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Parashat Tetzaveh : Weekly Torah Reading Shemot / Exodus 27:20 - 30:10
"And you (Mosheh) shall command the children of Yisrael, that they shall bring to you pure olive oil crushed for lighting, to ignite the Menorah lamp until it burns continually. In the Tent of Meeting (Mishkan - Tabernacle) outside the partition, which is front of the Ark of the Testimony (resting place of the Torah), Aaron and his sons shall arrange that it has sufficient oil to burn from evening to morning before HaShem: it shall be a eternal statute for the children of Yisrael."
The word "Tetzaveh" literally means "command," as the opening verse of this Parshah reads: "And you shall command the children of Yisrael, that they shall bring to you pure olive oil..." However, "tetzaveh," also derives from the root word "tzavsa," meaning "connection," which is also the root of the word "Mitzvah," meaning "commandment." According to this translation, the verse reads, "And you shall connect the children of Yisrael." This hints to the fact that Mosheh connects the Jewish people with G-d.
When he succeeds in this task, Mosheh becomes spiritually strengthened. For, as a true leader, his entire essence and being is bound up with the people, so that when the people increase their connection with G-d, it makes Mosheh stronger. This is hinted to at the end of the verse, "They should bring to you pure olive oil." When Mosheh connects the Jewish people to G-d, Mosheh's own spiritual light grows stronger.
The verse continues: "...crushed for lighting," when the Jewish people are "crushed" in Exile, there is always a Jewish leader of the caliber of Mosheh to be found, referred to in the Zohar as "the extension of Mosheh in every generation." This leader can take a people who are spiritually crushed and transform them to be ready, "for lighting," spiritually awake and illuminated. Then, the people can reach the level indicated by the end of the verse "to ignite the lamp until it burns continually," that they become spiritually self-sufficient, to the extent that they no longer rely on their leader, and that they can burn continually without his input.
Mosheh was the sole secretary of G-d's Word, the Torah. And the Torah is comprised of its Mitzvot (commandments). Olive oil represents the level of Chasidut which is Moshiach (Messiah). The Menorah lamp represents the Upper Worlds and the Lower. The Jewish people / the children of Yisrael represents the world. The Mishkan (Tabernacle), which is the Tent of Meeting, was the portable Temple (dwelling place for G-d as His Sanctuary) for the children of Yisrael in exile. The Ark of the Testimony was the resting place for the holy Torah. Aaron and his sons, the Kohanim (Priests) make sure that the oil burns continually. This is an eternal law.
From this, we learn an important lesson. Every generation there is a Moshiach (Messiah) who connects the people through Torah and Mitzvot to HaShem. But in order for the spiritual and physical worlds to connect, the people must also bring pure desires and intentions through Torah and Mitzvot, the inner Messiah or Mosheh within each and every person, so that they can ensure that the Menorah illuminates the entire world in order to make a Sanctuary, a dwelling place for HaShem in this world. We see that unity is the key to end the Exile, as this was commanded of all the children of Yisrael, in order to make the Messiah's light burn stronger, we must unite and work together to make this a reality and in turn we will find our light increasing to extreme heights. Now we can understand why the Sages taught that the Messiah will not come until we do our part.
The Torah recites HaShem's words, "you shall be unto Me a Kingdom of Kohanim (Priests), and a Holy Nation."
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