Parashat Beha’alotcha
June 6, 2023
Ariel Simon, High School Jewish Studies Teacher
[Author’s note: As you read this dvar Torah, please click on the linked phrases for visual and historical context.]
Today, the Star of David, also known as the “Jewish” star, is the most popular and recognizable Jewish icon. Napkins for Chanukah, summer camp logos, and restaurant storefronts all incorporate the Jewish star to signify their Jewishness. Yet in antiquity, the icon that marked Jewishness was the menorah, the six-branched candelabra from the Jerusalem temple. Coins, cemeteries, and graffiti are just some of the objects and locations Jews marked as “Jewish” by including a menorah icon.
Today, the Star of David, also known as the “Jewish” star, is the most popular and recognizable Jewish icon. Napkins for Chanukah, summer camp logos, and restaurant storefronts all incorporate the Jewish star to signify their Jewishness. Yet in antiquity, the icon that marked Jewishness was the menorah, the six-branched candelabra from the Jerusalem temple. Coins, cemeteries, and graffiti are just some of the objects and locations Jews marked as “Jewish” by including a menorah icon.
Archeological evidence points to the fact that menorah iconography grew in popularity after the Romans destroyed the second Jerusalem temple. Some scholars suggest that Jews used the menorah icon as a coded message to covertly spite the Romans, for the Romans celebrated the destruction of Jerusalem by engraving a victory monument in the center of Rome, with an image of Roman soldiers carrying the menorah and other temple vessels as plunder.
When the first government of Israel chose the menorah as the official state symbol they purposely designed it as a response to the Roman monument and to demonstrate the resilience of the Jewish people. Upon closer inspection of Israel’s menorah one can see that it is framed by two olive branches. This addition connects the state symbol to the prophet Zecharia’s vision, found in this week’s haftarah, of a menorah flanked by two olive trees. In the Haftarah, an angel explains that the vision represents Hashem’s promise that the Jewish nation would be rebuilt, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit — declares the Lord.” Gavriel and Maxim Shamir, the graphic designers of Israel’s state symbol, purposely included the olive branches alongside the menorah to impart Zecharia’s message that the new state would not elevate militarism but rather the spirit of holiness, peace, and love.
When the first government of Israel chose the menorah as the official state symbol they purposely designed it as a response to the Roman monument and to demonstrate the resilience of the Jewish people. Upon closer inspection of Israel’s menorah one can see that it is framed by two olive branches. This addition connects the state symbol to the prophet Zecharia’s vision, found in this week’s haftarah, of a menorah flanked by two olive trees. In the Haftarah, an angel explains that the vision represents Hashem’s promise that the Jewish nation would be rebuilt, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit — declares the Lord.” Gavriel and Maxim Shamir, the graphic designers of Israel’s state symbol, purposely included the olive branches alongside the menorah to impart Zecharia’s message that the new state would not elevate militarism but rather the spirit of holiness, peace, and love.
This week’s parashah also contains a unique description of the menorah:
בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. Rabbi Obadiah Sforno translates this pasuk as follows: “When you light the six lamps on either side of the menorah’s central shaft, their wicks should be placed closer to the center shaft, so that all flames will point in the direction of the central light and the seven flames will shine in unison.” Sforno then explains that the menorah’s design is a coded message to remind the Jewish people that it is Hashem’s desire for there to be many paths to living a Jewish life: some Jews may focus on studying and teaching Torah while others may focus on entering the larger workforce. But just as the lights of the menorah face inward to create one large flame, so do the Jewish people need to look inward and support each other, in order to create a thriving community. As we know, for many months a terrible conflict has emerged in Israel over core fissure lines in Israeli society. B’ezrat Hashem, the lessons of this week’s parashah and Haftarah will motivate the people and government of Israel to work towards a compromise that unifies all of Israel.
בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. Rabbi Obadiah Sforno translates this pasuk as follows: “When you light the six lamps on either side of the menorah’s central shaft, their wicks should be placed closer to the center shaft, so that all flames will point in the direction of the central light and the seven flames will shine in unison.” Sforno then explains that the menorah’s design is a coded message to remind the Jewish people that it is Hashem’s desire for there to be many paths to living a Jewish life: some Jews may focus on studying and teaching Torah while others may focus on entering the larger workforce. But just as the lights of the menorah face inward to create one large flame, so do the Jewish people need to look inward and support each other, in order to create a thriving community. As we know, for many months a terrible conflict has emerged in Israel over core fissure lines in Israeli society. B’ezrat Hashem, the lessons of this week’s parashah and Haftarah will motivate the people and government of Israel to work towards a compromise that unifies all of Israel.