Rabbi Hoshaya, quoting Rabbi Afes, paints a breathtaking picture of the future. He says that in the days to come, Jerusalem will be like a torch for all the nations, and they will walk in its light. The proof text? A verse from Isaiah (60:3): "And nations shall go by your light…" But what exactly is this light? Where does it come from?
Rabbi Acha offers a stunning analogy. He compares Israel to an olive tree, specifically, "a leafy olive-tree fair with goodly fruit," as we find in Jeremiah (11:16). And the Holy One, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, is compared to a lamp, echoing Proverbs (20:27): "Man's soul is the Lord's lamp…" An olive tree, full of potential, and a lamp, ready to shine. But the magic happens when you combine them. What does a lamp need to truly shine? Oil, of course! And where does that oil come from? Olives!
Rabbi Acha continues, explaining that just as you put oil in a lamp and they give light together as one, so too, the Holy One says to Israel: "My children, since My light is your light and your light Mine, you and I will go together and illuminate Zion." This, he says, is the meaning of Isaiah 60:1: "Arise, shine, for your light has come…"
It’s a reciprocal relationship. God's light illuminates us, and our actions, our dedication to justice and kindness, become the oil that allows God's light to shine even brighter in the world. We are not passive recipients of divine grace; we are active participants in bringing light to the world.
Think about the implications! We are not alone in this endeavor. Our individual lights, our individual sparks of goodness, combine with the divine light to create something truly powerful, something capable of illuminating the entire world.
So, the next time you feel like your efforts are insignificant, remember the olive tree and the lamp. Remember that your light, combined with the light of the Divine, has the power to illuminate Zion, to illuminate the world. Arise, shine, for your light has come! What will you do with it?