And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually. (Shemos 27:20)

Every day in the Temple, the special seven branched Menora was lit. The Menora was very interesting in the purpose that it served. The windows in the Bais HaMikdash were facing the wrong way. Normally windows are wide on the inside and narrow on the outside so more light will come into the room from the outside. The windows next to the Menora, though, were wide on the outside and small on the inside. This is because the light from the Menora shined into the world. Why? Hashem created lots of light outside – why would He need more light from seven candles?

Our Sages share the following story. A man who had sight once saw a blind man who was lost in the woods. The sighted man lifted the blind man onto his back and carried him to his house. Once they were safely inside the house, the sighted man asked the blind man to turn on the light. Why? The blind man would not benefit from the light. The reason is because the sighted man realized the blind man would be saddened that he needed to be helped and was not able to help. The sighted man could have easily turned on the light himself, but he asked the blind man to do it to cheer him up. The blind man could feel like he did something to help another.

There’s a great lesson we can learn from this: everyone likes to be able to help others and no one likes when someone else needs to do everything for them. Even young children want to do things themselves because they don’t want to feel helpless. When someone does everything for you, you feel unimportant. Therefore, Hashem gave us the mitzvah of the Menora. He doesn’t need it, but He gave it to us so we can feel important. When we are able to give someone the ability to perform something on his or her own, we are making them feel important. This is a great chesed!

Good Shabbos!
-y.e.s.
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