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WWOT: Weekly Words of Torah – Parashat Beha’alotekha 5779

To inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower Conservative Jewish Women
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director, Women’s League For Conservative Judaism

This week’s Torah Reading, Parashat Beha’alotekha, begins with a description of the menorah, which the Priests handled twice a day. The instructions on how to light and place the menorah were given. The Torah states, “Speak to Aaron and have him light the menorah so that the seven lights shall cast light.” And Aaron did so.” (Numbers 8:3) There is a commentary in the Etz Hayim chumash (page 816) from the Vilna Gaon, which states, “Aaron did so – Day after day, year after year, Aaron’s attitude never changed. His work never became routine or boring. He approached each day with the same sense of reverence he brought to his first day.”

This is great advice for any of us, who may think what we do is just a routine. We must bring joy and a positive attitude to all that we do. If we have been a member of Women’s League for a day, a year, or a lifetime, we should always make it as if it is our first day. The image of the flame of the menorah, passing from one branch of the menorah to the next, is a great image, of how we can all pass along our love and joy of being part of Women’s League. Let us pass our enthusiasm about Women’s League to the next person by inviting someone who may be new, or who you have not seen recently, to a Sisterhood event, or a Service at your synagogue.

Weekly Words of Torah is a brief paragraph prepared weekly by our new Executive Director, Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, presented in our “This Week @ Women’s League.” WWOT will provide meaningful thoughts related to the Weekly Torah Portion, an event on the Calendar, a Prayer, or something of Jewish interest, to inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower Conservative Jewish Women. If you have any particular interest in future topics, or want to send Rabbi Wolintz-Fields an email, you can contact her at ewolintz-fields@wlcj.org. Read previous Weekly Words of Torah here.