The commandment mentioned in our parashah, "When you light the candles," does not only speak of the kohen (priest) who lit the Menorah (seven-branched candelabrum) in the Temple, but it speaks of every Jew. This comparison is strengthened by the Haftarah - reading from the prophets - this week, where the Jewish people are symbolized by a Menorah of seven arms of gold. From this we learn that the precept of lighting the Menorah It applies to every Jew, meaning that he must light his own "candle of God" and that of his neighbor. Menorah It was only turned on in the Heijál, the holiest place in the Temple after the Kodesh HaKodashim - Holy of Holies, the place where the Ark of the Covenant with the Tablets of the Law was kept. There were other holy places in the Temple, however, the Menorah It could only be switched on in the Heijál. That is, the ignition of the Menorah It could only be performed at the specific level of holiness that the Torah demands.
The same applies to kindling the "candle of God"—the soul—within ourselves and within others. A Jew must kindle the fire of his soul to the level of holiness that the Torah demands, according to his circumstances and spiritual level. One might argue that others are not required to reach such a high level of holiness, so why must he strive for it? The answer is that the Torah requires of each person what is appropriate for them.
As well as the Menorah In the Temple, it could only be lit in the Heijál, And no less than that, in the same way every Jew must reach the highest level of spiritual elevation, according to his abilities and strength. The mere fact that he is able Reaching a certain spiritual level is proof that achieving it is required of him. God does not demand further that the strengths and capabilities one has, but neither less.
Just as there are differences among people regarding the demands God places on each of them, so too does each generation have its own requirements. Some avoid studying Hasidic wisdom, claiming that in the early generations there were devout and well-rounded Jews who did not study it.
We must remember that each generation has its specific demands. Although in the early generations there were Heaven-fearing and complete Jews without the study of Hasidism, after God Himself revealed the innermost part of the Torah in later generations, this proves that He desires us to study it. In our generation, it is impossible to be content with studying only the revealed part of the Torah (the Talmud, the Midrashim, etc.); rather, each of us is expected to rise to the highest level of holiness and also study Hasidism, the inner part of the Torah.
This matter is also indicated by the candles (of the MenorahIn the flame of a candle, there is the gentler fire, near the wick, and the stronger fire, which rises upward. The same is true of God's Torah: there is the revealed Torah (the gentler fire), related to material matters (just as the gentler fire is directly related to the wick), and there is the hidden Torah (the stronger fire), which deals with elevated Divine matters.
To be a complete candle, it must shine doubly—the light of revealed Torah and the light of hidden Torah. The study of Hasidic wisdom gives strength to face life's trials and nourishes the study of revealed Torah and its observance. Mitzvot.
Adapted from Shulchan Shabbat.