T'zaveh

וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית) לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃

You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly.

According to our Rabbis, it is here that we see the commandment to have a Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) within our sanctuaries and it has become a staple regardless of Jewish affiliation, within our synagogues and temples, we have a light that is always lit.

Interestingly, Rashi did not agree with this interpretation. He believed that the Ner Tamid referred to a light that was rekindled every night. Rashi believed the light was to be lit every evening and it would burn through the morning.

I would like to draw a correlation with our Neshama, our souls, being “renewed” every night and returned to us in the morning.

שהחזרת בי נשמתי

If we follow Rashi’s interpretation, there is a good argument to be made, that the presence of the Ner Tamid symbolises the time that our Neshama is being cleansed. Then it is ours during the day to make our choices, how we are going to serve G-d, how we are going to serve each other, and then once again, in the evening, the light goes on and our soul is refreshed.

Yes this is not the way that our Rabbi’s decided to lean. We have an Eternal Light burning continually in all of our sanctuaries.

The Torah portion of Tetzavah, is one of commitment, G-d’s commitment to us, and our commitment to G-d. But it is about the consistency of our relationship with G-d, the daily actions that the Children of Israel took.

Oftentimes we forget about the constancy. We turn to G-d in times of stress and despair. Not just the negative, we also find ourselves looking to G-d in times of joy. In our “ups and our downs”, this is when we search for G-d’s presence. In times of drama.

We all know people who lurch from one dramatic interlude to another. There is always something going on in their lives. Or the people who actually seek out the drama, looking for thrill to keep their interest.

Yet the security given by an Everlasting Light, or a continual relationship with G-d cannot be compared to those who only call out from the trenches.

In Tetzaveh, G-d gives us more commandments and laws, and not all of them are interesting. They don’t all pull us in with excitement and joy. What Tetzaveh shares with us is the understanding of consistency. The knowledge that G-d is always with us, even during the mundane.

And it is that relationship I would like to nurture, the one that keeps my Ner Tamid burning strong.

Shabbat Shalom.