It is not about riches, career, cheap thrills. It reminds us of what is important in this temporal world. The menorah and the priests responsible for it mark a clarity of vision for the entire Jewish people.

Unlike the Americans and perhaps every other nation, the Jews are not a melting pot. It had to be carved out from a solid block of gold, which the 16th Century Italian commentator Ovadiah Ben Yaakov Sforno says symbolizes the unity of the Jewish people. The menorah differs from everything else in the Temple. In describing the 18th Century Jerusalem sage Rabbi Yehuda Hacohen Tanugi, his student, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Mizrahi, said, вЂњMy holy light, my teacher.вЂќ Indeed, the Hebrew root for вЂњlightвЂќ and вЂњteacherвЂќ is practically the same. The light they bring instructs us to follow G-dвЂ™s way. The job of the priests has always been to provide clarity in a world gone wrong. Every year, the Jews celebrated the lights of Hanukkah, a testament to their hope that G-d will never forget His people and support them no matter how dark the exile. But the priests continued to bless the people every day. Some 200 years later, the Romans destroyed the Temple and the offerings ceased. The priests, through the Maccabees, revolted and eventually returned to the Temple, where they relit the menorah and restored service. The Greeks, through their Jewish quislings, had desecrated the Temple and banned Torah observance. The Ramban says the reference is to the miracle of Hanukkah some 2,200 years ago. They would continue to show the way to the Jewish people even in the darkest of times. It is only when there is complete darkness that a lit candle makes the greatest impact.ДЄnd that was G-dвЂ™s gift to Aaron and the priests cited in this weekвЂ™s Torah portion of Behaalotecha. The utility of objects does not depend on time: A cow can be milked, books can be read computers can be operated, airplanes can fly without thought to the hour.ДЄ candle, no matter how large the flame, is useless in daylight. There is one more difference between a candle and everything else. He can navigate through the night, avoiding pitfalls and scaring off wild animals. When the candle is lit, the darkness is driven away. The candle, however, does one thing: It provides light. Also, one can have too little food to be satiated or too much and end up feeling sick. An automobile can travel fast or slow or, when it runs out of gasoline, not at all.

The priests will accompany the people wherever they go.ДЄ candle differs from perhaps anything else used by man. The RambanвЂ™s conclusion is that the assignment given to Aaron and his sons will be permanent whatever happens to the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Moreover, whatвЂ™s so special about lighting the menorah, or candelabra, rather than, say, burning the incense or bringing the offerings? First, why is Aaron upset? After the tribal chiefs have gone home, he will return to perform all of the tasks in the Tabernacle. Moshe Ben Nachman, known by his Hebrew acronym Ramban, doesnвЂ™t quite get it. For you will light and prepare the candles.вЂќ вЂњBy My word,вЂќ G-d told Aaron, вЂњyour portion is greater than their portion.

I light my menorah on every sabbath