Not Just Kindling
The Torah states: “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light.”
The actual literal translation for the word beha’alosecha es haneiros” is “when you bring the lamp upward.”
Rashi explains this unusual way of stating that he should kindle the lamps. This was G-d’s instruction to ensure that the lamp should remain lit on their own. This means that when Aaron kindles the Menorah, he should not have to constantly adjust the wick, add oil or otherwise have to make adjustments so that the Menorah should remain lit. The flame should rise upward without any need for intervention
The Rebbe would use this explanation as a message to us concerning our task to illuminate the lives of others with the light of Torah and Mitzvos.
However, there are two approaches to bringing light to others. One can kindle the soul of another and allow that inspiration to fade, necessitating constant rekindling. One should inspire them so that they can stand on their own two feet
Be Deliberate in Judgment
This approach the Rebbe echoed in his commentary on the first Mishnah in Ethics of the Father which we begin reading and learning anew this Shabbos.
They [the Men of the Great Assembly] said three things: “Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many students and create a fence around the Torah.”
On the surface, this Mishnah was intended to guide the rabbis, who were primarily judges, in their judgment of the people. To be deliberate in judgment meant that they should not hastily decide guilt or innocence based on similarities to other cases. Likewise, the rabbi/judge might want to allow only the elite students into his courtroom/academy. Hence the Mishnah counsels to open the doors to many students. Creating a fence around the Torah was directed to the rabbis that they legislate additional laws to safeguard the existing Torah laws.
However, the Rebbe applied the above to every teacher, and indeed, every Jew who is instructed to share his or her knowledge with others.
The first lesson is to be deliberate in judgment. Do not superficially size up your prospective student and draw hasty conclusions about his status and worthiness as a student. Make sure you understand the qualities and shortcomings of your student so that you can teach him at his level, in a manner that will provide him with the greatest benefit.
Raise Up Many Students
This, however, can raise a problem. If we must be so discriminating in the way we teach, we might feel that we must limit the number of students. If we have too many students, it will be impossible to treat them as individuals and cater to their specific needs and abilities.
To counter that thought, the Mishnah continues, “Raise up many students.” Do not restrict the number of your students. As to the problem how can we have many students and also be deliberate in our assessment of them, the answer is: “Raise them up.” It does not say “teach many students.” It suggests that we should provide them with the foundation and skills so that they can learn and grow on their own without having to constantly keep them from faltering and losing their ability to learn and grow.
This precisely is the message cited above that Aaron was to kindle the Menorah in a way that the flame would rise on its own without a need to constantly tweak it to prevent it from extinguishing.
Create a fence Around the Torah
But one might draw another unwarranted conclusion. If we must be deliberate in the way we judge our students and simultaneously establish many students, we can only satisfy those goals if we water down the standards so that everyone can absorb and implement the teachings that we will impart to them.
To dispel this erroneous conclusion the Mishnah states the third directive, “Create a fenc around the Torah.” Not only should you not water down the Torah’s standards to accommodate more students, but you should also raise the standards. You will succeed because you have allowed the students to rise to the occasion.
Disciples of Aaron
This threefold message is echoed in a subsequent Mishnah [of Ethics of the Fathers, chapter one] that also relates to Aaron and his kindling of the Menorah featured in this week’s this week’s parsha:
“Be like the disciples of Aaron, love peace, pursue peace, love the creatures and bring them close to the Torah.”
The Rebbe would often stress that it does not say, “bring the Torah to them.” That would suggest that we must compromise and water down the teachings of the Torah to accommodate people who are not yet ready to embrace the Torah in its totality. Rather one should raise them to be close to the Torah.
When analyzing the Torah’s message concerning the kindling of the Menorah we will see how it contains all three directives:
Aaron’s role was to illuminate the souls of all the Jews. This entailed two processes: First he had to dig deep into each soul to allow its light to shine brightly. This conforms to the teaching that we should be deliberate in judgment. Don’t look at the surface of your students and judge him based on that superficial view. Expose that student’s soul so that it shines brightly.
Second, Aaron did not discriminate. Aaron kindled all seven branches of the Menorah which correspond to the seven personality types. Aaron did not discriminate whether it was a Jew who was close to the center of the Menorah or distant from it. All his lamps faced the center and were thereby connected to it. Aaron established many students. His reach encompassed everyone
How was he able to maintain that state of illumination in all his subjects?
Here is where the emphasis is on “raise them up” Aaron ensured that the flame that he kindled would rise on its own without him needing to constantly tweak the flame.
Aaron Did Not Compromise
And the third lesson of raising the standards is hinted in the words of the Torah that “Aaron did not alter anything.” As Rashi says, that the Torah speaks of his praise that he did not deviate from that which he was instructed. This means that Aaron did not water down and expect less of his students. he did not tailor make the Torah to fit them. Rather, he raised them up to fit the Torah.
G-d’s Reciprocating
In one of his talks, the Rebbe cited the teaching of our Sages in the Midrash (Shemos Rabbh 30:9) that whatever G-d commands us to do, He also performs. Accordingly, since these three teachings were given to us by G-d, it follows that He would observe them as well.
Be deliberate in judgment
The Rebb explains that the teaching to “be deliberate in judgment” can be applied to the way we are judged from “Above.” If our generation, which is so spiritually wanting, were to be judged hastily and superficially, it would not fare that well.
When, however, we are judged deliberately and one reflects on the causes that led to the lowly state in which we are situated, the results will be significantly different.
The first thing that can be said in our defense is the general state of enhanced spiritual darkness in which the world is now shrouded.
Second, even before the decline of our generation, we already had a valid defense. The mere presence of the soul in a physical body has a numbing effect on the soul due to the body’s ability to compromise Divine truth. As the famous Chosid, Rashbatz once quipped that a human being is “Supernal wisdom contained in a sack of meat, bones and seething blood.”
When one considers the above, and particularly, when one considers the increased measure of darkness in our own day and age, we could expect to be judged rather favorably. Not only should we not be blamed for our wanting behavior, but moreover, we will be commended for the little good that we do possess. This minimal amount of good should evoke a sense of amazement. It is incredulous that notwithstanding all the spiritual constraints and obstacles, how incredible it is that we managed to do so well.
And Raise up many students
This positive assessment of our situation leads to yet a more far-reaching conclusion — encapsulated in the words “And Raise up many students.” This means that G-d is not content with those of us who are presently “Your children, G-d’s students (Isaiah 54:13).” but He incorporates within His circle of students and raises up “many” others who are presently in the category of evil-doers or even worse. All of them are converted into the category of “Your children, the students of G-d.”
How does one who has been so far from G-d, come closer? What is the mechanism for G-d to bring even the “outsiders” into His fold?
Make a fence around the law
The Rebbe responds, that to answer these questions, the Mishnah continues with its third directive: “Make a fence around the law,” which simply means to enact new laws. Frequently, the impediments to getting closer to Judaism lie in the formidable nature of certain of its demands. One may have an aversion to the standard practices of Torah or is “turned off” to certain basic Mitzvos, to use the vernacular.
To facilitate every Jew’s going in the right path, G-d has provided us with more opportunities. If one avenue of Torah was closed to an individual because, that individual may find a new law — that was enacted by the rabbis and sanctioned by the Torah — and thus a new avenue to Judaism.
[This idea is consonant with the Talmudic statement, (Makkos 23b): “G-d wanted to bestow merit on the Jewish people, He therefore multiplied the amount of Torah and Mitzvos. See Maimonides’ Commentary on Mishnah and Chidushei Agados there.]
The Process in Reverse
While the system works in the order that it is delineated in the Mishnah, first G-d is deliberate in how He judges us. This generous mode of judgment, in turn, leads to greater inclusion, that G-d includes even the ones who have strayed the most from Him. To facilitate their return to Judaism, G-d sees to it that there are more opportunities and avenues, by “making fences for the Torah,” new laws and new opportunities.
One could also see how this process works in the reverse. By enacting new laws as a fence around the Torah, we can attain the goal of “raising up many students,” which, in turn leads to “being deliberate in judgment.”
By erecting fences around the Torah, and extending the frontiers of Jewish observance, the Jewish people were provided with more opportunities to serve G-d. Even those, for whom Judaism had no appeal, will find something they can embrace when they realize the added requirements, which are, in actuality, added opportunities. As a result, there will be the fulfillment of “Raise up many students,” that many more Jews will overtly become “Your children, G-d’s students.”
With the added opportunities to be connected to G-d and with the concomitant increase in the number of G-d’s students, the Jewish people will experience the third ideal of “Be deliberate in judgment,” a reference to the future Redemption, about which the Prophet states, “With peace and tranquility you shall be saved.” With the future Redemption, as opposed to the Exodus from Egypt, there will be no need to rush. With deliberate steps we will all march to the Geulah.