As the children of Israel are making their way through the desert, Moshe gets exhausted as a leader. There are complaints and the people have needs and maybe 40 years is longer than he bargained for! So God says to Moshe, “I will take from the spirit which is on you and place it on them [the seventy elders], and they will bear the burden of the people with you.” This would strengthen, empower, and uplift others around Moshe. It seems like God wants to take away some of the ‘spirit’ that Moshe has, and give it to the elders, which would diminish, or weaken, whatever Moshe has.
But Rashi adds a beautiful metaphor that teaches the opposite. He writes that Moshe was like a candle - no matter how many other candles are lit from that one, its own light is unchanged. Moshe’s vigor, his strength, his wisdom and his leadership, none of those things were diminished when he shared his light. Others would glow because of their exposure to him, because of coming close to him. There was something about his being that made others shine, that made their spirit just as strong as his, and all he had to do was be himself, and come close to them.
I think this is such a beautiful model for what it means to lift others up. I spent a few days in Chicago last week, and there are rainbow flags and sidewalks and murals all over the city for Pride month. We love rainbows in our family, and I took lots and lots of pictures with rainbows all over the city. I’ve thought a lot about what it means to celebrate Pride as a straight person, and I think the model of Moshe and the elders rings true for me.
Everyone deserves to be celebrated. Everyone deserves to shine. Everyone deserves to feel God’s spirit dwell upon them. And yet, we live in a world where some have been made to feel that they aren’t deserving. I think that’s what Pride is about, and why it feels important to celebrate. We can all share light to celebrate each other. With the attacks on LGBTQ rights around the country, there are attempts to diminish the lights of many in our community. And it is just in those moments, when one community’s light might feel dim, that we can all come close to ensure it has the oxygen, the space, to burn bright. It doesn’t diminish anyone else’s light to help others glow.
And what I’ve realized in return, in taking all of those pictures and celebrating all kinds of love, is that I too become a recipient of others’ light. Without taking away from the community at the center of Pride, getting close and celebrating with the LGBTQ community only spreads more light, more spirit, more love. We all make each other glow more when we celebrate each other.
