Tetzave תרל”ה
תרל”ה
במדרש נר מצוה כו’ נרי בידך כו’ נר ה’ נשמת אדם כו’.
The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 36:3); HaShem says to Bnei Yisrael: “My candle (The Torah and Mitzvos) is in your hands and your candle (the neshama) is in my hands”
פי’ נר ה’ כי השגחתו ית’ בתחתונים הוא על ידי נשמת בני ישראל. וכפי עבודת בני ישראל ממשיכין השגחת השי”ת והארת פניו בעולם.
The idea of a candle (that illuminates this world) is because HaShem’s interaction with this world is through the souls of Bnei Yisrael. And it is through, and proportionately to their work that they draw the interaction of HaShem into this world.
ויש ב’ מיני חושך. א’ ע”י היצה”ר וסט”א שהוא חושך ממש וע”י המצות מבטל זה החושך.
Now there are two types of darkness. One is the evil inclination and negative forces, that are a real darkness, and through the mitzvos, one nullifies this darkness.
וז”ש כאילו מדליק נר לפני הקב”ה פי’ שמכין מקום לחול שם כבוד מלכותו ית’. ועי”ז מחי’ נפשו שנק’ נר כו’.
This is therefore the idea of lighting a candle before HaShem, meaning that (through one’s mitzvos) one prepares a place for HaShem’s presence to rest in this world, and this brings life to one’s soul, and one becomes like a candle (which is a vessel to receive the light from HaShem, and banishing the darkness).
פי’ שגם אור העליון נק’ אצלינו חושך כמ”ש בספרים שהוא גבוה מהשגתינו. לכן נק’ חושך. וכפי מה שהאדם מאיר בחושך הגשמי ע”י נרות המצות. כמו כן זוכה להמשיך אור על נשמתו ונפשו מאור העליון כנ”ל.
Now the light that is above is also called “darkness” (The second darkness). For it is so elevated and removed from our understanding, and called a darkness (Too much light also blinds a person).
When a person lights up the physical darkness through the ‘candles’ of the mitzvos, one merits proportionately to draw that upper light on to one’s soul, (that he can gain more benefit from the light above which would usually blind him). As above.
ופי’ ואתה תצוה כו’. שיכניס המצוה בנפשות בנ”י שיהיו הם עצמם המצות. כי באמת רמ”ח איברים מיוחדים להמצות.
Therefore when HaShem told Moshe “You shall command Bnei Yisrael ”, HaShem was instructing Moshe to make the mitzvos penetrate the essence of Bnei Yisrael, that they themselves actually become the mitzvah. The truth is that the 248 limbs each correspond to a different mitzvah.
ובגמרא ועשיתם אותם ב’ פירושים. א’ כי מי שמקיים מצוה מעלה עליו הקב”ה כאלו עשאה. ב’ כאלו עשה עצמו. ע”ש בסנהדרין פרק חלק.
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 99b) explains the pasuk (Devarim 29:8) “You shall do them” (the mitzvos), on two levels. One is that a person who does a mitzvah is as if they actually made the words of the Torah. And the other level is that doing a mitzvah is as if one actually makes oneself. See Sanhedrin 99b.
וב’ הפירושים הם אחד כי תיקון האדם הוא ע”י המצות שצריך להיות מיוחד להשי”ת. שהוא משולח בעולם רק לעשות רצון בוראו. ונמצא הוא עצמו המצוה.
These two explanations are really the same. When one perfects oneself through the mitzvos, one needs to be set aside for HaShem, that one realises that the only reason why they were sent to this world is to do HaShem’s will. This therefore actually means that the person is the mitzvah. (It’s not about a person just doing the mitzvot, rather it is connecting so deeply to the mitzvah that one becomes it!).
וכן פי’ אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו כנ”ל:
This is also the idea of the meaning of the words “Who sanctified us with his mitzvos and commanded us etc.” (That we actually become sanctified and become a part of the mitzvah.)
וברש”י להעלות נר תמיד שצריך להדליק שתהא שלהבת עולה מאלי’.
Rashi on the pasuk (Shemos 27:20) “To elevate the light to burn constantly”, explains that this teaches us that the Cohen Gadol lighting the menorah must hold light th wick until the flame comes up on its own.
פי’ כי קיום המצות איננו בכח אנושי. רק ע”י קיום המצוה מעורר כח עליון.
(This teaches us a lesson in our service of HaShem in all areas) that the fulfilment of mitzvos is not in the power of mankind. It is only because one fulfills the commandment that this awakens the upper power.
וכן בכל עבודת האדם. כי הקב”ה נתן בנפש ישראל נקודה קדושה. וע”י היגיעה והעבודה מצא מין את מינו וניעור ומתעורר כח הפנימי.
Similarly in all of man’s service of HaShem. HaShem has given a spark of holines in the soul of a person, and it is through toiling in serving HaShem (one’s desire) that each particle finds the other and awakens it (the spark of holiness inside a person connects to the commandment of Hashem, which awakens and lights up the person) and one’s pnimiu is awakened (and then one is able to fulfill the will of HaShem).
וזה ענין שתהא שלהבת עולה מאליה.
This is the idea that the flame must go up on its own (to awaken the holiness inside a person to desire to connect to HaShem and fulfill His will).
ועי”ז הוא דבר של קיימא. כי הדבר הנעשה בכח האדם יש לו הפסק. אבל כשמתעורר כח הקב”ה הוא קיים לעד.
Furthermore through doing so, it makes it last eternally. For something that is only done through man’s power will eventually stop (it is limited to the laws of physicality), yet when one’s actions awaken the power of HaShem, it lasts forever.
וז”ש יערוך אותו כו’. שעיקר העבודה לסדר הדברים להעמידן במקומן עד שיהי’ להם דביקות במקורם כנ”ל.
This too is the idea of setting the canndles. For the primary work is to actually set things and put each thing in its place, until they are correctly aligned that they are connected to their source, as above.
ועי”ז להעלות נר תמיד שע”י העלי’ עד השורש כנ”ל עי”ז הוא קיים לעד כמ”ש:
Throuh doing so one is able to fulfill the commandment of “To elevate a light constantly”, for it is throug elevating it all the way to its source that it lasts forever, as explained.
במדרש נמשלו בנ”י לזית שאינו מתערב בשאר משקים דכתיב לא תתחתן בם ואם מתערב מ”מ עומד למעלה כו’ ע”ש.
The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 36:1) compres Bnei Yisrael to the olive. The oil of th olive does not ix with any other liquid, so too Bnei Yisrael do not mix with the nations of the world, as the Torah commandmends us (Devarim 7:3) “Do not intermarr with them”. And even if it olive oil does get mixed with other liquids, it nevertheless separaes and rises to the top. See the Midrash inside.
פי’ שכח זה נתן השי”ת בבנ”י שלא יוכלו להתערב באומות. וז”ש לא תתחתן והול”ל לא תחתן. רק הפי’ שיהיו מתוקנים באופן שלא יוכלו להתחתן בהם.
This means that the power that HaShem gave Bnei Yisrael is that they are not able to mix with th eother nations. This too can be seen in the pasuk. The words used are לא תתחתן do not marry, it should have written לא תחתן, the extra ת implies that this is a constant mission. Bnei Yisrael always need to be in a constant spiritual state where they are so holy that they cannot intermarry into the other nations.
זך כתית שהשמן אף שמעורב תוך השמרים. מ”מ הוא זך ואינו מתערב.
Furthermore the pasuk teaches us the oil is “pure, beaten (olives)”. This means that even when oil is mixed with its own sediment it still does not combine with it.
וברש”י כתית למאור ולא למנחות כו’.
Rashi explains that the pasuk teaches us that only ht epurest of oil can be used for the menorah (from the very first squeeze). However this is not neessary for the menachos offering (which also contains olive oil).
פירשנו עפ”י המדרש דרך הזית שחובטין אותו כו’ עד שמוציא שמנו כן בנ”י בצר להם עושין תשובה כו’.
We can explain this in line with the Midrash above that adds. The olive only gives its oil when it is beaten and crushed. So too Bnei Yisrael when they are beaten and crushed they repent to HaShem.
ובפסוק נאמר זך שמוציא רק טיפה ראשונה כו’. אכן בודאי נדיבות הראשון שבישראל הי’ בלי שמרים שאמרו נעשה ונשמע. וע”י שנתנו כח הראשון להשי”ת כראוי. זכו שאף שקלקלו אח”כ. מ”מ יוכלו להתברר מתוך הפסולת.
The pasuk explains that the purest oil fo the menorah, was from the first drop of oil fsqueezed out of the olive.
(This can be compared to our service of HaShem). Clearly the original generosity and desi of Bnei Yisrael was absoletely pure, without any “sediment”, as BbneiYisrael proclaimed Na’ase venishma”. Through doing so (with absolute purity) they gave their first strength to HaShem properly. This enabled them to subsequently even after sinning, they are able to (repent) and separate the oil from the sediment.
וז”ש כתית למאור. כי טיפה ראשונה עומדת לפני ה’ בהיכל הקודש. אבל להעלות נחת רוח להשי”ת הוא ע”י הבירור מהשמרים. וזהו למנחות מי דרכו להתנדב מנחה עני כו’.
This is the idea of pure for lighting. The first drop of pure oil is used “before HaShem” in the sanctuary. Yet to constantly arouse pleasantness to HaShem, is only through the constant clarifying of the sediment. This is why the secondary oil is used for the menachos, for who gives a mincha offering the pauper. (The mincha offering was the cheapest of all offerings and offered bprimarily by poor people. So too when one is not in that pure state of “before HaShem” with the purest of oil, one is nveretheless able to use oil even from the dregs.)
והכל זוכין ע”י הטיפה הראשונה כנ”ל.
Yet all merit (even this secondary oil is accepted) because of the original drop of pure oil (as above, through our original commitment of na’ase venishma).
וז”ש זך כתית עי”ז להעלות נר תמיד אף בימי התערובות כנ”ל.
This is the meanin of the words “pure and beaten”, that though this process one is able to “constantly elevate a light” even ina time when one is (not pure) and mixed with other energies. As above.
וזהו שאמר הנביא להם בעת התוכחות זית רענן כו’. פי’ שהגיד להם שיש להם כח הזה לברר מעשיהם אף בימי הרעה כנ”ל.
This is why the prophet (Yirmiya 11:16) called Bnei Yisrael זית רענן a Verdant olive, in his rebuke. This means that Yirmiya was telling BneiYisrael that tehy have this power to purify their actions even in the bad days. As explained above.
ודבר זה נוהג בכל פרט ג”כ. שאם התחלת המעשה כראוי ברצון אמת לשם שמים. זוכה לברר אח”כ אף שמתערב בו פסולת כנ”ל:
So too this concept also applies in all details.IF one began his action properly, for the correct intentions, to do the will of HaShem. Then (this gives the power to those actions) that one merits to subsequently purify these deeds even though “dregs” (other desires) may get mixed into them.
