This article is adapted from an address presented on March 11 on the occasion of Rebecca Silver's Bat Mitzvah.
According to the comment in our humash, Etz Hayim, not only is this verse the source for the Ner Tamid, the eternal light that hangs above the Ark, but it is also the last remnant of all the commandments related to the tabernacle (the traveling sanctuary) that is still in use today.
Fire plays an important role in our tradition. Our ancestors offered sacrifices as their own attempt to communicate with God. The sacrifice was complete when it was consumed by holy fire. God, too, communicated with humanity with fire; according to Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish, "the Torah given to Moses was written with black fire on white fire, sealed with fire, and swathed with bands of fire." (JT Shekalim 6:1, 49d). And God initially spoke with Moses, through fire, from a burning bush: ha'sneh boeir, v'ha'sneh einenu ukal, the bush was burning, but it was not consumed. It was a ner tamid - a fire that burned constantly (we don't hear anything about it going out), a tangible, yet mysterious indication that God's presence was there - and available to humanity. This became the motto of our Conservative Movement; and carved into the front of the Jewish Theological Seminary building is an artistic rendition of the burning bush and the words: ha'sneh einenu ukal - The bush was not consumed.
Dr. Schorsch, our chancellor, has written, "The burning bush is the cradle of Judaism. Had it not caught Moses' eye, he might have remained a shepherd in Midian. However, the sight triggered a dialogue with God that changed the course of human history." (D'var Torah on Shemot 5754) Not only did God speak to Moses out of fire, but God spoke to all of the freed slaves - those who were to become the Jewish people - out of fire. "And Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for God came down upon it in fire…" (Ex. 19:18) Fire is an enormously powerful symbol of our interaction with the Divine, both individually and communally.
And so, this brings us back to our own sanctuary's two depictions of the burning bush - one covering the Ark which holds the Torah, and one coming down from above, our ner tamid. Both speak to the nearness of our Tradition and of the Divine. One points us to the Torah - our communal understanding of our Tradition. The other is like Moses' bush. It speaks to us as individuals, bidding us out of our comfort zones and assuring us of God's comfort.
Today we also celebrate a Bat Mitzvah. In our Bat Mitzvah's life, today is an encounter with both burning bushes. Today she leads us in prayer, chants Torah and Haftarah, and will enlighten us with her understanding of the Torah portion. She, too, is a kind of ner tamid - an eternal light which will constantly enlighten others as well as herself. She is a shining light among us.
But this ner tamid, this symbol of our ever-growing knowledge of our Tradition and our God, this is a very special eternal light. For it was donated to our congregation by the Koocher/Robinov family in memory and in honor of another shining light - David Koocher. I cannot think of a better symbol of his presence. David was a quiet, unassuming, compassionate, and dedicated presence in the morning minyan and in this synagogue. David and Ethel Koocher 'lit up' the Temple for many, many years along with their other mishpacha, Jackie and Jerry Robinov. And now their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren continue their tradition. They too walk towards the burning bush, as they bring their 'light' to others. Ethel did not want us to make a big dedication of this ner tamid. She and the family simply wanted the Temple to have the perfect symbol of David's essence.
The Rabbis tell us that "Ner Adonai, nishmat adam, the light of God is the soul of man." Today, here in our sanctuary, we have proof of their wisdom. May this light - and the light of those who have come before us and who will come after us - shine eternally.
