A Menorah Point to Ponder

Why is there no mention of the lighting of the Menora- that happened everyday in the Bais Hamikdosh- in our daily prayers- just like the Korban Tomid and Ketoras?

Chanukah- First Night

After the 12 leaders of Klal Yisroel brought their Korbonas in honor of the new Mishkon (Parshas nasso) we learn the Mitzva of Hadlokos Neiros of the Kohanim (Pasrshas Bhaloscha). The Ramban brings a Medrish that says that Aharon was promised that even at a time when Klal Yisroel won't have the services of the Korbonos they will always have the Mitzva of menora. The Ramban explains that the Mitzva the Medrish is referring to is the mitzva of Ner Chanukah.
If one doesn't light Chanukah candles, he has to make a bracha when he sees lit candles. R' Yitchok Hutner asks, why is the mitzva of Chanukah Candles different than all other mitzvos, that you make a bracha just upon seeing the candles?
There is a Halacha that says if one passes a 'Makom shnaseh bo nes' a place where a miracle happened- he's obligated to recite a bracha of she'asa nissim.
The Neiros Chanukah aren't merely objects of a mitzva, but rather the candles themselves are a place where a nes happened to all of us. The candles every jew lights on Chanukah are actually the same candles that Kohanim lit in the Bais Hamikdosh, transported in time and space to every Jewish home.
That is what the Ramban is referring to when he says that Aharon was promised that the Menora will be eternal, for in every Jewish home we fulfill the same mitzva as the Kohanim did in the Bais Hamikdosh.

Parsha Point to Ponder- Parshas V'yaishev

Who knows Eleven?
At the end of the Peasach Seder there is a song that we sing- Echod me yodaiah- who knows one. It's a song that goes through numbers one through thirteen describing what they represent.
The number eleven is represented by the stars in Yosef's dream- where he dreamt that eleven stars were bowing down to him. The eleven stars represented his eleven brothers and that he would be king. What is the significance of this number? We know the number twelve represents the Shevatim - the tweleve sons of Yaakov. All the number eleven is is the Shevatim- 12 minus one- Yosef - whom they were bowing to. So why is it that in the song the number eleven is represented by something that's seemingly not an entity on its own?

Parshas Vayishlach

The Posak relates that when Yaakov met Esav, Esav fell on Yaakovs neck, kissed him and they cried. The medrish says that "Esav tried biting Yaakov but Yaakovs neck turned into marble and thus didn't hurt Yaakov. Yaakov and Esav both cried Yaakov cried for his neck and Esav cried for his teeth." What is the symbolism of Yaakovs neck that Esav tried to bite it? Why is it that Yaakov cried for his neck, nothing had happened to it he should of been thankful and happy that it turned into marble?
The Maharsha (Megilah 16b) says that the Bais Hamikdos is compared to a neck of a person (as we see when Yosef met Binyomin they cried on each others necks for they knew that the bais Hamikdosh and the Mishkon will be destroyed)
The deeds of our forefathers are a sign for things to come. Esav was trying to get to Yaakovs neck- the third Bais Hamikdosh which was in zechus of Yaakov. Hashem showed Esav that he will not be able to conquer the third Bais Hamikdosh and it will always be protected by Hashem. Esav cried for he realized that at the end of time he will be doomed. Yaakov cried for his neck he realized that there will be three Bati Hamikdosh and that Esav will be able to destroy the first two.
Happy anniversary to A. and Y. B.
Mazel Tov to my future shvuger A. C. on his ufruf.
(P.S. grammar may be worse than usual, my editor is out of town)