Perashat Beha'alotekha 5777

Perashat Beha'alotekha 5777

Our perasha, Beha'alotekha, opens with the fashioning of the golden Menorah for the Tabernacle. The Menorah was the most complex utensil to be built for the Tabernacle. The Menorah, which was intricate in design and featured many delicate details, had to be hammered out from one special talent of gold. The Midrash says that Moshe Rabbenu had a hard time making the Menorah and was therefore shown a prophetic vision of the Menorah's design. Yet, Moshe was still not able to execute the task, so Hashem told him to throw a block of gold into the fire, from which a beautiful Menorah miraculously emerged. 

The Sefat Emet, one of the famous Hasidic commentators, asks: If the Menorah was made by itself without any effort from Moshe, why then was it shown to him in a vision? He answers that although it's true that the Menorah was so intricate that Moshe was incapable of making it by himself, there was still another problem; Moshe Rabbenu didn't even know what to want or what to aspire to construct. When Hashem showed him the vision of the Menorah he started to understand what he needed to strive for, and he got the will to make it exactly as Hashem showed him. Only then did he merit a miracle, and the Menorah was constructed by itself from within the fire. Without that will, the Menorah would have never been made.  

There is an amazing idea here which instructs us in a fundamental principle; the main factor in one's achievements lies in the true willpower one has. If you are facing a monumental task and you begin with what you can do, using strong willpower will enable the rest of the work that you cannot do on your own to somehow get done. This is true in so many areas.

If so, why did Hashem command Moshe to do something that was impossible for him to achieve by himself? The Sefat Emet explains further, that this is to teach us, that just like the Menorah was physically impossible to construct, so too is it with all matters of holiness that seem physically and naturally impossible to achieve. After all, how can one naturally succeed in matters of holiness? How can a lowly creature, such as a human being, be able to please the Eternal and Infinite One?  Even the highest angels cannot say that they are successful in worshipping Hashem. Hashem showed Moshe something that is physically impossible to do in order to teach all of us a precious lesson; even if you feel that attaining a level of spirituality is impossible to achieve, through the power of one's burning desire and will, once one starts doing what he can, Hashem will enable him to leap to the finish line, even if this requires miracles!

If a person aspires to a level he wants to reach and immediately says, "this is not for me," "I am not ready yet," and/or "this is above my capabilities", he will never get there, or anywhere for that matter.

Just last week we accepted the Torah anew. When they accepted the Torah, 'Am Yisrael said, "Na'ase ve'nishma" - "We will do, and we will hear."  They were stating clearly their commitment, that it doesn't matter what it says in the Torah, we want this treasure and we have a burning desire to obey all of G-d's words. 

May it be His will, that we renew our longing to achieve greatness, and always strive to attain greater spiritual heights.