734. The Western Candle

Why does the western candle indicate that the Shechina [Divinity] dwells in Israel? Erev [evening] means darkness, the opposite of day, for “day” implies seeing, when we see what we are doing. Conversely, evening is called “darkness,” which means that we do not see what we are doing.

Faith means to believe in the Creator and observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], when we do not see what we are doing because in corporeal things, when a person does something, he immediately sees the benefit. But with Torah and Mitzvot, he exerts but does not see.