By HaRav Dov Begon
Rosh HaYeshiva, Machon Meir
“Man’s soul is the L-rd’s lamp” (Proverbs 20:27). Man’s soul is likened to a lamp.
Just as a lamp needs fuel -- oil -- in order to spread light, so does a person need spiritual fuel
in order for his soul to illuminate the world. And just as this is true regarding the individual,
so it is true regarding the whole community.
The spiritual fuel of the Jewish People down through the generations is the holy Torah
and Jewish tradition, which are likened to pure oil. It is true that the Greeks contaminated the
oil in the Second Temple. Even so, a miracle was performed for us and one urn of pure oil
was found bearing the stamp of the Kohen Gadol [High Priest]. From that oil, the Temple
Menorah was rekindled.
Today, as well, the State of Israel very much needs an urn of pure oil bearing the
Kohen Gadol’s stamp, in order to light the Menorah, which by no coincidence is the symbol
of the State.
Indeed, G-d performed a great kindness for us, and in our generation an urn of pure oil
was uncovered bearing that priestly stamp. That pure oil is found in the teachings of that
great Kohen, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, whose benign light illuminates the whole House
of Israel, the State of Israel and the entire world. Particularly in these times, when a struggle
is beginning over the Jewish fabric of the State of Israel, we have to learn, to teach and to
spread the light of Rabbi Kook. His teachings are like “the precious oil upon the head,
running down upon Aaron’s beard, running down over the hem of his garments, like the dew
of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion, for there the L-rd has commanded the
blessing of everlasting life” (Psalm 133:2-3). Through this we will merit fulfillment of “How
good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Ibid., v. 1).
Looking forward to complete salvation,
Shabbat Shalom,
Chanukah Sameach.
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