In fact, it goes even deeper.

Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic teachings on the Book of Leviticus, opens up this very idea. It begins with the verse, "Command the children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2), and then launches into an exploration of what it truly means to command, to be responsible, and to illuminate the world.

Bar Kappara begins with a powerful image: "For You light my lamp" (Psalms 18:29). Think about that for a moment. The Divine saying to Adam: "Your lamp is in My hand, and My lamp is in your hand.” It’s a reciprocal relationship! As it says in Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord.” And in turn, we are commanded "to kindle a lamp continually.” It’s as if God is saying, ‘If you illuminate My lamp, I will illuminate your lamp.’ That, Vayikra Rabbah suggests, is the essence of "Command the children of Israel."

But the Midrash doesn’t stop there. It continues, drawing on the imagery of the Song of Songs (7:6): "Your head [roshekh] is upon you like the Carmel, and the locks of your head are like purple wool." Now, this verse seems a bit out of place at first glance, doesn’t it? But the Rabbis, in their ingenious way, find profound meaning within it.

The text interprets "your head" to refer to the poor and indigent (harashim) among the Israelites. These seemingly ordinary people, the Midrash tells us, are as dear to God as Elijah himself, who ascended Mount Carmel! Remember the dramatic scene from I Kings 18:42, where Elijah "ascended to the peak [rosh] of the Carmel, and he knelt to the ground, and he put his face between his knees"? Why did he do that? The Midrash suggests he was pleading with God, saying, ‘Master of the universe, if we have no merit, look to the covenant of circumcision.’

And what about the "locks of your head are like purple wool"? Here, the Midrash sees a connection to David, the shepherd king. God cherishes the destitute (hadalim) among us as much as David, as Zechariah 12:8 says, "The weak among them on that day will be like David." Some even connect the purple wool to Daniel, who was clad in purple (Daniel 5:29).

The Song of Songs continues: "The king bound in tresses [barehatim]". This phrase sparks a fascinating discussion. According to the Midrash, it refers to how God bound Himself by oath to rest His Divine Presence within the panels [rahitin] of Jacob, our patriarch. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana attributes this merit to Abraham, citing Genesis 18:7: "Abraham ran [rahat in Aramaic] to the cattle." Rabbi Levi, however, attributes it to Jacob, referencing Genesis 30:38, where Jacob "displayed the rods that he peeled in the receptacles [barehatim]."

And then, Rabbi Berekhya offers yet another interpretation: "The king bound in tresses" is Moses, who "became king in Yeshurun" (Deuteronomy 33:5). But, the Midrash adds a poignant twist: Moses was "bound in tresses" because God decreed that he wouldn't enter the Land of Israel, all due to the "receptacles [rehatim] of the waters of dispute" (Numbers 20:13).

To illustrate this, Rabbi Yehuda tells a parable about a king who decreed that anyone who eats Sabbatical Year produce would be publicly shamed. A well-born woman violated the decree, and as she was being led through the arena, she pleaded with the king to hang unripe figs around her neck. This way, people would know she was being punished for eating the produce, not for some other, more scandalous offense.

Similarly, Moses asked God to write in the Torah the real reason he wouldn't enter the Land, so that Israel wouldn't think he had falsified the Torah. God agreed, revealing that it was due to the waters of dispute (Numbers 27:14).

Rabbi Shimon offers another powerful parable. A king is traveling with his son when their carriage overturns, injuring the son. From then on, whenever the king passed that spot, he would lament, "Woe is me. Here my son was injured!" In the same way, the Midrash says, God mentions the waters of dispute three times in the Torah, as if saying, "Here I killed Moses, here I killed Aaron, here I killed Miriam." The verse "Their judges slip down by the rock; they will hear My words, for they are pleasing" (Psalms 141:6) is brought as support.

Finally, Rav Naḥman reiterates that the "King" in Song of Songs 7:6 is indeed Moses, whom God appointed as king over Israel. God instructed Moses to issue edicts, just as a king does, and the people would fulfill them. And that, ultimately, is what it means to "Command the children of Israel."

So, what does all of this mean for us today? It suggests that leadership, responsibility, and even divine favor are not just for kings and prophets. Every single one of us has the potential to illuminate the world, to tend to the spark within us, and to command good in our own lives and in the lives of others. We all carry that light. It's up to us to keep it burning bright.