“V’atah t’tzaveh (And you shall command) the Children of
Israel, and they shall take you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle
the ner tamid (lamp continually).”
The Baal HaTurim explains that the Hebrew letter taf
in the beginning of the word t’tzaveh has the same gematria
(alpha-numeric value of 400) as the Hebrew word for women, nashim, which
is spelled nun (50), shin (300), yud (10), mem
(40). The beginning of the verse, t’tzaveh, therefore correlates to
“women are commanded”.
The verse ends with the words ner tamid, which has
the same gematria as the words b’Shabbat (on Shabbat). Further, the
verse begins with the words v’atah, which has the same gematria as the
Hebrew word for home, bayit. The
Baal HaTurim concludes therefore that the entire verse hints that women are
commanded to light Shabbat candles at home.
The ner referred to in the verse is the Menorah that
stood in the southern part of the Mishkan (Sanctuary). (The word ner and
the Hebrew word for south, darom, are equivalent in gematria.) Explains Reb
Mordechai (Motti) Rosen z”l: “The Gemara [in Baba Basra 25] says if you want
wisdom, go to the south. Chazal [our Sages, in Mishlei/Proverbs 14:1] also
tell us that a woman with wisdom builds her home. It is accepted that wisdom is
found by women.”
Reb Rosen continues: The first reference to ner
(Menorah) in Torah is when Yitzchak (Isaac) brings Rivka (Rebecca) to his
mother Sarah’s tent. Rashi explains that when Sarah is alive, her nerot
(candles) burn all week long, from one Shabbat to the next. When she dies, the
candles go out. When Rivka enters Sarah’s tent, the candles again began to
burn. From this, we infer that Menorah is a reference to the matriarchs. Also,
the words haMenorah (the Menorah) have the same gematria as isha,
woman.
In the Mikdash, the Kohen Gadol (high priest) lights
the Menorah. In her home, the mikdash me’at (miniature sanctuary), the
woman has the obligation and privilege to bring light into her home and into the
world by kindling the Sabbath candles.
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