Sources from essay by Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman &
Rabbi Ellen Lippmann in The Social Justice Torah Commentary
(1) On the day that Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and its utensils...
(1) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to Aaron and say to him, “When you mount the lamps, let the seven lamps give light at the front of the lampstand.” (3) Aaron did so; he mounted the lamps at the front of the lampstand, as יהוה had commanded Moses.
We so often think a matter is settled, yet when we shine a light on it again, we see that much remains to be done. The Mishkan is finished and consecrated, and tribal offerings have been made. However, God realizes that more light is needed- more awareness must be aroused to enable the people to gather with their leaders and the Divine. New light brings change right away. In our parashah, a new situation arises, requiring God to make a new ruling, creating a new reality. Pesach Sheini, a second Passover, the possibility of celebrating Pesach a month after its set date, is established to account for limited circumstances that may prevent one from observing at the usual time. God grants us not only the specific opportunity of Pesach Sheini but also the broader possibility of second chances.
When we meet and work with people who experience the world in a radically different way than we do, or when we read or learn about them from afar, we will likely misunderstand, hurt, or harm one another. A second chance is a generous blessing. Yet many commentators note that the second chance comes with strict guidelines and boundaries. Torah allows for Pesach Sheini but not sh'lishi or rv'i-i--a third or fourth Pesach. The limited allowance for Pesach Sheini teaches that not all failures deserve a second chance. You can't just blow off Pesach in Nisan and then celebrate it a month later. For us, too, there are no third, fourth, or fifth chances if we do not learn the lesson a second time. We have to put in the work and be more disciplined as we collectively seek greater equity and access for all.
-Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman and Rabbi Ellen Lippmann
(א) דבר וגו' ואמרת. צריך לדעת למה כפל לומר דבר ואמרת, גם במלות שונות. ויתבאר על פי דבריהם ז''ל (תנחומא במד''ד פט''ו) וזה לשונם למה נסמכה פרשת מנורה לפרשת נשיאים, לפי שראה אהרן חנוכת נשיאים חלשה דעתו שלא היה עמהם בחנוכה לא הוא ולא שבטו אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא חייך שלך גדולה משלהם שאתה מדליק ומטיב את הנרות ערב ובוקר וכו' עד כאן. הנה דבריהם ז''ל צריכין ביאור, מה נחמה זו עושה לחלישות דעתו של אהרן על חנוכת הנשיאים שלא היה בכלל הלא אין מעשה המנורה מקביל לחנוכה, גם למה לא הניח דעתו בכל הקרבנות שהוא מקריב, תמידין, ומוספין, והקטורת, גם בהקרבת החנוכה עצמה של כל הנשיאים הרי הוא המקריב, ולמה לא ריצהו אלא במנורה.
Before being given this gift, how must Aaron have felt to be unseen, overlooked, even marginalized, as the community created and carried out ritual together? What if the Levites had never been invited to bring their full gifts and hearts to the collective? In order to repair the hurt, God had to see Aaron's pain and recognize it. That re-cognition – "the mental action or process of" once again "acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses" – is the beginning of moving into solidarity. In other words, lift the lights, see more clearly.
What else is required to be in solidarity with others? How does solidarity begin?
-Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman and Rabbi Ellen Lippmann
Discussion Questions by Ariel Tovlev
What is the significance of Pesach Sheini? What are its limitations? How would you feel about participating in a Pesach Sheini celebration?
The authors list nine steps to solidarity (allying with marginalized members of a group to which you don’t belong): awareness, listening, recognition, letting go of shame, feeling, learning, persisting, finding common interest, and amplification. Which step resonated the most with you? Which steps come more easily to you, and which steps are more challenging?
What are some ways we could use the nine steps offered to practice solidarity in our own community? How can we do the work to “light another candle”?