Community Magazine June 2016

24 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Behaalotecha instructs that the flames in the six lamps of the menorah should all be turned towards the middle. The holy books explain that the six lamps symbolize the six sections of the Mishna, the basic text of the oral tradition. These lamps are turned towards the middle lamp, which symbolizes the written law, the text of the Torah. The written Torah, of course, is fixed and limited, but the oral law is infinite. There are constantly new ideas waiting to be unearthed by the scholars of each generation. The six lamps are turned towards the middle because the oral law serves to illuminate and clarify the text of the written law. The kindling of the menorah was performed by Aharon, because he represents the oral law. The six sections of the Mishna are Zeraim , Moed , Nashim , Nezikin , Kodashim and Taharot , and the first letters of these names ( zayin , mem , nun , nun , kuf and tet ) have the combined numerical value of 256 – the same as the numerical value of the name “Aharon.” Aharon was able to maintain his excitement for mitzvot because he represented the Torah shebe’al peh , the oral law, which is boundless and always offers something new. With the oral law, Torah never gets stale or boring. It is always fresh and exciting. There’s always something new to learn, a new way to interpret a passage, a new idea to ponder and contemplate. This is how we “kindle the menorah ” anew each day, lighting a new flame of passion and excitement for Torah through regular and intensive study. Many of us find ourselves on a “high” after the celebration of Shavuot. There is nothing quite like the experience of spending an entire night immersed in Torah together with one’s community, and then reenacting the acceptance of the Torah at Mount Sinai in the morning. While it might be unreasonable to expect this special feeling to remain with us all year round, we must do what we can to preserve at least a spark of that raging flame of religious fervor. And the way we do that is by allocating regular time for intensive Torah study. This ensures that each and every day, we will be exposed to something new, some new insight and idea that we haven’t known before, generating excitement and keeping our interest piqued. This is how we can grow to become like Aharon Hakohen, scrupulous in our Torah observance and ever joyful over the privilege we are given to serve our Creator. June 29th - Aug 19 2016 Separate classes for boy & girls! Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children