Light in the Darkest Times

This week's parsha, Beha’alotcha, opens with the command to Aaron to kindle the Menorah, ensuring its seven lamps shine forward, casting a unified light from a single source. Fashioned from one solid piece of gold, the Menorah symbolizes unity and the sacred obligation to bring light into darkness. In times of crisis, when fear, uncertainty, and moral fog threaten to overwhelm, the Menorah’s light becomes a timeless metaphor for hope, resilience, and clarity.

The Menorah’s flame reminds us that even in dark times, we are called to illuminate, not to retreat. By doing so, we not only honor our heritage but help build a future rooted in faith, strength, and moral courage.

Israel has continually faced the growing threat of a nuclear Iran, a regime that has openly called for Israel’s destruction and whose ambitions and violence extend far beyond one country. Iran’s support of terror, destabilization of global shipping, and threats against the West make it a danger not just to Israel but to the world. While many nations remain silent or still, Israel stands and acts.

What others refuse to do, Israel is doing, for the sake of its people and for the safety of all who would suffer in the wake of inaction. It is once again striving to raise the light, to confront the darkness before it spreads further.

To confront Iran is to confront a force of darkness that threatens far more than Israel alone. Israel’s courage in taking action is an act of global moral leadership, holding back a tide that, left unchecked, could drown far more than the Jewish state. In taking action against Iran’s growing threat, Israel is not just defending itself. It is stopping the darkness from engulfing the world.

Israel is that light. October 7 was simply another attempt to snuff it out. But the spirit of the Jewish people is not a flickering flame. It is a conflagration. A fire of faith, memory, and purpose that cannot be extinguished, no matter how our enemies try.

The Menorah’s light was never meant to remain hidden within the sanctuary. It is a beacon for the world. And in moments like these, the world needs that light more than ever.

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