Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

Our Parasha this week opens with G-d commanding Aaron to light the seven branched Menorah daily.  Aaron lights the wicks of the Menorah in a certain order.  He starts with the outermost branch on the right and lights toward the center, then moves from the outermost branch on the left and moves toward the center. This is to convey the idea of having a central point of unity toward which all Jewish people must direct our energies. 

The menorah is fashioned out of one block of gold, symbolizing the unity of the Jewish people. But it also has seven branches, from which emanate seven separate and distinct points of light.  This teaches that we each have our own rays of light, our own unique and different perspectives.

Overnight Israel launched a massive attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The attack also eliminated leaders of Iran’s military and scientific community. It is a time of great hope and grave danger. The last few years has seen much political turmoil in Israel. There are different perspectives in Israel and the diaspora about war strategy. But as Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid writes in today’s Times of Israel, “I stand fully behind the goals of this operation and behind our security services…. When it comes to the security of the people of Israel in the face of our enemies, we are one people, with one mission. Our children will not live in fear of an Iranian nuclear bomb. Not today, not ever.” This sentiment is captured in Amanda Gorman’s poem, The Hill we Climb:

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true.
That even as we grieved, we grew.
That even as we hurt, we hoped.
That even as we tired, we tried.
That we’ll forever be tied together…. 

Am Yisrael Chai!