Parshat Beha'alotcha: A Small Light - Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

once there was a rich nobleman who had a friend who was about a simple laborer the laborer invited the rich man to eat as his home and in preparation for his honored guests the labourer clean rearranged his meager furnishings and said the table as lavishly as he could and he lit candles to welcome his friend as it grew dark the labourer went to the window and saw a glow rising on the horizon at first he thought it was the Setting Sun but as the sky darkened the glow continued to get brighter suddenly his friend the nobleman appeared on the crest of the hill with a large group of servants all carrying torches the torches were so bright that they lit up the night as though it was day when the labourer saw this entourage approaching his cottage he turned and he looked at his room the candles that he'd arranged so carefully paled into insignificance in the glow of these huge torches quickly he extinguished the candles and hid the candlesticks in the drawer the nobleman entered his cottage and saw the darkness and said were you not expecting me tonight yes I was said the labourer why did you kindle no lights in cried the nobleman I did replied the other but when I saw the wonderful blaze of the lights in the torches of your servants I was ashamed and they hid my candles away on hearing this the noblemen dismissed all his attendants and said tonight I will dine only by the light of your canvas so that you will see how dear they are to me how come the little light that my kindness generates compared with God's eternal kindness in creating the world and giving me the opportunity to exist and create a relationship with him isn't my little light swamped completely by his light this is exactly how Moshe felt when he entered the sanctuary the Mishkan when Moshe went in there he found the sanctuary bathed in the radiance of the Shekinah the divine presence Moshe wondered how the poor earthly lights of the menorah could radiate any light he thought they would be overpowered by the brilliance of the Shekinah what possible use could God have from these wicks and oils God spoke to Moshe using the first word of this week's para bajar Lucifer this word is usually translated as when you light but it can also mean in your elevation God was telling Moshe that as insignificant as his action might seem because the act of lighting the menorah was the will of God this action would elevate him and bring him close to God and so it is with all the mix every Mitzvah is a chance to become spiritually elevated the Torah is 613 ways to become close to Hashem to God [Music] [Applause]