Ethics from the Torah portion - Tetzaveh

Pure Olive Oil

In this week’s Torah portion, the commandment of lighting the Menorah (candelabrum) in the tabernacle was given. The Torah commands us to use pure olive oil.

This raises a question. Anything used in the temple had to be pure. So why the emphasis on the purity of the oil here – it is obvious and surely the verse doesn’t need to mention that the oil specifically needs to be pure.

We know that the Torah, being not a history book but a guide to life, is always as brief and concise as possible. So this addition of the word “pure” is there for a reason.

I heard a beautiful story that illustrates this perfectly.

Channukah.

Brings back memories, doesn’t it?

Every winter we light the Channukah Menorah (candelabrum) and eat donuts and latkes (fried potato pancakes) and spin the dreidel (spinning top) – but Channukah is all about the Jewish victory over the Hellenist Greeks and the miracle of the oil. There was miraculously oil left over for just one day but it lasted for 8 days until new, pure oil could be brought to Jerusalem to the temple. This very same oil that we are commanded to use in the temple from this week’s Torah portion.

A man was preparing his Menorah for lighting on the first night of Chanukah. It was a beautiful and exquisite piece of silver, handed down from generation to generation with immense physical and sentimental value.

His son comes home from school, holding a small metal menorah. “Daddy, I won this in school today! Please let us use it to light the Chanukah lights”. The man did not know what to do! There is a concept of Hiddur Mitzvah, beautifying the mitzvah, which warrants using the nicer candelabrum.

Finally, he sets out to his Rabbi to ask him what to do. The Rabbi answered him by saying that he should use the menorah that his son brought home.

Why?

Let us think back to Chanuka. What happened? We celebrate Jewish military victory over the Greek army; an out-numbered and out-armed group of mean gaining victory over one of the most powerful nations in the world at the time. Therefore, the mitzvah to light the chanuka lights is to publicise the miracle, to spread the word, and to light up the world.

To use the man’s son’s menorah shows a dedication on the child’s part to go against a world filled with corruption and morality; to remove darkness and replace it with light.

This is what we must do. We are like the olive oil. We are crushed and ready to give out light to the world. But we must be pure. Pure intentions create a unique paradigm shift and only then can we fully devote ourselves to the service of God.

I am writing this hours before Shabbat commences. In the Shabbat services we pray to God and ask God to “purify our hearts to serve you with truth”.

May we merit purifying our hearts and bringing truth and light to the world.

Shabbat Shalom.