Behaalotecha

Behaalotecha - Sandy Littman

Sandy Littman has an MPhil in Comparative Semitics and is a graduate of the Susi Bradfield Women Educators' Programme. She has worked in the Home Economics Section of the JMC and at the Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din as a researcher and food technologist.

The weekly reading from the prophets (the haftarah) serves variously to complement, contrast, and complete aspects of the sedrah.

This week's haftarah, from the book of Zechariah, gives a vision of a future menorah in a rebuilt Temple. This seven-branched menorah has seven 'channels' above it (representing a celestial equivalent), and two olive trees alongside. Symbolically, the channels of the heavenly menorah feed the earthly one through the two 'trees' - the leader Zerubbavel (of the line of King David) and Yehoshua ben Yehotzadok, the High Priest.

The sedrah of Behaalotecha opens with the menorah of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and the instructions given to Aharon, the High Priest, "to cause the flame to go up". This is exactly what he did-active tending of the lights contrasts to the passive illumination of the Haftarah's menorah light, as channelled by Hashem through the nation's political and religious leaders.

This reflects another segment of Behaalotecha: Moshe cries out that he "cannot bear the burden of this people alone, for it is too heavy" (Num 11:14). In response, Hashem instructs him to gather seventy elders, leaders from the camp, upon whom Hashem will channel some of the divine spirit which rests on Moshe, a devolution of power. In the Haftarah, power is also shared - between Zerubbavel and Yehoshua, and their companions (e.g. Zech 3:8). None but Hashem can lead the nation alone.

The Haftorah describes the idyllic scene where people will invite each other to rest "beneath the vine and the fig tree" (Zech 3:10) contrasting with the movement of Behaalotecha as the people journey from their wilderness environment towards their future goal. The sedrah also describes the making of the silver trumpets which call them to battle; in the Haftorah, the prophet declares "not by force and not by might, but with My spirit says the Lord of Hosts." (Zech 4:6)

As seen, the Haftarah gives an added dimension to many components of the sedrah. In this light, consider Rashi's comment: why does the section of Aharon and the menorah follow the dedicatory offerings of the leaders of the tribes? Because when Aharon saw the splendour of these offerings, he became upset that his tribe was not among them. God told him that he has an important role, to cause the light of the menorah to ascend (Rashi, Num 8:2). Ramban, says this refers to the Hasmonean menorah at Chanukah, an episode in Jewish history that relied on priestly dedication. (Nachmanides, Num 8:2)

Perhaps Aharon was aware that following the dedication of the Mishkan and the organization of the people into a fighting force (the trumpets), they would go into the land, the influence on the people would be the tribal leaders, and his religious influence would end. The Haftarah makes it clear that future leadership would come both from political and priestly sources, and more crucially, that divine influence - as in the flow of oil from heavenly menorah to earthly one - would be clearly perceived. As was the case with the mishkan, built so that "I shall dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8) so will it be in the future, as stated in the opening words of the Haftorah: "Sing and be glad ... for I will dwell in your midst" (Zech 2:14).