This week's parashah (section) is called Behaalotcha, which means "When You Light It." In preparation for the 3rd of Tammuz (June 23rd this year), the anniversary of the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, the following is a free translation and adaptation of a lecture given by the Rebbe on the 10th of Shvat, 1956 (Likutei Sichot, vol. 2, p. 314).
In the Haftarah (reading from the prophets) of this week's Torah portion, it is written (Zechariah 4:2): "I looked, and behold, a menorah (candelabrum) all of gold," which refers to the Jewish people. The entire Jewish people are like a menorah all of gold.
In the Menorah there were seven candles, in the same way, there are seven paths in the Jews, as explained in Hasidism: there are those whose path is in the line of kindness (chesed), those whose path is in the line of severity (gevurah), etc., until counting seven paths that correspond to the seven candles.
The common denominator among them: they were all candles. They all illuminated the Temple (Beit HaMikdash). And they didn't just illuminate the Temple; light emanated from the Temple to the entire world. That's why the Temple windows were wide (on the outside) and narrow (on the inside). Unlike other houses, where windows are designed to let light in, the Temple windows served to distribute the light from within to everyone. And this is the Temple's very reason for being.
Who emanated that light? The candles, which represent the souls of the Jewish people. Despite the diverse personalities among Jews, each person must serve God according to their abilities, as our sages say: "I was created only to serve my Lord," meaning that each person, with their abilities, was created to serve God with those qualities. However, the common denominator is that they are all candles; they emanate light.
The difference lies solely in the approach to serving God. For some, service is along the lines of kindness, corresponding to their qualities; for others, it is along the lines of severity, adhering strictly to halakha (Jewish law) and in a rigid manner, according to their qualities. But only the path is one of severity; the goal is the same: to emanate light.
Although the goal is always the same, there is a big difference if the path is taken in the form of severity or from the beginning in the form of kindness, in which case no analysis is required, but the goal is seen from the outset, since it is also in a revealed form the path of love for one's neighbor.
And that was the path of Aaron the High Priest, who lit the Menorah. He "loved all creation and drew them closer to the Torah" (Pirkei Avot 1:12). Even creation—that is, those who possessed no inherent virtue, only flaws—their only virtue being that God created them, even to them Aaron the High Priest projected love.
And that was not only Aaron's goal, but also the path to that goal. In other words, in a revealed way, the path was to love all creatures and, through that love, bring them closer to the Torah, making them Torah Jews.
And so too was the path of the Rebbeim, up to the previous Rebbe (Note: everything the Rebbe said about his predecessors, we can say about himself). Their work consisted of lighting candles. All Jews have "the candle of God, the soul of man," only some wait until that candle is lit. And that is the work of the leaders of Israel: to light "the candle of God, the soul of man" that is in every Jew, and in this there are seven paths.
The way this was manifested in the Chabad leaders, and in the former Rebbe in particular, was that love was revealed: not only was the goal light, but the path to the goal was also in the form of light. Through approach and with love, he kindled "the candle of God, the soul of man" in all kinds of Jews.