Beha'aloscha
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week’s parsha the command to Aharon to light the Menorah. Some of the commentaries, among them the Ritvah, Tosfos Yeshanim, and Tosfos HaRosh, ask from the Gemara in Yoma 24B which states that the lighting of the Menorah is not considered an Avodah which must be done by a Kohen. If so, why does Hashem specifically command Aharon to light the Menorah if the lighting can be done by anyone?
This question is also asked by the Meshech Chachmah and he explains the p’shat in a manner similar to Rashi. Rashi deals with the issue of why we have the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah brought at this point in the Torah. He answers by pointing out that we read in the end of last week’s parsha about the consecration of the Mishkan. And Aharon felt bad that the Nesi’im of all the tribes brought special offerings for the Chanukas HaMishkan, while he and his tribe were left out. Hashem responds to Aharon, don’t be sad, Shelcha Gedola Me’Shelahem, your portion is greater than theirs. You have the special mitzvah of lighting the Menorah.
According to the Meshech Chachmah, the command given to Aharon is the lighting of the Menorah for the first time. It is the Chanukas HaMenorah that is being commanded here. And Aharon is being told that his role in the Chanukas HaMishkan is greater since he gets to light the Menorah. But the future lightings do not need to be done by the Kohen. What must be done by the Kohen is the prior arranging of the oil and the wicks, but not the actual Hadlakah. And this is why in the beginning of parshat Tetzaveh the command given to Aharon is “Ya’aroch Oso Aharon”, Aharon is told to arrange the Menorah so that it may be lit. However, a command for Aharon to specifically light the Menorah is not found. (See also the Rambam in Hilchos Bi’as Mikdash, Chapter 9, Halacha 7, and Rav Chaim on the Rambam).
The Meshech Chachmah strengthens his point by the fact that the Torah in our parsha tells us right after the command, Vaya’as Kein Aharon. Aharon fulfilled the command of Hashem. If the Torah is speaking about the command to light the Menorah daily, we wouldn’t know he did as commanded until the end of his life. (See the Ramban who learns that the p’shat is that Aharon was careful and always lit himself and didn’t allow any other Kohen to light). But according to the Meshech Chachmah, the p’shat is that the Torah is telling us that Aharon fulfilled the command given to him to light and consecrate the Menorah for the first time.
The Seforno has a different approach in dealing with the question of why the Mitzvah of lighting was given specifically to Aharon. He explains why in parshat Emor, a third place where the mitzvah of the Menorah is brought, the Torah says (Chapter 24, Pasuk 3), Ya’aroch Oso Aharon. Here again the mitzvah of lighting (he doesn’t learn like the Meshech Chachmah that it is not dealing with lighting but rather with arranging) seems to be dependent on the Kohen Gadol. This is because there was a unique situation which existed during the time of the Mishkan. We read in the last pasuk of sefer Shmos that there was a cloud of Hashem over the Mishkan the entire period of the sojourn in the desert. As the pasuk says, Va’Anan Hashem al HaMishkan Yomam. And this created a situation similar to that of Yom Kippur where the Torah teaches (Vayikra, Chapter 16, Pasuk 2) Ki Be’Anan Eira’eh al HaKapores, I will appear in a cloud on the Kapores. Therefore, just as the Avodah on Yom Kippur had to be done by the Kohen Gadol, similarly in the Mishkan all Avodas P’nim needed to be done by the Kohen Gadol. And since the lighting of the Menorah was done in the Kodesh, it was fitting that specifically in the unique environment of the Anan over the Mishkan, the lighting of the Menorah should be done exclusively by Aharon the Kohen Gadol.
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