Praying all day – B’ha’alot’cha
One of my less orthodox relatives is amused at one of our grandsons who sits and studies his Hebrew books all day. The relative whose views I am quoting thinks that my grandson spends his day praying.
Actually this grandson does daven and say his prayers at the set periods three times a day but as a yeshivah student he spends a lot of time on Talmudic learning.
All this links up with this week’s Torah portion in that the portion tells us that a person should constantly kindle lights in honour of God.
One can take the idea literally but if you choose a metaphorical interpretation you will understand the mitzvah in an ethical sense as a command to fill the day with deeds of sharing and caring that bring extra light into the Almighty’s world.
If every deed lights a candle in honour of God it makes the world a nicer place.