In the ancient Tabernacle, in the desert between Egypt and Israel, stood the precursor to our Hanukkiah: the seven-branched Menorah stationed in front of the Holy of Holies. Like all of the details about the Tabernacle, the construction of the Menorah is described in intricate detail. Reading this section of the Torah, one can’t help but wonder: “why?” Why all gold and silver and linen of the Tabernacle, why the light of the Menorah and the incense and the sacrifices, why all of this for a God who has no need for physical things? The question still resonates today: why do any Jewish ritual at all? The rabbis of the Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 15) ask this question and provide an answer. According to the story, God tells Moses, “It is not on my own account that you need these lights; rather, I have warned you about them for your own good.” God doesn’t need the light, the story says; we do. The Hanukkah lights, like the lights of the ancient Menorah, are also meant to ignite something within us. What is lit up in you when you look at these candles?
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