Fill in the blank – Every encounter is an opportunity to ______________.
Imagine a menorah that doesn’t give off light?
The entire purpose of a candle is to share light and warmth. If it is not doing so, can you even call it candle? It is nothing more than a lump of wax.
A candle becomes a candle and is “at its best” when it is fulfilling its purpose.
We work the same way. “Ner Hashem Nishmat Odom” (Mishlei 20:27)– the candle of Hashem is the soul of man.
The metaphor is deliberate.
Just like the candle, our entire purpose is to share “light and warmth” and we too are “at our best” and happiest when we are fulfilling our purpose.
Every encounter is an opportunity, not to further our own agendas in some way, but rather to uplift those around us and bring more light to the world.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Benjy Silverman