25 May BEHALOTKHA- WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS MAKING A SPLASH

Parashat Beha’alotecha begins with the mitzvah of kindling the menorah. Each and every day, Aharon was to clean the oil lamps of the menorah in the Mishkan and light the candles.

Rashi explains that this command is directly connected to the final section of the previous parashah, Parashat Naso, which tells of the special gifts and sacrifices brought by the nesi’im, the leaders of the tribes of Israel. In honor of the inauguration of the Mishkan, the leader of each tribe brought an elaborate series of sacrifices – except one: the tribe of Levi. Aharon, the leader of tribe, did not participate in this special celebration.

And he felt left out. He felt upset.

Hashem therefore told Moshe to remind Aharon of the great privilege he had to light the menorah each day. He was telling Aharon, in Rashi’s words, םהלשמ†הלודג†ךלש†– “Yours is greater than theirs.”

Aharon was assured that he should not be disturbed by not taking part in the special offerings of the nesi’im, because he had the privilege of kindling the menorah each day.

We have all experienced this feeling which Aharon had – and more than once.

We have all had times when it seems as though everyone is “making a splash,” doing something big and monumental, except us.

We look around and see one person making a fancy wedding, another one buying a beautiful house, somebody else hosting a lavish bake sale in his gigantic home, and someone donating a Sefer Torah and hosting a huge celebration.

We look around at all these people and think, “What about me????”

“I’m just struggling to get by, barely covering my bills, just trying to do my thing, preparing dinner, getting the kids set for school, and then waking up in the morning and doing the same.”

Hashem’s response to Aharon is the response we need to give to ourselves whenever we feel “left out,” when we feel small and unaccomplished: םהלשמ†הלודג†ךלש†– “Yours is greater than theirs.”

Your simple, day-to-day struggle is greater than the splash and the excitement!!!

This is not to say, Heaven forbid, that there’s anything wrong with making large, festive semahot or making generous donations – just as there was nothing at all wrong with the nesi’im’s lavish gifts and offerings. These are all very beautiful and precious.

But we need to remember that the simple, day-to-day struggle is something great. Sitting down and working out problems and difficulties, figuring out how to squeeze by with a limited budget – this is something great.

Let us not allow the “splash” made by the people around us to define for us what success and failure are. Working within one’s circumstances and making the most of every situation is the greatest form of success.

If we do that, then indeed, we are great and special, and we have no reason to feel left out.