The Litter Box
~ Monday, March 13, 2006
This week in parashat Tetzaveh:The Torah reading opens with light: "And you will command the children of Israel to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly" (Exodus 27:20). On this verse the great medieval commentator Rashi quotes the Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 12a:
"One must kindle the flame until it radiates and ascends upward by itself."
Kindling a lamp, then, is a mindful, deliberate action that requires patience and nurturing. The lamp is truly lit when it keeps burning after the kindler has stepped away.
posted by Nikki B at 4:40:00 PM