It’s Time To Talk About: Chinuch Lessons From The Menorah
Rabbi Gershon Avtzon connects “B’haaloscha es Haneiros” with Chinuch. “The Menorah had 42 ornaments (as mentioned above) and 4 vessels that were used to help prepare and clean the Menorah. 42 is the numerical value of אמא (mother) and 4 is the numerical value of אבא (father). We need all partners on the same page for the Menorah to shine properly.” • Read More
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
In honor of Parshas “B’haaloscha es Haneiros,” I will share some thoughts that were shared over the years:
1. The design of the Menorah was already shown to Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai, as the Passuk tells us “He made the Menorah exactly according to the form that Hashem had shown Moshe.” We must always remember that the talmid that is in Tomchei Temimim was already chosen by our holy Rabbeim to be their Menorah. When we realize and internalize that idea, we will make sure that we educate and build the Menorah according to the unique Chinuch instructions and guidelines set forth by our holy Rabbeim.
2. The golden Menorah has forty-two ornaments. The Rambam (Hilchos Beis Habechira 3:3) writes: “Thus, the total number of goblets was 22; of flowers, nine; of bulbs, eleven.The absence of any of these ornaments could render the others invalid. Even if one of the 42 ornaments was lacking, all the others would not be valid.”
The Chassidim of our generation merited to hear 42 years of Sichos from the Rebbe (5710-5752). In order to be successful in turning our children into the Rebbe’s Menorah, they must be exposed to all the Sichos of the Rebbe. We can’t make the mistake, like some have made, to conceal the Sichos of the 5751-5752 from their students. It is only with those special Sichos that we have all forty-two ornaments.
3. The Menorah had to be made from a solid כּכּר זהב – piece of gold. The word כּכּר has the numerical-value of 240. This is a very important number with a very important instruction to all educators: The laws of respecting parents are found in section 240 of Shulchan Aruch – Yoreh Deah. In our generation, it is so important that the Yeshiva builds a partnership with the parents in the Chinuch of the child. Children must be encouraged to build healthy relationships and show respect to their parents as this is the foundation that will hold them “solid” through their years.
To add: The Menorah had 42 ornaments (as mentioned above) and 4 vessels that were used to help prepare and clean the Menorah. 42 is the numerical value of אמא (mother) and 4 is the numerical value of אבא (father). We need all partners on the same page for the Menorah to shine properly.
4. The Menorah was set up with a central stick and six branches coming out diagonally from the Menorah. The six branches all came out from the Monorah through the כּפתר, like Rashi writes מִתּוֹךְ הַכַּפְתּוֹר הָיוּ הַקָּנִים נִמְשָׁכִים – that the branches extended from the “buttons”.
What is the lesson? The regular “system” of Yeshiva is six years: Three years in Yeshiva Ketana and three years in Yeshiva Gedolah (followed by Kevutza/shlichus etc). In order for these branches to successfully give light , they must extend from the כּפתר. The word כּפתר is numerical value 700. In (5)700 the Frierdike Rebbe came to America on 9 Adar (always near Parshas Terumah) and announced that “America is not different”.
“American is not different” is not just just a geographic statement. It is a declaration that Torah is truth and Chassidus is truth. With truth, there are no boundaries and time and place. Thus, that declaration also tells us that “5786 is not different”. We have our Rebbe and our “one and only shlichus” in 5786, just as in 5752. These are absolute truths that do not change. The chinuch of the six branches (the years in Yeshiva), must be infused with this knowledge and understanding.
5. One of the most important aspects of the Menorah is וְהֵאִ֖יר עַל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנֶֽיהָ – they will shine toward its center. Rashi tells us: “have the mouths of the six lamps at the top of the branches extending from its sides turn towards the middle one, so that the lamps, when you light them, shine towards פָּנֶיהָ “its face,” i.e., that their light will turn in the direction of the middle stem, which is the main body of the Menorah.
The chinuch we give our talmidim must be centered on the fact that they are always facing “the middle branch” – the Rebbe MH”M. A Tamim is the Rebbe’s child and he must feel that unique connection. Yes – the words וְהֵאִ֖יר עַל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנֶֽיהָ is the same numerical value as תמים, רבּי, יחידה.
I would like to finish with an important story about the Menorah that I once heard from Rabbi YY Jacobson: There was once a Yid that asked the Rebbe an interesting question: The aron was holier than the Menorah. If so, why was the Menorah made of a solid piece of gold and the Aron was made of three separate pieces?
The Rebbe’s response: The Aron represents yid that is going to remain in the good atmosphere of the Kodesh HaKadoshim, thus it is not imperative that he is so solid, as he is in a good atmosphere. The Menorah represents the Chassid that goes out to the world to bring light to the darkness. Such a person needs to be completely solid, so that no outside influences can enter and weaken the person.
Such needs to be the Chinuch of Tomchei Temimim!
Please feel free to share your thoughts on the above with me by sending me a personal email: [email protected]
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