Мидраш к Бамидбар 17:18

When the Holy One, blessed be he, contemplated fashioning man, he said to the Torah: Let us make man (Gen. 1:26). It replied: Master of the Universe, the man You wish to make is of few days, and full of trouble (Job 14:1), and he will sin. If You are not forbearing with him, it would be better that he should not come into the world. He retorted: Is it for nothing that I am described as Slow to anger and plenteous in loving-kindness (Num. 17:18)? Whereupon He began to collect the dust for the body of the first man from the four corners of the earth, so that no one part of the earth might say: “The dust of the body of man is mine.” If he took the dust from the east and the man passed away to the west, the earth of the west might say: “The dust of your body did not come from me, I will not welcome you.” Therefore He took the dust from the four corners of the world, so that wherever man man passes away the earth would welcome him, as it is written: For dust thou art (Gen. 3:19).

(Numb. 8:2:) “When you set up the lamps.” This text is related (to Ps. 18:29), “For You light up my lamp.” Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, are You saying that we should give light before You?¹¹Numb. R. 15:5; Exod. R. 36:2. [But] You are the light of the world and the light [dwells] with You, as it is written (in Dan. 2:22), ‘He reveals the deep and secret things, He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells within Him.’ And [now] You are saying (in Numb. 8:2 cont.), ‘let the seven lamps give their light in front of the menorah.’” Ergo (in Ps. 18:29, “For You light up my lamp.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “It is not because I need [your light]. Rather it is so that you may give light to Me just as I have given light to you in order to exalt you in the presence of all the nations; so that they will say, ‘See how Israel is giving light to the One who gives light to everyone!’” To what is the matter comparable? To a sighted person and a blind person who were walking on a road (... as in Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 4). The Holy One, blessed be He, was leading them and giving them light, as stated (in Exod. 13:21), “And the Lord went before them by day [in a pillar of cloud to guide them on the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light].” When the tabernacle was set up, the Holy One, blessed be He, called to Moses and said to him, “Tell them to give Me light.” It is so stated (in Numb. 8:2), “Speak unto Aaron […], ‘When you set up [the lamps].’” Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Ps. 18:29), “’For You light up my lamp.’ And [now] You say that we are to give You light?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “It was in order to exalt (lehaalot) you that I told you to give light to Me, just as I had given light to you on the way.” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 8:2), “When you set up (beha'alotekha) [the lamps].”

(Numb. 8:2:) “When you set up the lamps.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 7:1–2)? “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished [ … ] that the princes of Israel, [the heads of their ancestral houses, namely the princes of the tribes, the ones in charge of those being numbered,] made their offerings.” Then afterwards (in Numb. 8:2), “Speak unto Aaron [and say unto him], ’When you set up [the lamps].’”¹²Numb. R. 15:6. This text is related (to Ps. 34:10), “Fear the Lord, O you His holy ones, for those who fear Him lack nothing.” You find above (in Numb. 7) that eleven tribes made offerings, while the tribe of Levi made no offering. So while the tribe of Ephraim made offerings and all of the princes made offerings, the prince of Levi [did not]. Now who was the prince of Levi? This was Aaron, as stated (in Numb. 17:18), “And you shall write the name of Aaron upon the rod of Levi.” So Aaron did not make an offering with the princes, for he said, “Woe to me! Perhaps it is because of me that the Holy One, blessed be He, is not accepting the tribe of Levi.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, “Go, say unto Aaron, ‘Do not be afraid. You are destined for something greater than this.’” It is therefore written (in Numb. 8:2), “Speak unto Aaron [...], ‘When you are raised.’” The offerings remain in force as long as the Temple exists, but the lamps are forever (according to Numb. 8:2 cont.) “in front of the menorah.” Moreover, all the blessings which I have given you to bless My children shall never pass away. Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:2 cont.), “in front of the menorah.” So that you will not despise this menorah. It is so stated (in Zech. 4:10), “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice to see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, [even] these seven [...].” This is the menorah. And what are “[these] seven?” These are the seven lamps corresponding to the seven planets that (ibid. cont.) “roam around all the earth.”¹³Numb. R. 15:7. These seven likewise are dear to Me. Thus you may not despise them. It is therefore written (in Numb. 8:2:) “let the seven lamps give their light in front of the menorah.” Lest your [evil] drive lead you astray into saying that He (i.e. The Holy One, blessed be He) has need of light, [see] what is written about the windows of the Temple (in Ezek. 40:16, 25), “Now there were narrow windows into the cells [...]. Like the windows (kehahallonot) mentioned above.” "Kahallonot"¹⁴The midrash is explaining an extra he (h) which does not belong there. is not written here but "kehahallonot" (understood here as kehah halonot which means "dim windows"), in that they were wide on the outside and narrow on the inside in order to send forth light to the outside.¹⁵Above, Numb. 3:2. R. Berekhyah the Priest said, “This lightning is the result of fire from on high. When it goes forth it brightens up the whole world, as stated (in Ezek. 1:13), ‘As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire burning with the appearance of torches … [and from the fire there went forth lightning],’ and it brightens up the whole world. And I would need your light? [So] why did I tell to you to give Me light? Simply in order to exalt you (ha'alotekha),¹⁶Cf. Numb. 8:2: WHEN YOU SET UP THE LAMPS (ha‘alotekha). as stated (in Numb. 8:2), ‘When you set up (beha'alotekha).’” R. Hanina said, “Concerning your own eyes they have within them both black and white. Still you see not out of the white but out of the black. [Now if in the case of your eyes, which have within them both black and white, but with you seeing only out of the black], would the Holy One, blessed be He, who is all light need your light?” Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:2 cont.), “in front of the menorah.” Flesh and blood lights a lamp from a burning lamp. Could one [ever] light a lamp from the darkness? The Holy One, blessed be He, however, did make a lamp give light from the darkness, as stated (in Gen. 1:2), “with darkness upon the face of the deep.” What is written after that (in vs. 3)? “Then God said, ‘Let there be light.’” [Since] I have brought light out of the darkness, do I have need for your light? So why did I say [to light lamps]? Simply to exalt you (rt.: 'lh), (in the words of Exod. 27:20) “to set up (rt.: 'lh) an everburning lamp.”

[(Numb. 8:2:) WHEN YOU SET UP THE LAMPS.] What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 7:1–2)? SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED [ … ] THAT THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL, <THE HEADS OF THEIR ANCESTRAL HOUSES, NAMELY THE PRINCES OF THE TRIBES, THE ONES IN CHARGE OF THOSE BEING NUMBERED, > MADE THEIR OFFERINGS. Then afterwards (in Numb. 8:2): SPEAK UNTO AARON [AND SAY UNTO HIM]: WHEN YOU SET UP <THE LAMPS>.¹⁵Tanh. Numb. 3:5; Numb. R. 15:6. This text is related (to Ps. 34:10 [9]): FEAR THE LORD, O YOU HIS HOLY ONES, FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM LACK NOTHING. You find above (in Numb. 7) that eleven tribes made offerings. So while the tribe of Ephraim made offerings, the tribe of Levi made no offering. Moreover all the princes made offerings except for the prince of Levi. Now who was the prince of Levi? This was Aaron, as stated (in Numb. 17:18 [3]):AND YOU SHALL WRITE THE NAME OF AARON UPON THE ROD OF LEVI. So Aaron did not make an offering with the princes for he said: Woe to me! Perhaps it is because of me that the Holy One is not accepting the tribe of Levi. The Holy One said to him: Go, say unto Aaron: Do not be afraid. You are ordained for something greater than this. It is therefore written (in Numb. 7:2): SPEAK UNTO AARON…. The offerings remain in force as long as the Temple exists, but the lamps are forever. (According to Numb. 8:2 cont:) LET <THE SEVEN LAMPS> GIVE THEIR LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MENORAH, and all the blessings which I have given you to bless my children shall never pass away.

The Midrash Rabba (Bamidbar 15:5) relates that when the Jews were given the commandment to kindle the Menorah in the Temple (Bamidbar 8:2), they asked G'd why He told them to light up for Him Who is the Light of the whole world. G'd said to them, "You are right. I do not need your light. But I want to give you an opportunity to light for Me like I have lit for you." G'd led the Jewish people with a cloud of glory and a pillar of fire. This is why He told them to kindle the lights when the Tabernacle was erected. "This will elevate your position amongst the nations. They should say, look how the Jewish nation lights for the One who lights up the whole world." [...] The Midrash explains that this can be compared to a seeing person who leads a blind person as they travel along the road together. When they come to the house, the seeing person says to the blind one, "Please go and light a candle for me." To this the blind person replies, "I do not understand. As long as we were travelling, you supported and guided me. Why do you now ask me to light a candle for you?" To this the seeing person responds, "I want to give you an opportunity to pay me back so that you do not feel an ongoing debt of gratitude".