Parshat Beha’alotcha
Some things become smaller when they are shared.
Money does.
Food does.
Power often does.
So we learn to protect what is valuable.
To hold it carefully.
To guard it.
To make sure there is enough left for us.
But the most meaningful things in life often work differently.
Love does not shrink when it is expressed.
Wisdom does not become smaller when it is shared.
Encouragement does not run out when it is offered.
Light does not become dimmer when it shines.
These things are not diminished by being shared.
They become more alive.
The most meaningful things in life do not become smaller when they are shared.
They become more alive.
That is what makes them different.
They are not possessions to be held tightly.
They are gifts that grow through expression.
Perhaps that is part of the deeper message of this week’s parsha.
There are forms of power that become smaller when they are shared.
But true influence works differently.
It does not lose strength when others are lifted by it.
It becomes stronger.
Because influence is not about being the only one with light.
It is about helping more light appear in the world.
As Shabbat approaches, may we have the confidence and generosity to share the gifts that were never meant to stay closed within us, and may we bring more love, wisdom, encouragement, and light into the lives of those around us.
Shabbat Shalom!
