(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].”
בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: כִּי אַתָּה תָּאִיר נֵרִי (תהלים יח, כט). אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁנָּאִיר לְפָנֶיךָ, אַתָּה הוּא נֵרוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וְהָאוֹרָה דָּרָה אֶצְלְךָ, כְּתִיב: הוּא גָּלֵא עֲמִיקָתָא וּמְסַתְּרָתָא יָדַע מַה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא, וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא (דניאל ב, כב), וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר, אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. הֱוֵי, כִּי אַתָּה תָּאִיר נֵרִי. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לֹא שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לָכֶם, אֶלָּא שֶׁתָּאִירוּ לִי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֵאַרְתִּי לָכֶם. לָמָּה, לַעֲלוֹת אֶתְכֶם בִּפְנֵי כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים: רְאוּ הֵיאַךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְאִירִין לְמִי שֶׁהוּא מֵאִיר לַכֹּל. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לְפִקֵּחַ וְסוּמָא שֶׁהָיוּ מְהַלְּכִים בַּדֶּרֶךְ (וכו', תצוה ד). וְהָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַנְהִיגָם וּמֵאִיר לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַה' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם וְגוֹ' (שמות יג, כא). כֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן, קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר לֵיהּ: אֱמֹר לָהֶם שֶׁיָּאִירוּ לִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ. אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כִּי אַתָּה תָּאִיר נֵרִי, וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר לָנוּ שֶׁנָּאִיר לְפָנֶיךָ. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּשְּׁבִיל לַעֲלוֹת אֶתְכֶם אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁתָּאִירוּ לִי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֵאַרְתִּי לָכֶם בַּדֶּרֶךְ. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ.
(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].”