Prepared by Rabbi Karen Citrin and Rabbi Micah Citrin
(20) You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. (21) Aaron and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over [the Ark of] the Pact, [to burn] from evening to morning before the Eternal. It shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the ages.
(א) (ג) להעלות נר תמיד. מַדְלִיק עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא שַׁלְהֶבֶת עוֹלָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ (שבת כ"א): (ד) תמיד.
CONTINUALLY — he must kindle it until the flame ascends by itself (Shabbat 21a).
What is the Ner Tamid?
If one sees olive oil in a dream, one may hope for the light of the Torah, as it is written, "The commandment is a lamp and the Torah is a light" (Proverbs 6:23). - Talmud Berachot 57a
The eternal lamp commemorated the Divine Light/Presence (Shechinah) that led Israel through the wilderness. - Talmud Menachot 87b
The eternal lamp was the "western lamp" because "the Divine Presence will never depart from the Western Wall." - Midrash Shemot Rabbah 2:2
The eternal light is like kindling the Shabbat lights. - Mishna Shabbat 2:1
The synagogue's eternal lamp is that of the "woman of valor (eishet chayil) ," whose "lamp never goes out at night" (Proverbs 31:18). - Yannai, Byzantine Jewish liturgical poet
Ner is an acronym for n'shamah-ruach ("soul-spirit"). - Zohar 2:99b
A person always needs to think about the soul and the need to elevate it and to repair it. One can never do enough for spirit רוח (ruach) and soul נפש (nefesh). להעלות נר becomes an acronym for nefesh נפש and ruach רוח. "Tamid" תמיד - A person should always think about his/her spirit and soul.
- Chein Va-Chesed
This world.
The one in which you are reading these words
Is at the center of concentric worlds.
They are each bigger than this place.
They are higher.
Holier and more real than this world.
Shabbos is more real than Wednesday.
Jerusalem is more real than Chicago.
The sukkah is more real than a garage.
Tzedakah is more real than income tax.
Holy is more real than profane.
Standing closer to the Holy One is more real than being far from God.
But they are also smaller than this ordinary world.
For they are within it.
- Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
זוֹהִי שַבָת
לְהַדְלִיק נֵרוֹת שַבָּת
זוֹהִי קְפִיצַת-נֶפֶש הֲרַת נְצוּרוֹת
לְיָם נָהְדָר, שֶיֵש בָה מִסְתוֹרִין
שֶל אֵש הַשְקִיעָה
בְהַדְלִיקִי הַנֵרוֹת יֵהָפֵךְ
חֶדְרִי לִנְהַר דִי-נוּר
בְאַשְדוֹת בָרֶקֶת שוֹקֵע לִבִי
Zelda - The River of Light (based on Ex. 27:20-21)
To light candles in all the worlds - this is Shabbat.
To light Shabbat candles is a soul-leap pregnant with potential into a splendid sea,
in it the mystery of the fire of sunset. Lighting the candles transforms my room into a river of light,
my heart sets in an emerald waterfall.
In a time when there is neither Mishkan nor Temple, how do we shine God's light?