Ra'anana Community Kollel - Parshat Titzaveh 5763

                                       Toil and Oil

                                                  Rabbi Binyomin Lipson

“And you will command the Children of Israel and they will bring to you pure, crushed olive oil for lighting, to kindle an eternal flame.

Of course, the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah in the Tabernacle entailed great intricacies, but why was it necessary for the oil to be brought to Moshe for inspection? Was there no one else amongst the Jewish people who was capable of scrutinizing it’s quality? In his masterful commentary on the Torah, the Or HaChaim asserts that in fact, this verse alludes to a very deep and relevant concept. During the course of world history, the Jewish nation has passed through three diverse periods of exile. From the first we were redeemed in the merit of Avraham, from the second in the merit of Yitzhak, and from the third in the merit of Ya’akov. However, the fourth and final period of subjugation, in which we currently find ourselves, will only be brought to a close in the merit of Moshe. Practically speaking, this means that the factors most crucial to our redemption from the many calamities which surround us are diligent adherence to the mitzvot and a renewed dedication to Torah learning. As long as we lack these vital qualities, the merit of Moshe, who taught us the Torah, will not be awakened on our behalf.

This, writes the Or HaChaim, is the deeper meaning of the Torah’s introduction to Parshat T’tzaveh. Hashem told Moshe, “If you wish for your merit to be aroused on behalf of the Jewish people during their final period of exile, then they must bring to you “pure, crushed, olive oil . . .” In numerous instances, our sages likened the Torah to olive oil. Just as oil brings light into a dark room, so does the Torah bring true enlightenment to an endarkened, morally corrupt world. Just as an olive tastes bitter at first and only after being pressed becomes sweet and refined, so is the learning of Torah difficult when one first encounters it only to become sweet and delectable after sufficient effort is applied, and just as pure olive oil always rises to the top, so is the wisdom of the Torah the most elite form of knowledge that a person can acquire which guides and directs him through all of life’s complexities. And what type of Torah study must we engage in? Pure, without the dregs which one often finds at the bottom of the bottle. We must strive to learn Torah without ulterior motives. Not as a sort of Jewish brain-teaser, and not even because we want to learn how to observe its mitzvot, but rather, because Hashem commanded us to occupy ourselves with the intricacies of His Divine wisdom, to delve into it, and to understand it, each person with his own unique intellectual capabilities. And how should we investigate this ethereal knowledge? Crushed, with no less effort and exertion than we would invest in other pursuits, and with no less humility and feelings of trepidation than a subject standing before his king. If we make an effort to learn Torah in accordance with these conditions and venture to increase our commitment to observing its mitzvot regardless of the influence of our associates, we can bring about the inception of a “Ner Tamid”, an eternal revelation of Hashem’s kingship over His entire creation, and a piercing light that will illuminate every corner of the world’s confusion and darkness.