Aharon was enjoined regarding the preparation and kindling of the Menorah even prior to his being selected as the Kohain Gadol. This would seem to indicate that Aharon’s task of lighting the Menorah was exclusive of his position as Kohain Gadol. It was due to Aharon’s exemplary character traits that he merited the position of lighting the Menorah, as well as being selected as Kohein Gadol. The Menorah, being the symbol of the light of Torah which spreads throughout the world, can serve as a vehicle from which to derive certain basic formulas for the proper approach to teaching Torah.
The Talmud states that the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah is such that one must kindle the light until the flame goes up by itself. (Shabbos 21b)
We may infer from this halacha that when one imparts Torah knowledge to his child or his student, he must adequately prepare him so that the student will eventually have the ability to study Torah on his own. The mentor should be vigilant that the student does not just parrot the lesson, but rather that he should have an in- depth understanding of what has been taught.
The Torah states that the oil used for the Menorah must be “pure olive oil.” We note from this halacha that an educator should properly prepare his lesson so that when it is presented in the classroom there will not be any contradictions raised by students. The lesson should be clear and lucid, properly outlined and defined, so that there will remain no doubts in the minds of the students. Another lesson can be gleaned from the fact that the same amount of oil was used for the lamps, regardless of the time of year. Whether the days were long or short, the Torah commands that the oil used should be uniform. This indicates that the efforts that are utilized and applied in the teaching of a superior and gifted child should likewise be applied to the weaker child. Often-times, teachers will give up on the poor student because he lacks the ability to succeed, or, on the other hand, they will not concern themselves properly with the superior student because they think that there is little need for much attention. These attitudes and sentiments are both wrong, since one must realize that all students should be handled equally, with the same devotion and supervision.
These are but a few of the valuable lessons learned from the guidelines for lighting the Menorah. It is through their application that we can be sure to provide for our children a meaningful and lasting education.
