The ancient rabbis wrestled with this feeling too, especially when thinking about how we, as humans, could possibly offer anything to God.

Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, delves into this very question. It all starts with the seemingly simple phrase, "When you kindle" (Numbers 8:2), referring to the lighting of the menorah, the golden candelabrum, in the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the desert.

But why does God, who is light itself, need us to kindle lamps? As Psalm 139:12 says, "Even darkness does not darken for You, and night, like day, illuminates. Darkness and light are the same." It seems paradoxical, doesn't it?

Bamidbar Rabbah uses a beautiful parable to explain. Imagine a king who loves someone dearly. He tells his beloved, "I will dine with you; go and prepare for me." Overjoyed, the beloved prepares a simple room: a plain bed, a common lamp, an ordinary table. But when the king arrives, he’s surrounded by his royal entourage, shimmering in grandeur, with a golden lamp carried before him.

Suddenly, the beloved feels ashamed. Everything he prepared seems so… inadequate. He hides it all away, thinking it’s only fit for commoners.

But the king notices. "Did I not say I was dining with you?" he asks. "Why did you not prepare anything?"

The beloved, embarrassed, explains, "I saw all your magnificence and felt ashamed. What I prepared was too simple."

And here's the key: the king responds, "As you live, I reject everything that I brought. Because of my love for you, I will use only yours.”

Isn’t that incredible?

The parable reveals a profound truth. God, who is "all light," as Daniel 2:22 tells us, doesn't need our light. But God desires it. Just as the king cherishes the humble preparations of his beloved, God cherishes our efforts, our contributions, our attempts to create holiness in the world. : God tells the Israelites to build a Sanctuary, saying, "They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me and I will dwell in their midst" (Exodus 25:8). They create a golden candelabrum (Exodus 25:31). And when they complete it, what happens? "Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting" (Exodus 40:35) because the Divine Presence is so overwhelming!

It's almost too much. But then, God calls to Moses and, according to Numbers 7:89, speaks to him inside the Tent. And what does God say? “When you kindle the lamps."

The very act that prompted the overwhelming Divine Presence is the same act God now asks Moses to continue. The Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, emphasizes the importance of intention. It's not about the grandeur of the offering, but the love and devotion behind it. As Louis Ginzberg beautifully retells the story in Legends of the Jews, it is the human connection, the partnership, that matters most to God.

So, the next time you feel like your efforts are insignificant, remember the parable of the king and his beloved. Remember that God isn't looking for perfection or grandeur. God is looking for your heart, your intention, your willingness to kindle a light, however small, in this world. And in that act of kindling, we find connection, purpose, and a glimpse of the Divine.