In the beginning of Parashat Tetzaveh, Hashem commands Beneh Yisrael to provide שמן זית זך – pure olive oil – for the kindling of the menorah.
Our Rabbis teach that olive oil was used for the menorah because the Jewish Nation is compared to olive oil. This is for two reasons.
The first reason is that just as an olive produces its greatest quality – its oil – when it is squeezed and pressed, the Jewish Nation shows its true greatness when it is “squeezed,” in times of crisis and distress.
Perhaps nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in our community. The moment any family in our community faces any sort of crisis, such as a serious medical issue, Heaven forbid, the entire community is instantly mobilized. Hesed groups jump right in to offer whatever practical assistance the family needs, such as bringing meals, shopping, and caring for the children. Within hours, Tehillim groups are formed to pray for the patient. Special mitzvot are performed and special Torah classes are given.
When we are “pressed,” in times of hardship, we shine our brightest.
But there is also another – no less important – reason why our nation is compared to olive oil.
When olive oil is mixed with any other liquid, it rises to the top. It does not blend in.
The Jewish Nation is expected to “rise to the top.” Even if we are “mixed” with other cultures, living in a foreign society and engaging in that society, we are expected to stay to the top, to follow a higher standard. This does not mean that we should arrogantly look down on the rest of the society. It just means that we must keep to a higher standard, and live a more elevated lifestyle. It means that what’s deemed acceptable by the society around us should not necessarily be deemed acceptable to us.
In general society, if a five-year-old uses profanity, people are shocked. The parents will discipline the child and harshly reprimand him. But if a 25-year-old uses profanity, nobody cares. It is considered perfectly normal and acceptable.
For us, it should be just the opposite. If a young child uses a bad word, he should certainly be taught to speak properly, but there is no need for shock or horror. After all, he is still very young and still has a lot to learn. But if an adult uses such a word, we should be shocked. This is unacceptable.
Partying with lots of alcohol is perfectly normal and acceptable for college kids today. In fact, it is considered an integral part of the college experience. This is not how it should be for us. We are to live a more refined and more elevated life. We are to rise to the top, and not accept the lifestyle and standards that the rest of society accepts.
Parashat Tetzaveh also speaks about the special clothing worn by the kohanim, and the Torah says that these garments are worn לכבוד ולתפארת – “for honor and glory.” The word כבוד comes from the word כבד – “heavy.” We are to live lives with substance, with meaning, with purpose and with depth, not lives that are hollow and empty. When we live this way, then we also live לתפארת – bringing glory to ourselves, to our community, to our nation, and to Hashem.
May we all strive to rise to the top, and to live lives that are truly glorious.