Pure Olive Oil - Parshah Power - Tetzaveh - Parshah Power

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Pure Olive Oil: Parshah Power - Tetzaveh

The Torah specifies the olive oil used for kindling the menorah in the Holy Temple to be pure. The classical commentaries provide two approaches in the understanding of pure.

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Topics:		Olive Oil, Tetzaveh, Lighting of the Menorah, The

By Mendel Kaplan

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.

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4 Comments

Alexis Kerner October 12, 2017

Still mulling this one over.. If you study the Torah with your head but without your heart is it a mitzvah? You are still learning but you are not feeling. If you study Torah with your heart but do not stop to think and contemplate its meaning, is it a mitzvah? Perhaps the best oil is that which contains ripe and green olives, that has a spicy kick but also a mellow ripe finish. This is the oil that once filtered shall give the best balanced light. To enlighten one´s soul, you must have some struggles to build character as well as some easy moments to gather ones thoughts. Reply

Alexis Kerner October 12, 2017

Interesting discussion. Thank you. It is interesting of how the olive oil of Rabbi Rashi, easily crushed comes from the head of the tree (logic) and the oil of Rabbi Ebenezer comes from the "heart" of the tree. This also ties into the idea of doing a mitzvah as an act of thought or as an act of good heartedness. As an olive oil taster, I would debate the point that if your olives are good and your process is good you will get good olive oil. If you have bad olives you will never have good olive oil. The olives that are soft tend to have more water and will most likely make olive oil with more sediment and need more decanting. If you have mushy oranges I bet your juice will be more cloudy and may even contain a bit of fermented peel once squeezed-- not great orange juice. For me, the debate here is about self growth and not about mitzvah. Are you working hard for enlightenment (with heart) or using your head to take the easy route to make poor quality oil that just passes as ok. Reply

Anonymous Orlando February 7, 2014

tetzaveh When we do what is pleasing in Hashem's eyes we carry a pleasant odor. We are an eternal light unto the nation. We guide the way for the rest of the nations. We too are to be pure and free from sediment. We are all involved in the success of our nation.We too should be on the top just as the purest of olives. We are the choicest and purest. Only the best and the finest. When we serve Hashem it should be with a pure heart. Reply

Anonymous santa Fe,, NM February 15, 2012

tetzaveh what is the significance of “a pleasing odor to G-d” in the burning of the evening lamb? Why is it pleasing? What is the significance of that sense of smell? Thsnk you Reply