Lessons From Olive Oil

You must command the Israelites to bring you clear illuminating oil, made from hand-crushed olives, to keep the lamps burning constantly. (Shemos/Exodus 27:20)

The MeAm Lo’ez teaches:

It is well known that from the time that Moses was born until he died, he did not have an hour of rest. When he was born, his mother placed him in the Nile. As soon as he was rescued from the Nile, he was brought before Pharaoh. There he put a coal in his mouth and had his tongue burned, as has been discussed at length in earlier sections.

After that, as a result of the actions of Dathan and Aviram, Moses was forced to flee. After he fled from Pharaoh, the angel wanted to kill him because he had delayed circumcising his son.

Besides this, it is impossible to imagine the suffering he endured from the Israelites during the 40 years that they were in the desert. There were wars with Sichon and Og, which we shall discuss in forthcoming sections.

Throughout this, Moses was forbearing and tolerant, as the Torah says, “The man Moses was very humble, more so than any human being” (Numbers 12:3). It was as a result of this that Moses reached a higher spiritual level than any other human being, as it is written, “There has not risen another prophet in Israel like Moses, who knew God face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10).

The Israelites could also learn a lesson from the olive oil itself. In order to obtain the oil, the olive must be crushed in a mortar, and then ground in a mill. Only then can the oil be extracted so that it can provide light for the world.

The same is true of Israel. Although they are hounded and persecuted by the nations, who insult them, make them suffer, beat them, and take their money, they should not become discouraged by this terrible suffering. They should not give up their sacred Torah and not complain or grumble. Rather, they should accept everything with love, since in the end, they will see good. In the end, they will bring light to all the world.

God thus said to Moses, “And you must command the Israelites that they bring to you pure olive oil, pressed for the lamp.” You must command the Israelites to have forbearance and humility, just as you do. This is something that only you, and no one else, can tell them. You have suffered much, and have experienced many troubles. They should also take a lesson from the olive, which must be crushed and bruised before it yields the pure oil that illuminates the world.