִי כְּלוּם. אָמַר לוֹ אוֹהֲבוֹ רָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַכָּבוֹד הַזֶּה שֶׁבָּא עִמְּךָ, וְנִתְבַּיַּשְׁתִּי וְהִטְמַנְתִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁהִתְקַנְתִּי לְךָ שֶׁהָיוּ כְּלֵי הֶדְיוֹטוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי פּוֹסֵל אֶת כָּל כֵּלַי שֶׁהֵבֵאתִי וּבִשְׁבִיל אַהֲבָתְךָ אֵינִי מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁלָּךְ.
וְכֵן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כֻּלּוֹ אוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא" (דניאל ב:כב), וְהוּא אָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַתְקִינוּ לִי מְנוֹרָה וְנֵרוֹת.
It’s like a king who had a beloved friend. The king said, "I am coming to eat with you, so get ready."
The friend went and prepared an ordinary couch, an ordinary lamp (menorah), and an ordinary table. When the king came to the friend’s house, there were assistants all around him and a golden lamp before him. When the friend saw all the glory of the king, the friend became embarrassed and hid all the ordinary things.
The king said to his friend, "Didn’t I tell you I was coming over to eat? Why didn’t you prepare anything for me?”
The friend said, "I saw all the glory that you came with, and I was embarrassed and hid everything I had prepared, because it was all ordinary."
The king replied, "I promise that I will ruin all my things that I brought with me, and for the sake of my love for you I will use only your things!"
Just like this, the Holy Blessed One is entirely light, as it is said "And light dwells with God" (Daniel 2:22) and yet God says to Israel: Prepare for Me a menorah and lights (in the mishkan).
- Every mashal has a נִמְשָׁל (nimshal), which is the lesson or idea being taught in the story. Can you explain the nimshal here?
- Can you relate to the friend in this story? Can you imagine feeling embarrassed or inadequate in your efforts to connect to God? Do you ever feel like your little Hanukkah candles - or your other mitzvot - don’t really matter to God?
- Why do you think God loves our ordinary menorah? What does this say about our mitzvot and our relationship with God?
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